Posted on 05/28/2004 5:25:59 AM PDT by Aquinasfan
A Mormon Girl Gets Her Start in the Adult Movie Business
Jan. 23 — When 20-year-old Michelle saw the handsome Spaniard who would later become her fiancé, she thought it was love at first sight.
[WARNING: This article contains descriptions of sexual acts that some readers may find offensive.]
"The day we met, he said, 'You're going to be the mother of my children. I love you,'" she remembers. "You know what I mean? I never had that before. I never had a guy be so in love with me."
The couple met on the set of a porn film in a rented house in Prague in July 2001.
Michelle, the daughter of a retired Air Force captain and former bishop in the Mormon Church, was an up-and-coming starlet in the adult video world. She had had some setbacks in her first year in the business, but believed her career was turning around with the Prague trip, which would be her first starring role. Her co-star, 28-year-old Nacho Vidal, was already a well-established star.
The director had told Michelle that Vidal liked her work, and when the pair saw each other they immediately fell into each other's arms, kissing from one side of the house to the other.
"There's nothing bad about you," she told him admiringly as they prepared for the shoot. "You don't know me very well" he replied with a grin.
But when the director finally got the pair to settle down to the business at hand — filming a sex scene — the tone changed. Without any prompting, Vidal got rough during the sex, slapping Michelle's face violently from side to side, and choking her. [Pleased to meet you/Hope you guessed my name]
Afterward, she looked shaken, her face reddened and her eyes watery. But she insisted she was OK. "I look torn up — can you tell?," she asked an ABCNEWS producer who was following her progress for Primetime. Laughing and wiping her eye, she turned away and said without conviction, "I took a beating today, and it was great."
'Belladonna' Is Born
Michelle had gotten her start in the business at 18, when she came to Los Angeles from her home in Utah to look for work as a nude photograph model. When she failed to get modeling work, her agent encouraged her to try porn. She refused at first. "I always hated porn. I thought it was the most disgusting thing in the world," she told Primetime, which followed her career for more than two years.
But she finally agreed. Taking the name Belladonna, like the poisonous flower, she found herself preparing for what she thought would be a simple boy-girl sex scene. She was shocked when the director told her he wanted her to do anal sex — something she says she had never even thought about before. Worried she'd have to go through with it if she wanted to work again, she let him talk her into it. "I was kind of scared. I didn't know if I could say no," she remembers. "I didn't know any better, you know?"
After the session, she was shattered. "I wasn't ready for anal sex.... It was painful. But I can hide it really well." She had just turned 18, the legal age for participation in sexually explicit films.
Michelle went on more shoots over the next few months. Then her agent sent her on a job where she would have sex with male actors in prison outfits — 12 of them. Once again, she tried to back out, telling the director it was "sick," but once again she was talked into it. She had sex — all kinds — with the 12 men. "It was really hard because I really felt like a piece of meat ... in a lion's cage, 12 lions.... I had to do a lot of things I can't imagine anyone wanting to do." She was paid $4,000.
Afterward, she says, she couldn't stop crying. She packed her bags and went home to her family in Utah.
Glimpse of the Big Time
But within a year, she was back, even agreeing to promote the prison movie that had so upset her.
She began to feel that her career was picking up. She got a small part in a movie for VCA, one of the "high end" companies that produce big-budget films, and hoped it might lead to a contract. On the shoot, she met porn legend Ron Jeremy, who was making a cameo, and began to feel like she was fitting in. "The first second I walk in, this girl grabs my breast, and I'm like, Wow, you know, that's like the best welcome ... 'cause then you feel like, Oh, someone likes me, you know?"
Another company considered giving her a contract, but at a meeting, the owner, veteran porn star Ona Zee, sensed that Michelle was not emotionally ready to become an adult star. "There's a part of me that wants to say to you, 'Run for the hills, girl, do something else, because you can be something better,'" she told her.
