Duke freshman who turned to porn to pay tuition reveals herself in column that describes the 'bullying' she's endured since news of her new career spread

  • The Duke freshman identified herself by her stage name, 'Belle Knox'
  • Knox says she's been bullied constantly, with some people telling her to kill herself
  • Previously, Knox said her experience in porn brought her 'unimaginable joy'

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 23:37 EST, 4 March 2014 | UPDATED: 04:14 EST, 5 March 2014


The Duke University freshman who turned to a career in porn to fund her education identified herself Tuesday in an online column in which she revealed a photo of herself under her stage name, Belle Knox.

Knox - previously identified by her college newspaper as 'Lauren' - was the subject of an article that appeared in the Duke Chronicle last month about the male classmate who outed her as a porn star to fraternities and sororities at the university.

In her column, Knox describes the bullying she's received since word of her porn career spread across her college campus - and the Internet.

Revealed: The Duke University freshman revealed this photo of herself in a column for XOJane.com as well as her stage name, Belle Knox

Revealed: The Duke University freshman revealed this photo of herself in a column for XOJane.com as well as her stage name, Belle Knox

Bullied: Knox says people have set up fake Twitter accounts and used them to harass her

Bullied: Knox says people have set up fake Twitter accounts and used them to harass her

Threats: Knox says both she and her family have received threats since her identity was revealed

Threats: Knox says both she and her family have received threats since her identity was revealed

'My decision to do porn to pay for college was a private one I made, and then I was outed to my university classmates by another Duke student who had seen me on the Internet a few months ago,' Knox wrote in the column, which appeared on the website XOJane.com. 'He proceeded to reveal who I was to the entire Greek system . . . I started to be harassed. He started to be applauded.'

Some of the harassment Knox describes include calls for her to leave Duke because of the humiliation she has caused the university, and some even saying that she killer herself.

'Most recently, I have been told that I am “an embarrassment to Duke,” I bring nothing but bad publicity to my school, and I need to be silent,' she writes. 'Do I want to behave and be a good girl? Then "no more media," I am told. The message repeated to me seems clear: "You are not a human being. You have no rights or feelings. You are simply a nuisance. You have to stay silent. No matter what, just stay silent."'

Knox ends her column with 'today, I am choosing to reveal my porn identity to the world. My name is Belle Knox, and I wear my Scarlet Letter with pride.'

Knox's story came to light last month after the Duke Chronicle ran an article about how the trouble started for 'Lauren' when fellow college freshman Thomas Bagley came up to her and asked her if she was the same girl as the adult film star he'd been watching.

Knox admitted that she acted in pornographic films under a stage name, but swore him to secrecy.

 

More...

Joy: Knox previously said that her experience in porn has brought her 'unimaginable joy'

Joy: Knox previously said that her experience in porn has brought her 'unimaginable joy'

For his part, Bagley denies having recognized her in porn, telling the Daily Caller that she actually confessed her secret to him.

Both agree that despite his promise, Bagley blabbed at his next fraternity rush event.

Once he leaked the secret, people across campus were texting and tweeting about the Duke freshman porn star within a matter of days. 

The aspiring lawyer was crudely mocked and attacked online.

'If you b***ed her, report in,' wrote one anonymous poster on the CollegiateACB message board.

'We going to pretend like she was unaware of the social consequences of going into that business? she made a decision, now she needs to live with the consequences,' wrote another.

 

More...

She soon found herself talking to the campus newspaper about her life in porn, which Lauren would later call an attempt to control the conversation.

In that interview, Knox said she started in adult films as a way to offset her massive tuition bills, and called the Duke campus a place where women had to hide their sexuality, and were held to a 'virgin-wh*** dichotomy.'

In that story, the author took note of Knox's 'designer bag' and new iPad as proof of her porn-riches.

Higher learning: Duke students took to the internet to criticize Lauren's career choices and speculate who might have had sex with her

Higher learning: Duke students took to the internet to criticize Lauren's career choices and speculate who might have had sex with her

However, Knox wasn't entirely pleased with the Chronicle's representation.

