Jesus Loves Stephanie Swift by Jon of http://elexismonroe.thumblogger.com/
In a sombre video on the xxxchurch site Stephanie Swift makes her confession. After 17 years in the industry and more than 370 videos she’s quit because she’s discovered Jesus.
She said that from the age of about one to fourteen that she was sexually abused by two members of her family. When she entered the adult industry at the age of 23 she created a personality as she wasn’t happy with who she was because of what happened to her as a child.
Stephanie denied her success in the industry saying that it was a false sense of accomplishment. She’d wanted someone important to give a warning and she would have listened to it.
She has been cancer free since 2010 and is now in school. She was rebaptised on the beach in San Diego. She’d been contacted by the xxxchurch 5 years ago but only recently decided to join them.
http://xxxchurch.com/stephanie.html
Good luck to her, I hope she stays cancer free.
This is good news.
Best of luck to Stephanie.
My first scene for Vivid in 1996 was a boy/girl scene with Stephanie for “Domination Nation Part 2”, and I sensed before formally meeting her that she had some kind of deep traumatic experience like that, the way she kept herself cocooned from others.
I always thought she looked uncomfortable in her scenes…Like she didn’t actually want to be doing them. I’m happy she is cancer free and has found her own peace.
I’m glad her health is improving, and I hope she finds what she’s looking for in Jesus. However, I just wish that in her video she had at least mentioned all the people in the adult industry who had rallied around her, and donated or raised funds for her medical problems. It is in no small measure distasteful that she only waited until after accepting that money to both turn on the industry AND fail to thank them for their support.
I havent watched the video…but I hope she didnt bad mouth the industry like Shitty Lubein does.
Stephanie had a sexy little body and a great face.
Jeremy, your right…she had this look in her eye…very distant.
I think she did some MILF scenes within the last year
I’m interested in hearing her experiences and opinions now that she’s out of the business.
I don’t understand psychologically why people turn to porn as a way of escape. Is it trying to turn a negative sexual past into a positive, then later turning to God? I just don’t see how one relates to the other.
I don’t understand psychologically why people turn to porn as a way of escape. Is it trying to turn a negative sexual past into a positive, then later turning to God? I just don’t see how one relates to the other.
Sorry about the double comment. I’m doing this from my phone.
@Lucky – It has been demonstrated in the past (although I’m not certain if it remains the prevailing view) that people who were sexually violated/dominated in their youth will often act out sexually, or become highly sexualized, as a method of asserting control over their bodies. They were forced to have their bodies used by others, so now they essentially say, “I’M going to use my body now.” It’s an act of rebellion not recovery.
As for turning to G-d, that’s a loaded issue LOL… I can say that it is VERY common, to the point of essentially being the rule, that once people find religion they start to look back at all the events in their life with religious perspectives: suddenly that memory of the hairs tingling on the back of your neck is transformed in your mind into the presence of Jesus, or Whoever. Often it also serves to absolve you of culpability (see: Shelley Lubben) because often what you did wrong was actually because big bad SATAN tempted and tricked you. These perspectives can be very convenient.
@Jeremy – Of course, after your find religion you also start to recall everything about your old life as absolutely terrible, wretched and sinful. Making your old like seem that much more horrible makes your new-found salvation seem that much more miraculous. That’s what the testimonies of Evangelicals are for — to proclaim how much better everything is now that they’re in the arms of G-d/Jesus/Santa Claus or Whoever.
To me it can be like reading the communist paper, The Internationalist. There could be a lot of valuable information about events which have happened or are happening. At the same time, I may disagree in key ways with the solution, but knowing the problems can be worth the read. She may not necessarily paint things worse than they were because of her new found religion. We’ll see…
@Jeremy – That’s correct, she may not do that. But if the many, many accounts given by former Born-Agains, and by the friends and associates of current Born-Agains, are any guide, it’s probably more likely than not. As someone who worked with her on set, you (and other performers similarly situated) have a unique perspective.
Speaking of a unique perspective, I remember Cash Markman’s scene of us in “Passions of Sin”. The fuck scene was shown in slow mo around sundown with beautiful and sad music instrumental playing over it. It has a bit of a timeless element to it. I remember I got to get killed in that movie, too.
