When their main jobs no longer provide them with enough income to support them financially, these actors, reality TV stars and even wrestler turn to adult film business to make ends meet.
- May 17, 2020
AceShowbiz - It's no secret that the reality of show business isn't always full of blitz and glitz. While the likes of Jay-Z, Oprah Winfrey, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kylie Jenner have managed to build their own business empires from their record sales and movie or TV salaries, many lesser-known actors and musicians are struggling to make end meets from their day-to-day gigs.
Thus, it's no surprise that some artists and actors have given up their singing and acting aspirations for more settled jobs in hopes of securing routine financial income. But a few of these struggling stars refused to go the normal route, and instead making a dramatic turn to porn industry for their own reasons.
Now that they may have become familiar faces in adult sites, here's a quick reminder of where these stars were from before they chose to strip down for the camera.
1. Chad Johnson
Chad Johnson is always full of controversy, both on and off screen. Following his much-hated appearance on "The Bachelorette" season 12, he went on to star on a number of other reality shows namely "Bachelor in Paradise", "Famously Single" and "Celebrity Big Brother" U.K. Apparently having reached his limit as a reality TV star, the former real estate agent announced last April that he planned to move to Las Vegas to launch his porn career. "I'm tired of basically being f**ked around by Hollywood!" the 32-year-old hunk told Daily Mail of his shocking decision. "I need money, I gotta figure out something, this is a way to take the power back."
2. Rachel Swimmer
Rachel Swimmer, professionally known as Tasha Reign, is a full-fledged porn star. But before that, she was best known as one of the cast members of then-popular reality series "Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County". As soon as she reached adult age, the former reality TV star started her career in adult entertainment industry, by becoming a professional stripper in 2008. She filmed her first adult film in 2010 at the age of 21, and has since appeared in a number of other porn movies, before launching her own adult production studio in 2012. "I actually knew I wanted to be naked in front of the camera since I was in high school," she once said of her aspiration. "I went to L.A. Direct Models in Studio City, and I just walked through the door and asked them if I can be a porn star."
3. Scott Schwartz
While financial situation forced Scott Schwartz to make a transition from child actor to adult film industry, he didn't go straight to become a porn star. Despite seeing it as something "off-the-norm," he started out by working behind the scenes and in minor, non-sexual roles, before eventually starring in adult films in sexual roles in the 1990s. "At the time, financially, I wasn't doing very well," he explained his situation. "Royalties from movies don't pay a lot." But it's safe to say that Scott didn't completely enjoy that path. He quit the adult film business in 2000 and began pursuing his acting career again in 2006.
4. Jaimee Foxworth
Jaimee Foxworth is another former child actor who wasn't so lucky in her acting career after her days as Judy Winslow on 1980s-90s sitcom "Family Matters" were over. With very little acting work coming in the years after her character was written off the show, she tried out a music career by releasing an album as a part of R&B musical group S.H.E. in 1997, but found little to no luck. When singing couldn't provide for her and her family either, she eventually starred in six adults film under the stage name Crave between 2000-2002, a decision which she didn't take pride in. "My family fell on hard times so I started doing things that probably wasn't [sic] the best decision for young women," she confessed of her past.
5. Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt
Back when they were starring on "The Hills", Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt were known for often creating drama and they kept doing so off screen. After their unceremonious exit from the MTV series in 2010, the couple, which always comes as a package deal, announced separation, with Spencer claiming that their marriage had been fake and was only part of "The Hills". In the midst of their divorce proceedings, he made a shocking claim that he's going to sell a sex tape featuring Heidi. Steve Hirsch, co-CEO of Vivid Entertainment, confirmed that the company was negotiating a deal with Spencer to release the sex tape, but it never saw the light of day as Speidi eventually got back together and called off their divorce only two months after filing for divorce.
6. Chyna
As a former professional wrestler Chyna, whose real name was Joan Marie Laurer, had a glimmering record in WWF. Having won numerous championships, she then appeared on several TV shows and films, and posed for men's magazine Playboy, before making her adult film debut with the 2004 video "1 Night in China". From then on, she earned the title as a sex symbol and was known for her distinct role of a porn version of a superhero, including as She-Hulk in Vivid's "Avengers XXX" and "She-Hulk XXX". Before her passing in 2016, Chyna said that she actually had no ambitions to go into porn and was instead "making lemonade out of lemons" after the video of her and X-Pac was released "without her permission."
7. Dustin Diamond
Dustin Diamond wasn't that fortunate with his foray into adult film industry. After his appearances on several reality shows like "Celebrity Fit Club" and "Celebrity Big Brother" didn't help resurrect his acting career, the actor, best known for playing Screech on "Saved by the Bell", filmed and leaked his own sex tape in 2006. "At the time everyone was doing a sex tape," he explained his reason in doing so. "So my friend said, 'Damn, buddy! A Screech video's gotta be worth at least a million!' I was like, 'You know, you might be right!' " But Dustin didn't get the money or fame he expected. In the years later, he tried to rebuild his reputation, claiming that he was not actually in the sex tape, but rather a "stunt double" had his likeness added onto it.
8. Farrah Abraham
Unlike most of the cases where celebrities lost their main jobs before turning to porn, Farrah Abraham's foray into adult entertainment industry cost her her role on "Teen Mom". The mother of one first hooked up with porn star James Deen in 2013 for a "leaked" sex tape titled "Farrah Superstar: Backdoor Teen Mom", before returning for "Farrah 2: Backdoor and More". However, it wasn't until 2017 when she chose to make a return to the adult film industry that she got fired from the MTV show. The 28-year-old is also a quite prolific author, though, having written a number of erotic novels including "Love Through LimeLight", "The Secret's Out" and "In the Making".
9. Tom Sizemore
Tom Sizemore's colorful acting career can only challenged by his scandalous personal life. "The Saving Private Ryan" and "Black Hawn Down" actor, who had been battling drug addiction since he was 15 and was convicted of domestic violence and accused of sexual abuse among other legal issues he faced, released his own sex tape titled "The Tom Sizemore Sex Scandal" in 2005 via Vivid Entertainment. In the video, the 58-year-old actor was featured having sex with several women and even bragging about having sex with a then 19-year-old Paris Hilton. The hotel heiress later denied his claim, alleging it was a ploy by Tom to increase sales.
10. Nadya 'Octomom' Suleman
Raising a total of 14 children, including a set of octuplets, as a single mom, it's understandable that Nadya Suleman a.k.a. Octomom has got a lot to provide to. Scoring a bunch of TV appearances after rising to fame in late 2000s, she got enough paychecks to pay her bills, but things went down in 2012, when she filed for personal bankruptcy, with only $50,000 in assets and up to $1 million in debts. After an unsuccessful attempt at launching a music career, the 44-year-old former reality TV star appeared in 2012's adult film "Octomom Home Alone", which earned her an award for Best Celebrity Sex Tape from AVN Awards. She also worked as an adult entertainer dancer in men's clubs.
