Life after the porn industry: The award-winning adult film stars who have reinvented themselves - so, how do you live a normal life after making millions from X-rated movies?

The porn industry has changed dramatically over the past three decades, with the rise of the internet and technology.

Last century, one would walk into disguised shops and rent or purchase X-rated films, but with the rise of online sites like PornHub and OnlyFans, those days are long gone. 

As the face of the industry changes, so do the faces of the people working in it - with many adult film stars only doing the job for a short time before moving on.

But where do porn actors and actresses go after the industry? 

While many acknowledge that their past career remains published online forever, plenty of former porn stars have gone on to found businesses, start families - and a few have even dedicated their lives to the church. 

FEMAIL takes a look at some adult film stars who have traded a life of X-rated antics for some very different paths indeed... 

Eve Vorley

Eve Vorley, whose real name is Emma Benton-Hughes, entered the porn industry after her husband left her and she fell on hard times financially.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, she was a Page 3 girl, posing topless for magazines and newspapers.

She was involved in a number of adult films during this time, such as 'Lesbian Nurses', 'Electric Blue: Nude Wives - Private Parts' and 'Naked Neighbours'.

Emma, from London, also directed porn films including 'Horny Housewives on the Job' and 'Sex Mad Secretaries'.

Eve Vorley, whose real name is Emma Benton-Hughes (pictured in 1995), entered the porn industry after her husband left her and she fell on hard times financially

Emma starred in porn film 'Lesbian Nurses' under her industry name, Eve Vorley

Emma is pictured at one of West Ham's matches against Manchester City in 2013

Speaking about why she entered the industry, Emma told the Times: 'When my husband left me, the house was repossessed and I was left with a cardboard box full of clothes and a bed. 

'I swore I'd never rely on a man again and I've stuck by that. I've enjoyed being able to help my family, but I've been very businesslike about it.'

Her brother, Jonny Trunk, helped run her fan club which at one point exceeded 19,000 members.

He told the outlet: 'My sister longed secretly to be a model. Emma saw the glamour industry as a business opportunity, and it worked for her. After six months she asked me if I wanted to help with her fan club. 

'To start with, it was a bloody odd experience, but it soon became ordinary. I'd be stuffing pictures of my semi-naked sister into envelopes and she'd be in the kitchen with her tracksuit on, feeding the cat.'

Her ex-husband West Ham's co-chairman David Sullivan, made his money in the adult film industry and it has been said that the pair met through the industry.

Emma is the ex-partner of David Sullivan, who has been West Ham's chairman since 2010

Emma, also known as Eve Vorley (centre), an ex-porn star, was appointed as a director at West Ham

She has been pictured at the London Stadium watching the Irons in action on numerous occasions. 

West Ham later appointed Emma to the club's board of directors.

However, it is believed that she no longer sits on the board and is not currently listed under the directors on the club's official website. 

She and David share two adult sons, Jack Sullivan and David Sullivan, and were together for 25 years before separating in 2020.

 Samantha Browne

Samantha Browne, from Birmingham, claimed she was groomed by an older woman into eventually working in adult films

After leaving school at 16 years old, Samantha Browne, from Birmingham, claimed she was groomed by an older woman into eventually working in adult films. 

As well as acting in porn films, she also appeared on Babestation as a web-cam girl from a young age and spoke about her alleged ordeal on the Anything Goes podcast with James English in 2021.

She said: 'I thought it was okay to sell my body at 17 years old. Unprotected, up and down the country with this girl.'

After quitting the porn industry, Samantha is now an activist and public speaker, campaigning to protect young girls from exploitation

Once she turned 18, Samantha then did her first porn film shoot and claimed this exposed her experiences that have stuck with her. 

She recalled that one of her first scenes 'was so painful that the guy asphyxiated me'.

She suggested that the fact she grew up in a broken home led to her seeking approval and love from others.

Samantha won awards for her performances as an adult actress but she said this all took a toll on her. 

'When I got into the industry, and I was 18, the vultures were there waiting for you. It really was sex, drugs and rock and roll. I was like a ragdoll,' she added. 

'I know now what love is and what consensual sex is. I didn't have any respect for my body. I was doing things because I felt I had to, because I wouldn't get the work.' 

