Shelley Lubben

Early life

Lubben was born on May 18, 1968 in Pasadena, California. In an interview with Howard Stern and Deseret News, Lubben stated that when she was nine years old, a brother and sister sexually abused her. Lubben worked as a prostitute from age 18 to 26. During this time, she became pregnant by one of her customers, and later gave birth to a daughter.

Adult industry

She entered the adult film industry, while working as a prostitute, when she was 24 years old. During her time in the sex industry, she contracted herpes and HPV, which led to cervical cancer, and resulted in the removal of half her cervix. During and after her life in the sex industry, she battled alcohol and drug addictions. During her pornographic career, which lasted from 1993–1994, Lubben appeared in about 15 hardcore movies, including The Cumm Brothers 3: Go to Traffic School, Used and Abused 2, and Bra Busters 2; a third of her appearances were girl/girl scenes. Lubben has stated that the sex acts that women perform on film sets are physically harmful (including anal and uterine hemorrhaging), and psychologically traumatizing.

Advocacy

In 2005, Lubben initiated an aggressive online marketing campaign, utilizing social networking web sites in order to reach out to the sex industry. In 2008, Lubben established a faith-based organization called the Pink Cross Foundation. The group concentrates on outreach to and evangelism of those in the porn industry, especially performers, and offers support to those wishing to leave the industry. The organization solicits donations online and offers an online support forum for individuals that are addicted to drugs, sex, and pornography. When Lubben identifies interested individuals, she sends care packages filled with religious literature, Bibles, Christian music, local grocery and department store gift cards, and other spiritual and practical supports. A secondary focus of Pink Cross is outreach to individuals seeking recovery from pornography addiction. Pink Cross attends pornography conventions to educate fans about how porn is not glamorous and also reaching out to porn stars and reminding them that they have options.

The Pink Cross Foundation also lobbies against pornography and the adult entertainment industry. Lubben supported California legislator Charles Calderon in his effort to tax the pornographic industry by speaking to lawmakers about her experiences. Lubben indicated that the scenes on the set of a hardcore porn film often involve a woman and several men who are doing degrading acts to the woman. Lubben describes the scene of a hardcore porn film as devoid of intimacy, and describes it as "all mechanical and beastly". She further writes that "women are vomiting off the set, and most of the actors are doing drugs and alcohol." In June 2010, she spoke to U.S. House and Senate members and their staffs in Washington DC about the damage that was done to her body from her time in the porn industry. She continues to be outspoken regarding the illegal and hazardous working conditions in the industry, with sexually transmitted diseases being a workplace safety issue and public health concern.

As of 2012, she presents her personal experiences in the adult film industry in public forums and speaks out about her recovery process and the emotional, mental, and physical effects of pornography on performers. In February 2011, she spoke at a Cambridge University, where she presented the harmful effects of pornography and debated the issue with advocates speaking on behalf of the pornography industry.

In January 2013, Swiss recording artist and model Patrick Nuo publicly claimed that Lubben helped him deal with his pornography addiction.

In January 2016, The Pink Cross Foundation closed.

Media appearances

Lubben has appeared in various international media outlets, including radio, television, and film. An overview of her life has been featured in the documentaries Traffic Control and Out of the Darkness, the latter of which was selected to be the opening film for the John Paul II Film Festival in 2011.

Lubben was also in the 2012 documentary After Porn Ends, which is about life after being in the porn industry. In February 2011, she became the subject of a documentary entitled, The Devil and Shelley Lubben, created by porn industry advocate Michael Whiteacre. According to Mark Kernes of adult industry trade journal AVN, the film disputes Lubben's experiences in pornography and the trauma she says can be traced to those experiences. In June 2012, Lubben shared her life story in Slovakia to local media outlets.

Recording background

In January 2011, Lubben released a rap/hip hop album with the proceeds going to the Pink Cross Foundation to help women and men recover from porn. The first single, titled "Killer Fantasy", features the message of a porn star speaking to the porn fan about the truth behind the adult industry.

Published work