Adult star Riley Reid has spoken about an incident that made her re-think her career choices.
The 33-year-old has been part of the adult industry for years now, and has cemented herself as one of the top names out there.
In fact, LA Weekly and CNBC have ranked her as one of the top ranking adult entertainers.
Just four years ago, Reid, real name Ashley Matthews, was inducted into the X-Rated Critics Organisation Hall of Fame, while also being inducted into the Adult Video News Hall of Fame earlier this year.
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Boasting over 2.4 million followers on Instagram alone, the adult actress has got her fingers in a few pies, starting her own clothing line and even launching a pornographic AI model that mimics her personality.
But with such a long-standing career in porn, comes a number of challenges.
How she became number one in world
Reid ventured into the industry at the age of 19, back in 2010.
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She burst onto the scene as a household name, but it came at the price of relationships in her own family.
Claiming that she 'doesn't have a mum anymore' in a podcast back in 2020, Reid added that she advises people against starting a career in porn as it 'makes life really hard'.
Saying that it began as she wouldn't give her mum 'money or things like that', it meant that her relationship was damaged beyond repair, adding: “I don't talk to her, I miss having a mum. I don't have that relationship with her any more. I don't ever think I will and that bums me out.”
While Reid previously admitted that she doesn't 'love' making adult content anymore, the 33-year-old became the number one porn actress in the world at one point.
She admitted in 2024 that she had been going through an 'identity process' to find a 'new version' of herself, but also explained later how she became the biggest name in the industry.
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"I think it's just like I'm relatable and I smile in my videos," she said, adding that her happy-looking performances and a natural energy helped her climb the ladder.
Why she no longer films male scenes
While the actress started out filming scenes with men and women, she has cut the former out in recent years.
Admitting that it proved to be an obstacle in her dating life, she said it was 'really hard', explaining on Jordyn Jones' What They Don't Tell You podcast in 2021: "They met me first in their mind as Riley, so it was really hard to like reverse and teach them that I'm Ashley."
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She considered quitting, but made the move to stop shooting with men, explaining that it was a choice she made on her own.
"I made that choice because I was lonely and I wanted love and affection and stuff and I was like, 'I'm not gonna be able to find this while I'm performing.'"
'Disgusting' moment
Reid remembered that one of her former partners refused to kiss her after she got back from work.
"He made me feel like maybe I should quit and stuff... he didn't want to kiss me when I came home from work.
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"So, like, [it] made me feel like a disgusting person," she recalled in 2018 on the Impaulsive podcast.
But Reid said that she wasn't disgusting, and said that the whole ordeal was 'horrible' and left its mark.
Reid spoke further of her past relationships, saying in 2022 on the No Jumper podcast: "My ex was so anti-porn, I almost quit porn when I was with him because I thought I hated porn, but then I realized I just hated him."
The actor has been married to Latvian freerunner Pasha Petkuns since 2021, as proof that she didn't let her career get in the way of real-life relationships.
The pair also share a daughter together, with Riley often sharing her love for the two on social media.
Topics: Riley Reid, Adult Industry, Mental Health
Joshua Nair