For the past seven years, Samantha has been an activist and public speaker, campaigning to protect young girls from exploitation.

Her social enterprise, Diamond You Projects, aims to improve mental health for young people and those in the criminal justice sector.

As well as acting in porn films, Samantha also appeared on Babestation as a web-cam girl from a young age

Now Samantha owns her own organic superfoods company that imports raw, vegan-friendly products from around the world 

According to her LinkedIn profile, Samantha has worked alongside councils, the NHS, schools and youth clubs within the UK.

She also owns an organic superfoods company called Oneself Well-Being where she imports raw, vegan-friendly products from around the world.

She started the business in 2020 when she found herself 'jobless and anxious about my health' and her company was born. 

Jenni Lee

Jenni Lee, whose real name is Stephanie Sadorra, first entered the industry at just 21 years old

Widely considered one of the most popular porn stars of all time, Jenni Lee, whose real name is Stephanie Sadorra, first entered the industry at just 21 years old. 

But her life nowadays couldn't be more different as she has gone underground - literally.

In 2019, she was found living with a community of people, nicknamed 'mole people', who reside in tunnels underneath the Las Vegas strip.

Stephanie, from Clarksville, Tennessee, is ranked 119th on Pornhub's list of best porn actresses. 

Stephanie was found living in the tunnels under Las Vegas in the summer of 2019 when a television channel spoke to her about her lifestyle 

She was interviewed by a Dutch news program for a documentary about the network of tunnels occupied by hundreds of homeless people.

Stephanie, who was barely recognisable from her days in the adult entertainment industry, revealed in the interview that she used to be a famous porn star.

'I actually got very famous. Maybe a little too famous,' she said in the documentary that aired on RTL 5.

'I should still be in the top 100 on some list somewhere. I used to be so hot.'

She last appeared in an adult movie titled 'Horny Housewives' back in 2016, according to her IMDb profile and still has 45,000 subscribers.

It is unknown how long the former adult star has been homeless or living in the tunnels for, but says she is happy with her lifestyle. 

'It's not as difficult as you might think, everybody's really respectful,' she said.

Stephanie admitted that she used to be 'so hot' in her younger days of doing porn

The tunnels where Stephanie lives in Las Vegas - where she has no access to running water 

'Everybody's good to each other, which I don't think you find much (above ground). I'm happy, I have everything I need here.'

Despite having no access to running water, Stephanie insisted she was happy living underground in the tight-knit community because people were more accepting.

Leonie Saint 

In the early noughties, Simone Peschkes - known as Leonie Saint - was seen as one of the best actresses on the scene

In the early noughties, Simone Peschkes - known as Leonie Saint - was seen as one of the best actresses on the scene. 

Within two years in the industry, the German adult actress won a 'Venus' award for best newcomer and then later went on to win Best Actress. 

She decided to quit in 2008 and became a mother within the following year before marrying in 2012. 

But she is now a hunter and dog handler and showcases her new lifestyle on social media 

She now works as a hunter and a dog handler in North Rhine-Westphalia and shares her experiences on Instagram and TikTok, where she has 13,000 followers.

According to German tabloid Bild, the star said she was once 'disillusioned' with the industry and that she would not return. 

Jenna Presley

 Jenna Presley - real name Brittni De La Mora - worked in the porn industry for a whole decade 

The 37-year-old porn star, whose real name is Brittni De La Mora, spent a whole decade working in the industry, building a name for herself as an adult actress. 

But Brittni, from California, has now decided to take a different route in life and is instead building her relationship with God.

Speaking about why she started making porn movies, Brittni said she grew up in a broken household and therefore didn't have much self-value or worth. 

'I discovered early on that if I was naked in the presence of men that I was going to get what I didn't get at home — and that was affirmation,' she previously told Fox News.

The ex-porn actress said she started working in a strip club when two men approached her and said she was 'destined' to be a star 

She started working in strip clubs as a way to get her through college. Brittni said that as soon as she turned 18, she was approached by two men at her club who said they were romance movie producers in Los Angeles.

It was then claimed that the pair told her that she was 'beautiful' and 'destined to be a star,' according to the outlet. 