As for the look in her eye, I wonder what kind of look I have in my scenes… hmmm…..
Hey if she is happy then I am glad for her and whenever I have come in contact with her she has always been cool with me going on 10 years now. I wish Stephanie a long and happy life. As far as her or anybody turning against the porn movie industry I think we have proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that as an industry our sales cannot be hurt by a bad economy, the digital era, piracy, free porn, a glut of product, SL, SNL or anything thing else that might come our way.
The case of Stephanie Swift raises the question, if a successful porn star (15 years and 400 titles) can be so disenchanted, then what kind of success are we really offering them? Chris
That’s a very interesting question, although the same could be asked of musicians like Prince, or Cat Stevens for that matter, who at some point turned to religion and eschewed secular fame. As Jerry Lee Lewis once said, “Money can’t make you happy. Money is only green paper.” Success is in the eye of the beholder. People chase various things to fill the holes inside them — sex, drugs, fame, what have you. Without some degree of self-awareness, I don’t think it’s likely they’ll ever succeed.
And what is success, really? What gives a career — or a life — its worth anyway? Because someone loves it, or hates it, or envies it?
@Reader Email/Twitter; There is no “success” in porn. I have yet to meet any retired porn actresses who came out (even after a “successful” career) feeling good about themselves. BUT, there IS money to be made if the girl is business minded and savvy enough to save. It has been done. The Hungarian and Czech porn girls who work in the US are especially good at this. They work their asses off for two years, then move back home and retire with a nice nest egg.
That said, unfortunately many of these girls enter porn at a rather young age and are way too immature to understand that the money isn’t gonna keep coming forever. And they spend it all as quickly as they make it.
Most porn girls leave within the first year, even if they become popular and “successful”, and they leave with no money but with a stigma that will follow them for the rest of their lives.
So I wouldn’t say you can leave porn as a “success”, because you will forever be tainted goods. But you CAN leave with money in the bank.
“Most porn girls leave within the first year, even if they become popular and “successful”, and they leave with no money but with a stigma that will follow them for the rest of their lives.
So I wouldn’t say you can leave porn as a “success”, because you will forever be tainted goods. But you CAN leave with money in the bank.”
OF course with the internet their past will follow then everywhere. But with the exception of some intelectual hipppie types who like to be in porn not only for the money or some misguided types that think none in college will recognize them, most of then will become high end hookers for the likes of the Earl when they are done with porn, so there is no real problem with the sigma, in fact its free publicity. I was seen some 80s porn lately and I wondered how many of those performers are already dead anyways.
Yes, that is true. But would you consider being a high end hooker a success?
I honestly don’t even think the most “successful” girls are successes. Money, sure (think Jenna Jameson), but they will never get the stamp of approval amongs civilians. They are forever a freak show, no matter how normal lives they lead after porn.
There was a web site that keeps track of porn stars and which ones are dead for whatever reason. Its at:
http://www.rame.net/faq/deadporn/
Don’t know how up to date it is but it is an interesting site.
“The case of Stephanie Swift raises the question, if a successful porn star (15 years and 400 titles) can be so disenchanted, then what kind of success are we really offering them? Chris”
I think this statement is a bit retarded. One can get disenchanted with anything. The Beatles got disenchanted with transcendental meditation and the Mararishi. What kind of “success” are “we” offering? You can say this about anything. Porn is like life, it’s what you make of it, but there’s more to life than porn, too. It is not the ultimate, end-all whatever it is you’re suggesting its supposed to represent. Dig? I guess what I’m saying is if she wasn’t happy to begin with what should she expect from porn or blame porn for?
Vince, I disagree.
Some of the wealthy pornstars who are married swingers (especially those who were swingers before entering the biz) can be considered successes. The key is really for these girls to have a man who truly loves them.
Although there are more dead former porn stars than the ones listed on RAME, I don’t think the amount of performers who commit suicide or overdose is as high as we think it is.
