AB
Working in the adult film industry left former star Lana Rhoades struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts.
Warning: This article discusses suicide, which some readers may find upsetting.
At the height of her career, Lana Rhoades was one of the most sought-after names in the adult entertainment industry. However, behind the scenes, she faced a “dark side” of the business that the public rarely saw.
Lana entered the industry as a teenager, but her career lasted only eight months before she realized it wasn’t the right path for her. The turning point? The nature of certain scenes she was asked to film.
Although she left the adult film world a few years ago, the impact of her short stint still lingers. Today, Lana has shifted her focus to creating content for YouTube and podcasts, but the memories of her time in the industry remain painful.
A Naive Start in the Industry
In 2022, during an emotional conversation on her podcast, 3 Girls 1 Kitchen, Lana opened up about the difficult experiences she endured. She described feeling humiliated by some of the scenes she was pressured into and admitted she was naive when she first joined the industry.
“This is going to show how naive I was, but when I first got into porn, I didn’t know I’d have to have sex,” Lana revealed. “It didn’t register or process. I really didn’t think about the acts I’d have to do to become a porn star.”
Initially, Lana expressed a preference for girl-on-girl scenes, but her agents quickly dismissed her request. They made it clear she wouldn’t get much work unless she agreed to boy/girl scenes.
After reluctantly agreeing, Lana noticed her managers started booking her for increasingly extreme content, all to maximize their profits.
“They would glamourize doing more for less money because it would make more for them,” she explained. “They don’t care about the girls, only about pleasing the producers and film agencies.”
Compulsion and Mental Health Struggles
While Lana emphasized she never did anything against her will, she admitted feeling pressured into accepting certain roles. As her popularity grew, so did the extremity of the requests she received.
She also shared troubling stories she heard from others in the industry.
“I’ve had friends who were choked out so much they passed out during a scene,” Lana said. “There’s really crazy stuff going on that damages people’s bodies for the rest of their lives.”
Although she avoided physical injuries, the emotional toll was severe. Some scenes left her deeply traumatized, leading her to seek therapy.
“There were 3-5 scenes that were really traumatic for me,” she recalled. “Whether it was being sent to a set with someone much older or being pressured into something extreme, it was definitely very traumatic. That’s 100% why I left the industry.”
A Lasting Impact
Years later, Lana describes her time in the adult industry as a “life sentence” because it continues to follow her. She admitted that the experiences contributed to her struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts.
Now 27, Lana has become an outspoken advocate for banning pornography, citing the lasting harm it causes.