The next day, she was set up to have her photos and was signed to a top agency. 

Although Brittni enjoyed making films for the first month, she realised the downsides of the job after she found out she had contracted a sexually-transmitted disease.

Her life took a turn after this news and she turned to using hard drugs such as heroin and cocaine to 'cope'.

Around three years into her job, she reached a 'breaking point' and began attending church with her grandfather where she met ''Jesus as my Lord and Savior'.

But she then met a man who turned out to be pimp and went back into the industry for a further four years. 

Now Brittni is married to a pastor called Richard (the pair are pictured) and is focusing on her relationship with God 

She and her husband wrote a book called 'Fire and Fresh' which helps couples who may have 'lost the excitement' in their relationship

However one day she felt a strong urge to 'turn her life around' and felt God asking her to 'take a step of faith' by quitting the industry. 

Brittni has not made a porn film since December 2012 and is now married to a pastor named Richard.

The duo teamed up and wrote a book called 'Fire and Fresh' which helps couples who may have 'lost the excitement' in their relationship to get back on track. 

She has also urged other women to think about the repercussions of doing porn before signing any contracts. 

She said: 'Do you want to deal with the repercussions of having your sexual acts all over the internet for the rest of your life?

'I can't get that stuff removed [because] I signed my rights away when I signed my contracts.' 

Brittni told people to consider how they might cope in the future, instead of thinking about what will make them happy in the present.

Rocco Reed

Rocco Reed - real name Joshua Broome - made more than 1,000 porn films over his time in the industry. Above: Joshua pictured in 2010 at the adult video awards in Las Vegas  

Reed - whose real name is Joshua Broome - filmed more than 1,000 raunchy movies under his pseudonym.

He quit the industry in 2012 and claimed porn caused him  'a tremendous amount of emotional trauma.'

He told the New York Post that he 'lost track of who he was' and admitted that he wanted to take his own life at one point. 

Broome, now 40 years old, fell into the porn industry when he moved to Hollywood with the dream of becoming an actor. 

Joshua said he made 'well over a million dollars' but felt emptiness and sorrow inside. Above: Pictured in 2011 with Alexis Texas and Jesse Jane

He came across a group of women while he was working as a waiter who told him that doing porn would further his chances of achieving his dream. 

He was cast and made an adult film within a matter of days.

What followed was a very successful career in porn and Reed, who was just 23 at the time, shot to fame as being one of the most popular adult actors in the industry.

He revealed that he made 'well over a million dollars' but he felt emptiness and sorrow inside. 

Broome revealed his shock exit at the time with a statement that read: 'I would like to state that my time in the adult industry in every aspect has now come to an end … I would also like to state that I am not or never have been gay, just an adult performer. I am retiring not because of any other reason than its time to move on.'

He eventually moved from LA to back to his home in North Carolina where he met his wife Hope at the gym he was working at. 

Joshua Broome became a pastor at the Good News Baptist Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and also preaches in other states. Above: Pictured in 2022

Joshua studied biblical theology before marrying Hope in 2016 (the pair are pictured together) and they share three sons together

The pair went out for a run and he revealed his past to her and was shocked when she did not judge him for it.

'Through her kindness and not rejecting me, she cultivated a curiosity in me. The next weekend we went to church together,' he said.  

Similarly to Brittni De La Mora, Broome found Jesus and his newfound Christian faith turned his life around. 

He then studied biblical theology before marrying Hope in 2016 and they share three sons together. 

Broome then became a pastor at the Good News Baptist Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and also preaches in other states.

He said: 'I built a life I can be proud of, and when I lie my head on the pillow at night I'm not ashamed and I don't feel guilty.' 

Mia Khalifa 

Mia Khalifa caused outrage and went viral after wearing a hijab while having a threesome

Mia Khalifa had a short but intense three months in the porn industry. She caused outrage and went viral after wearing a hijab while having a threesome. 

She started her career in 2014 after she was asked if she would consider doing nude modelling. She reportedly got her pseudonym from the name of her dog, Mia, and her American rapper Wiz Khalifa.

The 31-year-old experienced death threats from terrorist group ISIS for the video as well as heavy criticism from around the world.

