Rape Porn Industry

While Hollywood reels from the fallout of #MeToo, another film industry is imploding under the weight of its own storm of sexual misconduct allegations. The only issue: that industry is porn. Which means not everyone is willing to listen. Catriona Innes investigates

- Catriona Innes

‘DO YOU WANT TO SNIFF MY TESTICLES?’

THERE WAS A SATISFIED LOOK ON HIS FACE AS HE SAID IT. He ignored the woman when she raised her head, looked him straight in his eyes and replied “no”. He wasn’t taking that for an answer. So he asked again.

The reply was the same.

“No.”

So he took matters into his own hands, reaching for a fistful of her hair and pushing her backwards onto the mattress behind her. Then he began to pound his crotch repeatedly in her face. Again. And again. And again.

Barely a metre away a crowd of people had gathered. No one said a thing.

UNTIL RECENTLY, STORIES LIKE THIS WEREN’T SPOKEN ABOUT. Not publicly anyway. They were uttered in whispers, passed from woman to woman, warnings not to “deal” with certain people, to watch out for themselves.

Then, one woman decided to speak out; her decision caused a snowball effect – others began to tell their stories, and name names. Not just this man, but others. Lots of others.

For the first time, people were listening. People cared.

You think you know this story. But you don’t. The woman who claims this happened to her is an adult performer who has starred in over 60 pornographic films. In the majority of films, what happens to her on set is consensual; a job. But in this case, she says what happened wasn’t. As for him? We don’t know. Those watching may have thought it was part of the scene. He might have thought it was, too. It’s what makes something that should be simple a lot more complicated.