At the high-end companies — which produce a small proportion of the thousands of adult titles released each year — performers often have contracts and can make six figures by shooting just eight to 10 movies a year. They can pick their own partners and condoms are generally required. Shot on film with elaborate, sets, costumes and plots, the movies can have budgets up to $250,000.
But Michelle did not get a studio contract, and ended up taking a job with a company known for "gonzo" porn — sex-only, amateur-looking productions shot on video. The company, Elegant Angel, was making a film in Prague and offered her a starring role, which she hoped would show the big studios that she could carry a film.
Love Blossoms in Prague
She was thrilled at the attention Vidal gave her during the week in Prague — but wary. "It's weird to have a guy love you that much. That almost scares me because I have a hard time trusting men," she told Primetime, explaining that her first boyfriend cheated on her repeatedly and ultimately left her for a stripper. Privately, Vidal had told Primetime he could never be with just one woman, and would be happy if Michelle's attraction did not lead anywhere.
She came back to Los Angeles by herself, so sore from the week's filming that she says she could hardly walk. But then she flew to Spain to visit Vidal, and their relationship seemed to be going places. She said he could keep having sex with other women, as long as he agreed to be "honest to me, loyal, and just respect me and tell me that I'm number one every day."
She even began hearing wedding bells, telling Primetime, "The second I get married, I won't having sex with men in this business any more."
Wedding Bells
By December 2001, Michelle and Vidal were engaged. As she proudly showed off her diamond ring, saying how pretty it was, Vidal joked in his Spanish accent, "I need to f—k so many girls for that ring."
The couple was in love, Michelle says, but they were fighting regularly. Vidal would sometimes get what he calls "Latino jealous" when he saw her talking to other men at clubs. Michelle told Primetime, "It's hard to be in a relationship with someone in porn."
By now, she was working steadily, even shooting for the same company she shot the prison gangbang for. "I guess now I've gotten past the whole feeling-bad-about-it thing. I'm like, 'OK, I did it and that was pretty damn rough of me' ... Like wow, you know?," she said with a laugh. "I can say that I've done pretty much everything there is to do, and I can walk away feeling a little proud about it, you know?"
The Primetime producers who had been following her noticed changes. At 18, she had said she would never use drugs, but now Primetime learned that she was sometimes high on marijuana during her scenes. She was working without condoms, though she said the risk of AIDS was never far from her mind — or her prayers. "The fans don't like to see condoms ... If I would have said I want to use condoms every time, I really wouldn't get any work," she explained. She contracted chlamydia, which can make you sterile.
And anal sex — which she had be talked into during her first shoot — was now her specialty. "Funny, isn't it? Something I didn't want to do and now I'm known best for it," she told Primetime. No longer a fresh face in the business, she found she had to agree to even riskier sex acts to earn the same money.
Ona Zee, the producer who had interviewed Michelle the previous year, noticed a difference, too. "I said to my husband, Our baby is all grown up and left home. She's no longer the adorable fresh-faced girl that I met ... Now she's really in the life ... Even in the pictures that I see of her, she's much harder, much tougher."
Behind the Smile
During interviews with Primetime, Michelle kept the happy smile she had always had — even when describing things that many people would find disturbing. However, her composure cracked when Diane Sawyer asked why she always smiled. Tears came to her eyes as she said, "Because I like to hide — hide everything, you know?" Then she began to cry, explaining that she hides her real emotions because she wants to show everyone how happy she is. "And I'm not happy ... I don't like myself at all," she said.
Michelle confessed she often felt physical revulsion during her scenes: "My whole entire body feels it when I'm doing it and ... I feel so — so gross." While pretending to be enjoying the sex, she said, she was in fact counting the minutes, telling herself, "Hey, I only have this much time left. Don't worry about it. Get the check. Gonna go deposit it in your bank." She admitted: "You get addicted to the money."
Like other performers Primetime spoke to, Michelle said that during shooting she often imagines herself outside her body. "I call it the 'other half,'" she said.