Khalifa revealed that she only earned $12,000 from the three months she made porn and said back in 2019: '[Porn] corporations prey on callow young women and trap them legally into contracts when they're vulnerable.'

Mia Khalifa sat on the front row of the GCDS fashion show during the Milan Fashion Week in 2023 

Khalifa then quit the industry and took an extended break from social media before returning and exploring other avenues.

However, she experienced backlash last year after she made light of Hamas' attack on Israel last October, which led to her getting dropped by Playboy.

She joked online about 'guerrilla fighters in fake Gucci shirts' destroying the 'Zionist apartheid regime', and demanded the Hamas terrorists hold their phones 'horizontal' to document their killing spree in a series of tweets.

The 30-year-old fired off a series of tweets to her 5.7million followers on X within hours of the attack.

Retweeting footage shot by the terrorists she mocked 'Zionist settlers in occupied land and stolen homes this morning', and claimed that President Joe Biden's 'fav hobby is 'b*mbing Arab children'.

She also shared an image of the terrorists riding in the back of a pick-up truck, calling it a 'Renaissance painting.'

'I can't believe the Zionist apartheid regime is being brought down by guerrilla fighters in fake Gucci shirts - the biopics of these moments better reflect that,' she joked in one tweet.

'Can someone please tell the freedom fighters in Palestine to flip their phones and film horizontal,' she added in another that was later deleted.

She attempted some damage control a few days later, tweeting: 'I just want to make it clear that this statement in no way shape or form is enticing spread of violence, I specifically said freedom fighters because that's what the Palestinian citizens are… fighting for freedom every day.'

But Playboy accused her of 'hate speech' as it booted her off its Centerfold platform which allows models to interact directly with fans and called her comments 'disgusting' in an online statement.  

Mia Khalifa attended the Saint Laurent Womenswear show as part of Paris Fashion Week in September last year

Playboy took Mia Khalifa's page down on their website after a series of 'disgusting' tweets about the Hamas attack on Israel in October last year 

But this hasn't stopped the Lebanese-American model from relaunching her fashion career since quitting the industry and has since sat on the front row of Paris Fashion Week early last year dressed in archival Jean Paul Gaultier and Schiaparelli.

Khalifa also sat at shows for Acne Studios, Bluemarble, and Off-White and also had a shoot with Vogue where she picked out clothes from her own closet.

She's been interested in the world of fashion and style for quite some time and last year she even walked the catwalk with London-based brand KNWLS.

The confidence she has gained in the fashion industry prompted her to launch her jewellery brand, SHEYTAN. 

Speaking to Vogue in December, the former porn star said: 'I wanted it to be something tongue-in-cheek and this is what people have been calling me all this time.

'Those who are offended will be offended by anything at this point.'

Khalifa is plastered all over the website wearing the accessories and uses her real name on the site, Sarah Joe Chamoun.

The site states: 'Sarah Joe draws on her cultural heritage, middle eastern sensibilities and vast experience of the social media landscape to bring together inspiring and desirable collections.'

Gina Wild 

Michaela Schaffrath made her name as Gina Wild, a popular porn star was active between 1997 and 2000. Above: Schaffrath is pictured in the German drama 'Klinikum Berlin-Mitte' in 2001

Michaela Schaffrath made her name as Gina Wild, a popular porn star who has sold 800,000 DVDs and videos under the pseudonym. 

The 53-year-old was only active for three years between 1997 and 2000. 

More than a decade after she quit, the former X-rated actress said in an interview that she wouldn't have gone into porn back then 'with what I know today'. 

Michaela is pictured at a film premiere in 2001 in Hamburg, Germany

More than a decade after she quit, the former X-rated actress said in an interview that she wouldn't have gone into porn back then 'with what I know today'. Above: Michaela pictured with her ex-husband Axel Schaffrath in 2000

Since her departure from the scene, Michaela has since become a regular actress, dabbling in presenting and performing in theatre. 

She has lived in Bremen for the past five years and is married to a photographer. 

The actress has also launched her own eggnog company called Eierei, which is available to buy in supermarkets in Germany.

But Michaela has also tapped into her charitable side, becoming an ambassador for the German Bone Marrow Donor Registry and is committed to the fight against blood cancer.

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