'Just because I'm a porn star, I don't want to be raped': adult film industry awaits its #MeToo moment as actresses struggle to be believed
The entire encounter is caught on video – the slaps, the hands around her throat, her pleas to stop.
But adult film star Nikki Benz has struggled to get people to believe her claims that she was sexually assaulted during a film shoot in December 2016.
“Because I do what I do, they themselves don’t know how to place me or where I fit in,” she said. “I don’t know how to make these people understand that just because I’m a porn star, I don’t want to be raped.”
Benz’s ordeal highlights the general public’s negative perception about a porn actor’s credibility because they’ve been paid to have sex in front of a camera, a stigma that’s made it all the more difficult for performers to prove they’ve been sexually assaulted by a romantic partner or co-worker. Some of porn’s top actresses say the #MeToo movement has yet to carry over into their industry as powerful men in media, business and politics have seen their careers derailed due to misconduct allegations.
Nikki Benz claims she was sexually assaulted during a film shoot in December 2016. (Joe Marino / New York Daily News)
President Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani recently denounced porn icon Stormy Daniels – who claims she was paid $130,000 to keep quiet about an alleged 2006 tryst with Trump – due to her career.
“It's a profession in which you would be willing to do things which many other people wouldn’t be willing to do to get money,” Giuliani said. “Up until this case, if you said that being in the profession of pornography is unreliable, they’d agree and now all of a sudden they’re switching.”
The remark set off a firestorm for the former New York City mayor, with Daniels’ supporters calling the statement a cheap shot.
“We don’t gauge someone’s credibility based on what they do for a living,” said Michael Avenatti, the attorney for Daniels, in response to Giuliani’s statement. “I think he should apologize and I think he should resign. And if he doesn’t resign, he should be fired.”
At the time Benz came forward with her assault claims in late 2016, she had recently been inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame, served as a salaried ambassador for production giant Brazzers and toyed with running for mayor of Toronto.
She appeared alongside Ramon Nomar in a scene produced and recorded by Tony T.
Rudy Giuliani, seen at Trump Tower in January 2017, recently denounced porn icon Stormy Daniels due to her career. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images)
Benz, who spoke with The News last month, said someone of her caliber usually gets a regimented script the day before filming — sometimes including photos or diagrams of a position because companies want a particular shot. But that day, she says she was only told what to wear, that the scene would be with a man and hardcore in nature.
Videos provided to the Daily News show Benz holding up identification showing her real name — Alla Montchak — and acknowledging she’s going to take part in an adult film. She said the only people allowed on set were herself, Nomar and Tony T.
Recordings show her rubbing her hands together before the filming began. In one cut, Tony T tells the film editors to alter his voice in post-production because he doesn’t want people knowing it’s him.
During the scene, Tony T is heard yelling at Benz to open her eyes and look at the camera, and Nomar is seen grabbing near her eyebrows to force her eyes open. At other points, Tony T can be seen grasping Benz by the throat. The scene shows her gagging and gasping for air and thrown up against a wall.
At two points during the filming, Benz called cut, uncomfortable with what was transpiring. On both occasions, the filming later resumed.
In a lawsuit, Nikki Benz accused Tony T of sexual battery, assault and gender violation, along with other charges. (Defiance Films)
In a lawsuit filed in April against the men and Brazzers subsidiary MindGeek, Benz accused Tony T and Nomar of sexual battery, assault and gender violation, along with other charges. Her genitals and buttocks were slapped, something Benz said she didn’t agree to ahead of time.
“Benz never consented to having Tony T touch her during the shoot or at any time,” the lawsuit read.
Dan Gilleon, her lawyer, said the fact that Benz called cut at multiple points “is compelling evidence of criminal intent.”
But Tony T’s lawyer disputed that notion because the men complied whenever Benz asked to take a break or stop.
“Tony denies that there was any activities without consent or understanding,” said attorney Karen Tynan, adding crew declarations showed the scene was discussed ahead of time.
Gilleon said nothing was discussed beyond what Benz would wear. She wasn’t aware underwear would be stuffed into her mouth, he said, or that a mask would be put on her and Nomar’s faces during filming. While some of the sex acts might be considered standard for hardcore porn, Benz told the News last month it was never something she would agree to.
Nikki Benz appeared alongside Ramon Nomar in the December 2016 film shoot. (Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
“He wanted to get a scene out of me that no other director could ever produce,” she said. “He got that out of me because I was literally afraid.”
Benz isn’t seen fighting back in any of the videos, but she explained her fear was so strong that she went along so she could get out of there.
“I just remember thinking, I just want this to be over with,” she recalled. “They can do whatever the f--k they want to me. I just want to go home.”
At one point, she’s commanded “Hold your legs,” to which she responds, “Hold my legs.”
Alana Evans, a former actress who heads the Adult Performs Actors Guild, a union for porn talent started two years ago, said she’s seen the footage – and that Benz appeared to be in a fear-driven trance.
“Nikki was completely sexually assaulted in that film,” she said. “There were parts of the scene where Nikki had gone into a submissive mode.”
Despite being accused of rape, James Deen has continued his successful porn career. (AFP / AFP/Getty Images)
A closing video shows Tony T asking Benz if she consented to everything in the video and whether she had fun, to both of which she answers “yes,” while still out of breath. Asked if she would do it again, she quickly states “no” and the camera shuts off.