Bringing Home a Trophy
In January 2002, Michelle's Prague movie won an award at the Adult Video News awards in Las Vegas, considered the Oscars of the adult industry. Things were not going smoothly with Vidal that day — he complained that Michelle "don't do the ironing my clothes... I still 28 and I need my mother," and at the ceremony he openly checked out other women — but there were crowds of admiring fans for Michelle and she soaked up the attention.
After going on stage to pick the trophy, she was beaming, telling Primetime she had worked hard for it. "I think this is the very beginning of my career, like I've just begun," she said.
And at the 2003 AVN awards two weeks ago, Michelle was an even bigger winner, taking home awards for best supporting actress and three other categories.
Sorry, but your order to reread wiil not be obeyed, as I've already read the thread, and your specific answer to my question has not been posted.
Why do ~you~ imagine: "-- there are many people who are NOT religious who want to see pornography heavily regulated or outlawed entirely", -- can you answer?
Do you have an example of when pornography was used to save a life? I'm really curious.
Now that's just nonsense. How are women ``more in control,'' when pornography is present? Most people instinctively know it's almost always the opposite.
Absolutely not!
Society should not let an 18 year olds first job out of high school be in the sex industry. I have been in AA for nearly 20 years now and I have known girls who dropped out of high school when they were 18 to move out and go to work at a topless club. From the halls of high school to being fondled by drunken losers. Legal maybe, but not right. If a women wants to do this after being out in the real world and seeing the results - so be it. Someone in High School is not equipped for that decision no matter how much the perverts in society want their young flesh.
Tom Hanks life was saved by a FedEx package of Hustler magazines.
[They couldn't show that part of the movie for obvious reasons]
when was this?
I have met many people throughout my life who are not religious and see the pornographic industry as a blight on our society that should be heavily regulated or done away with for the myriad of reasons suggested on this thread, which I am not going to waste my time and energy recapping for you.
I have met many people throughout my life who are not religious and see the pornographic industry as a blight on our society that should be heavily regulated or done away with
You have a vivid imagination. - In fact, I'd bet you just made all those 'many people' in order to justify your opinions.
for the myriad of reasons suggested on this thread,
Your 'myriad of reasons' have been overwhelmingly based on religious moralities, as anyone who has really read the thread can see. In fact, your own late entry to posting raises the question of whether you read the whole thing yourself.
which I am not going to waste my time and energy recapping for you.
Cop out. -- Thanks for the confirmation that you were just blowing smoke.
Inflation,
Obviously you didn't see the show, the show was not focused on the mom and pop, self run web site, etc. Its about the big name globally distributed porn which is the bulk of the porn "industry".
Not someone getting kinky on a web cam in kansas, but the high dollar industry in LA. Attempting to confuse the issue shows either a complete naivety on your party, or an intentional attempt at spin.
Well stated.
So YOU say, because it is outside YOUR frame of reference. In fact, videos like that are made regularly, and with several different women in the porn industry.
Nice to know you can read minds, though. I find it odd that, you just "know" that Michelle hated what she was doing, you "know" that Houston did as well (I note that you ignored the example of Nina Hartley), all without any evidence at all save your "feelings". You simply cannot make such broad, sweeping statements as you do with no evidence.
"You sure possess a wealth of knowledge about the porn industry, which well explains your opinion about the posted article."
At least I know what I'm talking about...you have admitted to never even watching ANY porn movies. I went to college in the 80's and have spent ten years in the Navy. So YES, I've seen a few porn movies, and also heard the star's names...they have a bit of a fan following themselves.
Since you have never even seen one, and know nothing about the industry save what you've seen on TV or heard in church, how can you make the statements you have?
Sorrfy, your "feelings" and personal dislike and ignorance are no reason to set about limiting other peoples' liberties.
You are selfish. You want your questions answered but you won't answer mine and you want me to do your work.
There were plenty of reasons given on this thread that were not religious. YOU want them, YOU find them.
BTW, there are atheists who oppose abortion. Why then is it so impossible for you to believe there are atheists and nonreligious people who oppose pornography?
