A freshman at Duke University who was outed as a porn star last month has broken her silence, responding to the criticism she’s faced since the news broke across Duke's campus.
After a student on campus outed the adult film actress, she sat for an interview with Duke University's student newspaper, The Chronicle, saying she wants to “control the conversation” being had about her. (Via YouTube / Jie Huang)
The Duke student, who goes by Lauren in the interview to remain as anonymous as she can, explains she uses the money she makes from porn to pay Duke's almost-$62,000-a-year tuition. (Via Duke University)
“This is insane. … I could be making thousands of dollars for an hour of work.” (Via The Chronicle)
She also gives her opinion on how sex is viewed at Duke, which has ties to the United Methodist Church, versus how it’s viewed in Los Angeles where she films.
“At Duke there isn’t the sexual freeness. We hold women to this standard of purity.” (Via The Chronicle)
But even after this article was written and her interview was published, Lauren was not happy with the result, claiming The Chronicle’s article has multiple mistakes. (Via Develle Dish)
And, if anything, the article only seemed to stoke the flames for her critics.
Conservative blog The Daily Caller called Lauren’s attempt to protect her identity a “charade.”
Though a writer for Jezebel defends the student. "People can be critical of porn and the exploitation that occurs in such an industry all they want, but they should do so by affording its participants respect for their perspective and their basic humanity."
Eventually, Lauren did have her own unfiltered voice heard. She published an op-ed on the website XoJane.
In that post, she gives her thoughts on why she’s received so much scrutiny, writing: “I am well aware: The threat I pose to the patriarchy is enormous. That a woman could be intelligent, educated and CHOOSE to be a sex worker is almost unfathomable.”
Lauren says she plans to continue working in the adult film industry and going to Duke University, despite the unwanted attention she’s received lately.