If you consider becoming a pornstar, you must read this article first
This article explores the 8 most common reasons our clients have regretted their decision to participate in porn films. There may be several reasons as to why an individual might decide to overlook some of what appears to be obvious dangers. However, as you can never turn time back, this articles may reinforce some of your fears and concerns about taking part in a pornographic film.
Why young people overlook the consequences of taking part in a porn film
Naivety - I am a different person and I regret the decisions I made in the past
I had unrealistic expectations and the choices I made are ruining my experience with future partners
I regret fearing the repercussions of seeking help or reporting the matter to the police at the time
I regret acting in porn as I am now living with the physical and emotional consequences
I was being controlled, and I regret acting in porn and giving in
I wish I knew then what I know now
Why young people overlook the consequences of taking part in a porn film
We are all able to make our own choices, and we sometimes need to face the consequences of the choices that we make. Sometimes we see an opportunity as something exciting and we may turn a blind eye to the reality of the situation – such as those who find themselves participating in pornography. You are now at the crossroads in your life for example, where you are feeling desperate and wishing that you could turn the clock back and appreciate the opportunity to fully understand the choice you were making.
Naivety - I am a different person and I regret the decisions I made in the past
In terms of the porn industry, where content is so explicit and exposes an individual in a physical sense for the whole world to see, it may be worth considering beforehand if you could live with that content being available for anyone to access. The regret however, may only occur later in life upon self-reflection, since you may no longer be the person you were when you were in those videos by way of example.
The regret may therefore be emanated from being blind-sided at the time of agreeing to being part of the porn industry. However, you may be pondering over the fact that a choice was taken away from you. Perhaps you were coerced or forced to participate and to become involved in the porn industry as if it were something you were expected to do.
I regret the delay in seeking legal help because I did not realise it was an option
If you are considering a pursuit of legal help as a way to help you to put your past behind you, it may be because of the false pretences you had been presented with and perhaps now would never agree to. If you could do it all over again you may even have asked yourself – is it worth it?
The porn industry has resulted in you feeling devalued as a person perhaps. Your reputation, your privacy, your identity and allowing yourself to be glamorized and to become vulnerable on camera, you may regret not considering that this content could become as public as it has become.
Do you regret not being stronger to defy what was being presented to you, or were you in a desperate place for help and money?
It is common for individuals to come to our office seeking help in an attempt to turn their life around and to put their past behind them to enable them to live a stress free life without the content of their past haunting them. The risk of being exposed – we will always help our clients have content removed from the internet that they do not consent to being there or have decided they no longer wish for it to be publicly available.
I did not realise the content would spread and now I worry it will reach my family and ruin my reputation
Fiona came to our office last week full of despair and regret for a choice she had made 2 years ago to feature in a pornographic film. At the time she was told it would be a one-off and had been lured into the job as an outcome of her modelling career. It was the money that caused her to turn a blind eye to the footage she was consenting to become part of. She also perceived the job as a one-off, so it was to her horror that the one video she was in would have been published to various porn websites. She regretted telling them her name as well since this only made matters worse when the studio kept on calling her back to feature in more videos. Each time she declined, the studio threatened that the content would be sent to her family and friends. Fiona came to us feeling trapped and did not realise that perhaps there was a way out. She regretted not considering seeking legal help since she had fallen for the blackmail to protect herself from the risk that the studio may send this footage to her family. She now wants every video she had participated in to be removed from the internet and regrets not seeking action sooner. She described how upon applying to several job placements, she fears that the reason her applications were rejected may have been because someone had seen the footage and recognised her.
I had unrealistic expectations and the choices I made are ruining my experience with future partners
Fiona continued to explain the damage upon reflection that featuring in the pornographic content has had on her own private life. When she was lured into the studio to participate in a video, she was under the pretence that it would feel no different to having sexual intercourse with a partner in general. However she now also regrets not protesting against the type of sex she consented to being filmed being part of since she feels that the ‘kinky or weird’ sexual acts she had been filmed participating in, would not be something she would normally experience when she eventually ends up with someone who loves her. Fiona is therefore regretful for allowing certain individuals to almost violate her body even though she had given consent. She didn’t realise the nature of the role she was consenting to and the impact it may have on her future relationships.
I regret not reading the paperwork and blamed myself for my own predicament until deciding to pursue legal advice
Perhaps you had been presented with a bundle of documents to which you were pressured into signing, and because you believed that the content would remain confidential you didn’t think twice before signing the paperwork. You are now at a place where you are able to forgive yourself for not knowing better which has given you the confidence to pursue legal help in having content removed from the internet. Although you may initially feel embarrassed about coming forward for participating in pornography, the false pretences you were under could have clouded your judgement especially if you were young and desperate at the time. When Fiona came to the office she even explained that she regretted not paying attention to the various forms she was signing. She felt that she was setting a precedence for other young vulnerable girls in her position to always be fully aware of what they were signing. She also told us that the studio production team had enticed her with alcohol prior to her signing the documents. This was another regret, for not fully engaging with the documents being presented to her.
I regret fearing the repercussions of seeking help or reporting the matter to the police at the time
Perhaps you were in a situation where you were being forced to participate in various pornographic content and although you had considered going to the police for help, you were too scared of the repercussions from the content creators if they found out that you had tried to pursue action against them. Thus, you may feel regretful for acting in the porn because you had put yourself in a position which made you feel helpless and perhaps you wasted many opportunities such as a new job, or a chance to start over, had you previously sought help.
I regret acting in porn as I am now living with the physical and emotional consequences
It could also be a common occurrence that those who have participated in pornography, regret ever featuring in it, due to now having to live with physical scars which act as a constant reminder of their participation. Due to the various content individuals are expected to participate through various sexual means, it could result in scarring or perhaps other forms of damage such as STDs. At the time you may have been aware of the risks, but since you trusted the process of what seemed to be a normal environment, with other people around you participating in the same acts, you regret not considering the implications of being so vulnerable. Fiona told us that during the two years she was participating in the sexual content online she had to go through a miscarriage because the participants with whom she had sex with did not use protection. The mental consequences should therefore also be taken into consideration upon understanding the reasons why individuals may regret their choices later on in life in this context.
I was being controlled, and I regret acting in porn and giving in
Perhaps you regret acting in porn because you acted so willingly in participating in the content. You were flown to a different country to become a sex slave in the porn industry and you were convinced that this was the right thing to do because your family were also persuading you to go. It might have been the case that you were bribed with money and the promise of a better life, and had you not willingly consented to these false promises, you may not have found yourself in the position you might now be facing – trying to rebuild your life. Maybe you became a victim of wanting the wrong attention, another reason you are regretful of, being controlled in such a way that you gained pleasure out of wanting others to watch you. It is arguably understandable for example where if an individual from another country, who is uneducated, poor and feels as though she has no purpose in life, it may seem to be an amazing opportunity to be wanted.
I wish I knew then what I know now
These 8 reasons may make your mind wonder why individuals who seemed willing from the start to be part of the porn industry are now in a position where they regret ever being part of it. In essence we are all humans who make choices for whatever reason, and it may take a mistake or being part of something such as porn, to help you realise your worth if you no longer wish to be presented in that light. Perhaps where it once suited you and it was presented as a fun and exciting opportunity, you now have your whole life ahead of you with children to worry about, and a reputation to carry. Thus it is so important to understand why people are regretful of their decisions in order to help them to grow and understand what they could have considered or done to achieve their desired outcome sooner.