“F--k Nikki, you can’t say that!” the lawsuit alleges he yelled off camera. It goes on to say she wouldn’t be paid if she didn’t agree.
Another video shows Benz smiling as she runs through the questions a final time, this time agreeing she’d perform the acts again.
Tony T and Nomar filed a defamation suit against Benz and MindGeek in early 2017, and a legal battle ensued. Nomar and MindGeek, which didn’t return a request for comment, were eventually dropped from the litigation.
Brazzers -- which did not return requests for comment for this story -- stopped working with Tony T. But Benz and her supporters think he and other porn power brokers have been protected by the industry while the mainstream #MeToo movement has led to the exiling of men like movie producer Harvey Weinstein, actor Kevin Spacey, TV hosts Charlie Rose and Matt Lauer, and former New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
“It’s not going to change. Not right now,” Evans said. “Maybe in the future.”
Because the adult film industry heavily relies on contract work involving performers paid per day, generally hundreds of dollars for each scene, women are pressured not to speak out in fear they’ll be denied work and tossed from the industry, insiders say.
Ron Jeremy remains connected to the industry after being accused of sexual assault. (Frazer Harrison / Getty Images For Playboy)
Porn faced a pre-#MeToo moment in December 2015 when performer Stoya accused James Deen -- her ex-boyfriend and a crossover star known for his heartthrob looks -- of raping her. At least eight others made similar accusations. Deen, who claims the accounts aren’t true and was never charged, was dropped by several companies.
But a reckoning for Deen never happened, and he’s continued filming with top-tier industry talent.
The Internet Adult Film Database lists Deen as an actor in more than 160 videos in 2015, and his scenes increased to 200 a year later. He made 170 appearances in 2017, according to IAFD.
He has also been nominated for 13 AVN Awards, the pinnacle of the adult film world, in the past three years.
Deen’s spokesman, who declined the News’ request for comment, told Vocative two years ago that the porn star’s life hadn’t changed amid the accusations.
Porn icon Ron Jeremy also remains connected to the industry after being accused of sexual assault by more than a dozen women in a December Rolling Stone article (he denies the allegations).
He was barred from the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo and Awards this January as well as the organization’s convention. He was also tossed out of the XBIZ convention, according to the Washington Post, when attendees spotted him inside.
Jeremy is still active on social media, retweeting fans’ praise of his demeanor during public appearances.
“From my encounter, you were patient and very gracious. I'd say that makes you a pretty cool dude,” @JGoulet75 tweeted at the porn star.
Benz went from 42 credits on IAFD for 2016 to 10 last year after discussing her troubling shoot with Tony T. She has two credits listed on the adult video database for this year.
Other women, including porn star and safety advocate Tasha Reign, told Buzzfeed News last month that Tony T acted inappropriately to them as well, something his lawyer refuted.
Tynan said Tony T hasn’t been involved in another scene since Benz spoke out in December 2016, disputing the idea he his career has continued to flourish.
“Tony lost his job, his entire professional career, and everything he held dear,” she said. “Social media has been brutal, however, he has received lots of private support from industry professionals.”
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office met with Benz this spring, but decided near the end of May not to pursue criminal charges against the producer, citing “insufficient evidence to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt,” Greg Risling, the DA office’s assistant chief for media relations, said in a statement.
“Tony agrees with the DA’s decision that there was no criminal conduct on that set,” Tynan said in an email. “He was pleased to have cooperated with interviews and providing the footage and contact information for all the crew members.”
Gilleon, Benz’s attorney, said the fact that prosecutors even examined the case is a major step forward in getting these sorts of accusations examined. What helped in this case was there was video, which he described as “quite ugly.”
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During Evans’ 20-year porn career, she recalls reporting assaults -- either involving herself or other actresses -- to police on three occasions, once for herself and twice for other women. Whenever she entered the police station, she says, she felt judgmental eyes boring through her. The visits almost always ended in tears.
“It didn’t matter what I told them,” she said of her past law enforcement experiences. “They’re not going to help me, because I am a porn star.”
The negative outlook on female porn stars was on display when Christy Mack took the stand in March 2017 against ex-boyfriend and mixed martial arts fighter War Machine, who beat her nearly to death four years ago at her Las Vegas home.
Mack, who’s left the porn industry, broke down on the stand when one of the fighter’s lawyers suggested she went public for the attention, asking if the 18 broken bones she sustained were worth boosting her social media presence.
"I would not want to almost die for a few followers,” she said on the stand.
Corey Silverstein, a Michigan-based attorney who’s represented both producers and talent, wishes women who speak up would be better protected in the industry.
“These people that do engage in this conduct, in my opinion, have no business in this industry,” Silverstein said. “As far as I’m concerned, that movement (against assault) is going on right now. Performers should be coming out when they’re mistreated.”
Other actresses have begun speaking up about alleged assaults. In March, performers Riley Nixon and Leigh Raven released a YouTube video in which they detailed being assaulted in separate on-set incidents — some of which had happened just a week earlier.
Amid the assault accusations, advocates have called for entertainers to unite and develop best practices. APAG, the union Evans heads, crafted a Benz List of what an entertainer will agree to before filming. That includes whether someone consents to the type of sex, moves that are allowed and devices he or she is open to using.
Other initiatives gaining support involve sexual harassment training and legislating safety rules.
Benz said she became suicidal after coming forward, but she remains committed to speaking out so others will feel more comfortable discussing industry injustices.
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