Honestly, some performers are like Keith Richards–no matter how many drugs or crazy things they do they just keep on living. I personally think the more orgasms a person has the less likely they are to kill themselves or die of an overdose.
But if you do stimulants like coke or meth, that shit WILL kill you one day. Usually when you’re in your 50s or 60s and haven’t done coke in two decades–BOOM–massive heart attack.
All drugs are shitty but none of them hold a grudge like cocaine…
origen, I’m not sure I understand. Why would you be considered a success just because you are a swinger??
I’m not sure what YOU mean. You mean that for someone to have success they must have universal social approval? Please, if sex workers cared about social approval they would never become sex workers in the first place, would they?
But CAN porn stars live a financially prosperous, happy, fulfilling life with the support of friends and family (and possibly a religious community)? YES, that is possible and some pornstars live that life.
Vince, you’re assumming and you’re making an ass out of all of us. What do you mean you haven’t met a retired porn star who doesn’t feel good about themselves? That’s a pretty bold, broad statement. Start naming names and We’ll believe you. I’m not saying it doesn’t exist, but for every Nadia Styles and Sierra Sinn, there’s a Seka, and a Georgina Spelvin, and an Annie Sprinkle, and a Sharon Mitchell, and a Julie Meadows, etc. And also, I think Origin measures success in terms of happiness, which would make your argument moot in his terms.
First of all nobody is happy constantly, however I had an 11 year career, had less than 5 bad experiences in my whole career, made great friends whom I still talk to, been happily married with 2 great kids, still go to the church I was baptized in as well as baptized my children, I have an awesome priest, I don’t need to go to church all the time I prefer to pray at home but I do love the icons. I’m sorry Steph got cancer and even sorrier she’s letting herself be exploited in the name of Jesus, Steph she’ll use you till she’s done with you, you don’t need her to find Jesus. You need college. As for being successful, well I consider the definition of success to be not having to do my own laundry and I’m not quite there yet. I’ll be celebrating 7 years of wedded bliss this August. The kids are great. I just started a brand new twitter page @rubypornstar and still do webshows on imlive.com( I lowered my price guys) still do hot phone sex on niteflirt.com and my official fan page is Ruby Adult Star on myspace and I had a facebook fan page but it got pulled for a picture(they wont tell me which one and I censored them all myself) So the new one will be called Ruby’s Room. So your happiness is your own responsibility, and so is your success. Take care of today and tomarrow will take care of itself, and in the immortal words of Dory the fish,”just keep swimming, just keep swimming.
You’re really awesome Ruby. With your married life and the way you are devoted to you kids, I would consider you a success.
Thank you, but I still love my porn and am working on something now it’s just not in front of the camera, but I paid attention and now my plan is working, but I’d think of going back for a good contract, hubby said ok, and I love the web shows and phone sex but I just had a hernia operation, and I have some weight to lose. You will be judged for the rest of your life after porn, I just like giving people a different perspective, because everyone knows but nobody says anything unless they have a sex question. I love my children but they wouldn’t stop me from making the decision to go back.Only the hubby gets veto power.
Fuck coming back to LA. Just shoot your own stuff. Do you have a website?
I don’t want to move back to LA, I’d only comeback for a sweet contract with a great company, I don’t want to direct I’m working on a huge start up corp that will change the way you consume porn. I would love to pull off a big comeback almost just to prove I could, and I’ve always felt that the adult industry was the place I belong, I fit. I will never go away. Feeling better after hernia surgery, so I should be in fighting shape by summer.
RU BEE RU BEE RU BEE RU BEE RU BEE (CHANTING)
Yeah Ruby don’t go back to that crap hole!! LA sucks and its getting worse and I got guys emailing and calling me looking for work and directors calling me trying to find guys that are tested!!. It ain’t worth it anymore…LA SUCKS!!!
I just had hernia surgery, but wanted to tell everyone I’m now on Twitter @rubyadultstar and just started a brand new fan page on Facebook called Ruby’s Room and I need lots of likes, lots of pics that haven’t been seen before! Lots of stuff happening, I’m really excited about!
I had to change the facebook pg name to Ruby’s Romper Room to make it easier to find!