A man who made 'well over a million dollars' working in the porn industry now works as a pastor.
Joshua Broome filmed more than 1,000 X-rated movies under his old stage name 'Rocco Reed'.
However, after six years he decided to quit the industry in 2012 because it caused him a 'tremendous amount of emotional trauma', reports NY Post.
Advert
In a statement released at the time, Broome said: "I would like to state that my time in the adult industry in every aspect has now come to an end. I would also like to state that I am not or never have been gay, just an adult performer.
"I am retiring not because of any other reason than it's time to move on."
10 years later, the now preacher told the Post: "I literally lost track of who I was.
"Everything was lies and fiction… I wanted to take my own life and didn’t have the guts to do so."
He added: "I believed the lie that if I made money I would be happy.
"I made well over a million dollars. I travelled everywhere I wanted to go. I had all the sex I could have ever imagined. But once I had it all, my life fell apart, because it amplified the sorrow and emptiness I always felt inside."
The turning point came two years after he moved from LA to North Carolina.
In 2014 he came across his future wife, Hope, who he met at the gym. The pair decided to go for a run together and Broome was amazed how Hope refused to judge him for his past.
After getting to know one another, Hope invited Broome to church, where he suddenly felt a spiritual awakening.
"I surrendered a lifetime of shame. I lived with an ‘I’m not good enough’ mindset my entire life, and I was able to let that go," he explained.
Broome studied Biblical theology prior to marrying Hope in 2016. The couple now have three sons together.
Broome currently works as a pastor at the Good News Baptist Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and also teaches and preaches around the country.
Speaking out on the downsides of porn, he said: "It’s so harmful. You are saying it's okay to consume a person like a product, and if you treat people like products every aspect of your life is going to be detrimental."
Broome reckons anyone can change their path, and concluded: "It’s never too late to change what you’re doing. Is it going to take some hard work? Yes. Is it going to take time? Yes. Is it going to be worth it? Absolutely."
Topics: US News
Anish Vij