Yes, Virginia, there are nonreligious people who oppose pornography (just as there are religious people who don't).
I've got a scathingly brilliant idea, conduct a poll.
Your apparent anger is seemingly misplaced. America (and all of western civilization) is on a steady moral decline. There will be an ever greater volume of porn available to you. You'll be dead before and if porn is ever outlawed. I wouldn't lose any sleepover it.
As for myself, while this is an important issue, too many other issues have my time and attention at the moment and for the forseeable future. I speak out against it, but that is all. If that bothers you, TOUGH!
Have a good day.
It should be ONE AGE for everything, or else we're being hipocrites.
But after those people (who are always there) begin demanding that even THAT age rise, "to protect the Children", again, where should the limit be?
If an 18-year old girl can do all the things she can do now, like vote, fight in wars, and enter contracts, agt 18, then you gotta take the good witht the bad, that's just life.
Yep. The extreme radical feminists , led by Andrea Dworkin, come to mind. What wonderful allies to have!
I gage personal experience by credibility. Sorry but I find yours wanting.
You are selfish. You want your questions answered but you won't answer mine and you want me to do your work.
I answer all relevant questions, and haven't seen any from you that I missed.
There were plenty of reasons given on this thread that were not religious. YOU want them, YOU find them.
I asked for your 'reasons'. - As I suspected you couldn't answer. ~That~ is what I wanted, thank you.
BTW, there are atheists who oppose abortion. Why then is it so impossible for you to believe there are atheists and nonreligious people who oppose pornography?
It isn't. Non religious people can be as just as illogical as religious.
Yes, Virginia, there are nonreligious people who oppose pornography (just as there are religious people who don't). I've got a scathingly brilliant idea, conduct a poll. Your apparent anger is seemingly misplaced. America (and all of western civilization) is on a steady moral decline. There will be an ever greater volume of porn available to you. You'll be dead before and if porn is ever outlawed. I wouldn't lose any sleepover it. As for myself, while this is an important issue, too many other issues have my time and attention at the moment and for the forseeable future. I speak out against it, but that is all. If that bothers you, TOUGH! Have a good day.
You've made a bit of my day with your ranting, 'toughie'.. Thanks again.
Just as I don't need to join the navy to understand the truth about the notoriously poor sexual reputations of many of its members, I don't need to sit and watch an entire pornographic movie to understand the truth about its devastating effects.
It is interesting that you choose to disbelieve Michelle's reaction when she finally breaks down and cries about it, but when she smiles about it, you believe her.
Though pornography is harmful to both sexes, it is particularly harmful to women.
I have always had a great deal of respect for the military including the navy and many of the members who serve. However, it is sad and unfortunate that your Navy experience has taught you well in this regard. It is sadder still that instead of admitting that your fascination with pornography is wrong, you rationalize and justify it (hence you're tendency to disbelieve the crying Michelle).
As I said above there are other issues which have my energy and attention now and for the forseeable future but I will continue to voice my opinion on these occasions. Our nation is in an ongoing moral decline and pornography is not going to be outlawed any time soon, if ever. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.
It's tough to understand why anyone would view access to porn as a right for which they must fight vehemently, particulary when so many REAL rights are in such severe jeopardy. Porn to you is like candy to children. You are silly, stupid, immature fools who have no idea of the devastation you reap and sow.
You are indeed enemies within.
Just because some of them have joined the fray on our side, neither invalidates my opinion or changes it.
LOL! No, thank you. The only thing your above reply is good for, is a good laugh. It's the best I've had so far today.
Your remark to Long Cut gets my vote:
"--- I don't need to join the navy to understand the truth about the notoriously poor sexual reputations of many of its members ---"
You would have been aghast then at our [FR's] founders remarks one nite years ago on his navy days.
-- Perhaps this site is just to libertine for you.
Growing up is a process. More and responsibility should be doled out and the person given the chance to acclimate to it. And as far as drinking goes, I think if it comes down to a choice between drinking or becoming a sex industry worker at 18, I will choose drinking every time.
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