Actress Appreciation
Mercedes Grabowski was a Canadian American porn star known as August Ames. Born on August 23, 1994, the Nova Scotia native appeared in over 270 films. She was found dead at her home on December 5, 2017.
A couple of days before, she tweeted her concerns regarding crossover performers and safety, "Whichever (lady) performer is replacing me tomorrow for @EroticaXNews, you're shooting with a guy who has shot gay porn, just to let cha know. BS is all I can say… Do agents really not care about who they're representing?... I do my homework for my body."
As Rolling Stone magazine explained, "The concern Ames expressed in this tweet refers to what is known in the adult industry as "crossover performers," i.e. cisgender males who perform on camera with both cis women and other cis men, or with trans women. (Trans men are mostly left out of the crossover classification, as are cis women who perform with other cis women). Some performers and agencies share the view expressed in Ames' tweet, that crossover talent is "higher risk" for STIs than straight male talent. Others see this standard as homophobic, as well as a flawed rubric for measuring safety."
August's tweet received criticism by several in the porn industry. Jessica Drake, a prominent figure in porn, tweeted, "performers, by all means, fuck who you want to fuck... but if you're eliminating folks based on the fact they may have done gay or crossover work, your logic is seriously flawed." Cis male porn star Jaxton Wheeler pushed further in his tweet, "The world is awaiting your apology or for you to swallow a cyanide pill. Either or we'll take it."
She was called out as being homophobic for her comments. August tried to clarify, "NOT homophobic. Most girls don't shoot with guys who have shot gay porn, for safety. That's just how it is with me. I'm not putting my body at risk, I don't know what they do in their private lives." Berating continued. Her last tweet said simply, "fuck y'all."
On January 11, 2018, August's husband, Kevin Moore provided a glimpse of the terrifying night looking for his wife. He shared how she went to the gym to workout her stress, but never saw her again. Frantically, he looked everywhere for August, while the area was experiencing wildfires and power outages. Then he received a call from the coroner her body was found at her home.
Moore writes, "Bullying took her life... She ended her life the day after the bullying began." In his message, he calls out those who he blames for her death, including Jaxton Wheeler and Jessica Drake.
Perhaps it was miscommunication or misinterpretation as to what August Ames was trying to convey. Regardless, no one should be berated and harassed for an opinion shared over social media. August Ames was a beautiful woman with so much talent who could have been someone much more and contribute to society. Her life was cut too short.
R.I.P.
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