While she thanked them for giving her a forum she also accused them of skewing her words and betraying her trust in a response on the blog Develle Dish, adding that they had 'portrayed me as a naïve, attention seeking little girl who flaunts her wealth.'

She went even further detailing her life in pornography and the lack of impact she expects it to have on her future in a first-hand account published on xoJane later that week.

'I couldn't afford $60,000 in tuition, my family has undergone significant financial burden, and I saw a way to graduate from my dream school free of debt, doing something I absolutely love,' Knox - as 'Lauren' - wrote. 'Because to be clear: My experience in porn has been nothing but supportive, exciting, thrilling and empowering.'

She further elaborated that the site she performed for was a 'rough sex website' but that she had never been 'coerced or harmed' while filming.

'Everyone has their kinks and we should not shame anyone for enjoying something that is perfectly legal and consensual for all parties involved,' she wrote.

First-hand: In an article on xoJane, Lauren said she had no fear of porn impacting her future career as she wouldn't want to work for anyone who held it against her

First-hand: In an article on xoJane, Lauren said she had no fear of porn impacting her future career as she wouldn't want to work for anyone who held it against her

'For me, shooting pornography brings me unimaginable joy. When I finish a scene, I know that I have done so and completed an honest day's work. It is my artistic outlet, my love, my happiness, my home.'

Finally, she shot back at critics who claimed she was being degraded: 'I can honestly say that I have never felt more empowered or happy doing anything else.'

Knox also called for people to examine why they treated female sexuality 'with such disdain,' and dismissed online comments that said her history would prevent her from finding work after graduation.

'I wouldn’t want to work for someone who discriminates against sex workers,' she wrote.


Comments (168)

Share what you think

 View all

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

she should have just stuck with non-nude "modelling". pays the bills just the same is a lot less tawdry. a lot of college girls have their own websites with pics and claim to make enough to pay their tuition - all without having to reveal any more than you would in a bikini on a beach.

68
82
 Click to rate

Bless her heart.

58
116
 Click to rate

Working here way through college......that's what they all say.

48
132
 Click to rate

I am astounded that she says her decision to do porn was a private one. Her career choices are her own, but in this day and age she could not realistically expect this to remain private. If you are making porn someone is watching it and someone will recognize you. This is not condoning the abuse it is simply questioning her "private decision."

26
160
 Click to rate

Sounds wholesome. Support single moms and schoolgirls.

30
51
 Click to rate

Well, when you decide to do porn it isn't private anymore. You need to think of the consequences.

40
167
 Click to rate

Well of course, Duke used to be respected and high profile. I would LOVE to see this chick's application. I'll bet anything her "occupation" wasn't listed.

29
68
 Click to rate

What she is doing (being a porn star) is LEGAL. What these other people are doing, (harassing and threatening her) is ILLEGAL. End of story. It doesn't matter if her morals don't match yours. That's not an excuse to do something illegal. Funny how some of these holier-than-thou types can justify their threats and harassment, which is apparently perfectly "moral" in their book.

71
406
 Click to rate

She does good work

26
48
 Click to rate

I've nothing against this girl. In fact, fair play to her - she is the one that has to live with the inevitable prejudice, nit us. However, I am seeing an emerging picture (as we are now having similar situations over here in Scotland). It seems that the latest generation of young women are empowered and have allowed themselves to be empowered by the last generation of feminists. But what they have done is stick two fingers (or one for you Americans out there) up to The Establishment (who happen to be last generation feminists) as a sign of normal young person rebellion and a sign of empowerment by realising that hang on, men pay good money to see women strip/make "love"/make "love" to and since it's my body and not anybody elses, it's the easiest route to fund life and avoid several years of penuary after paying for expensive education. Given my time again and if there was a market for scrawny white Scottish men stripping/making "love" to, then I would've done the same I reckon.

22
70
 Click to rate

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Add your comment

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now