REVEALED: Shocking sex abuse and drug addiction suffered by adult movie star who killed herself after being accused of homophobia for refusing to work with a gay porn star
- Adult film actress August Ames was found dead in southern California
- Ames admitted during a podcast just weeks before her death that she was sexually abused as a child and battled drug addiction
- Her brother blamed the sudden death of his sister on abusive cyber bullies
- The Ventura County Medical examiner said the 23-year-old died of asphyxiation due to hanging
- Ames recently suffered a torrent of online abuse after posting on Twitter that she would not be doing a scene with a male performer who had done gay porn
Adult film actress August Ames (pictured) was found dead on Tuesday, according to police in southern California .
Shocking revelations of a traumatic childhood filled with sexual abuse and drug addiction were made public just weeks before adult film actress August Ames was found dead in southern California earlier this week.
The starlet's brother also lashed out at social media bullies shortly after learning of his younger sister's death, saying the online abuse led to her demise.
Ames, whose real name was Mercedes Grabowski, was found dead in Camarillo, California on Tuesday.
The Ventura County Medical examiner confirmed the 23-year-old's death. Its report stated that she had died of asphyxiation due to hanging.
Sources close to Ames told the The Blast that she suffered with depression.
That source of sadness may have stemmed from a troubled childhood, with Ames telling friend and podcast host Holly Randall weeks earlier that she had been sexually abused when she was a child, according to Radar Online.
'I have an awful relationship with my dad,' Ames told Randall. 'I tried to forget about it and talk to him about how I was feeling about my childhood and everything, because there was a lot of sexual molestation — not from my father but from his [redacted] — so I had to suffer from being molested by my [redacted]. When I finally told my dad, he didn't believe me,' she explained to Randall on September 13.
Ames told friend and podcast host Holly Randall (pictured) weeks earlier that she had been sexually abused when she was a child
James Grabowski (pictured left), was still reeling from the shocking news, blaming the sudden death of his littler sister on abusive cyber bullies
James and Mercedes Grabowski. James wrote: 'I want my sister's death to be recognised as a serious issue ? bullying is not ok,? he said. ? It cost me my baby sister?s life.?'
'The issue was never resolved,' Ames continued. 'All my life I grew up a liar by my dad and his side of the family.'
Ames also recounted her first experiences with narcotics, telling Randall that the father of a child she was babysitting offered her cocaine if she would strip naked.
'Some days I'll be fine, and if I'm not doing anything I'll get these awful flashbacks of my childhood and I get very depressed and I can't get out of bed and cancel my scenes for like a week or two,' Ames admitted.
Baby pictures of James (L) and Mercedes Grabowski, who was born in Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1994
Meanwhile, James Grabowski said he was still reeling over the sudden death of his baby sister, telling The Sun newspaper that he blames cyber bullies for pushing her over the edge.
'I want my sister's death to be recognized as a serious issue – bullying is not ok,' he said. 'It cost me my baby sister's life.
'I will do what I can be a voice for Mercedes but right now my family and I need to be left alone to grieve – we have lost a loved one.'
Ames recently suffered a torrent of online abuse after posting on Twitter that she would not be doing a scene with a male performer who had previously done gay porn.
The online incident may have triggered the suspected suicide, sources close to the Ames said.
On December 3, Ames posted a message reading: 'whichever (lady) performer is replacing me tomorrow for @EroticaXNews, you're shooting with a guy who has shot gay porn, just to let cha know. BS is all I can say. Do agents really not care about who they're representing? #LAdirect I do my homework for my body.'
The Ventura County Medical examiner confirmed the 23-year-old's death, but had yet to issue an official cause
Ames claimed that medical testing was different for straight vs gay sex scenes, and did not want to participate.
Some male performers in the adult film industry do both gay and straight scenes for extra money, a practice known as 'crossing over.'
According to the Daily Beast, the practice is relatively common but fairly taboo.
A majority of female performers are apprehensive about doing scenes with male co-stars who have a history of gay pornography in their resume, believing it exposes them to a higher risk of contracting HIV.
Following the post, Ames was accused of being homophobic, as social media users clamored for her to issue an apology.
Adult film actress August Ames (L) and husband, adult film producer Kevin Moore, attend the 2016 Adult Video News Awards at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on January 23, 2016
'NOT homophobic,' she said in response to the accusations. 'Most girls don't shoot with guys who have shot gay porn, for safety. That's just how it is with me. I'm not putting my body at risk, i don't know what they do in their private lives.'
Camarillo police said that Ames was pronounced dead at the scene, noting there had been no indication of foul play
Camarillo police said that Ames was pronounced dead at the scene, noting there had been no indication of foul play.
'She was the kindest person I ever knew and she meant the world to me,' her heartbroken husband, Kevin Moore, told industry trade magazine Adult Video News.
'Please leave this as a private family matter in this difficult time,' he added.
Shortly after her death had been confirmed, an outpouring of condolence from friends and industry peers filled up Ames's Twitter page, many describing her as a kind person with a big heart.
'Rest In Peace to August Ames, one of the best, nicest people I ever knew in the business,' producer Jules Jordan wrote in a tweet.
Fellow porn star Abella Danger described Ames as 'the most kind-hearted person ever.'
Randall, an industry photographer and close friend of Ames, took the news especially hard.
'I f*****g loved this girl so much... I am so sorry that I didn't know it was this bad ... we are all so broken hearted, you were truly loved by so many,' she posted to Twitter.
Born Mercedes Grabowski in Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1994, Ames had found her way into the adult-film industry in 2013 following a short stint in the food service industry as a bartender.
In her brief four-year-career, Ames starred in more than 270 films and nabbed a nomination for Best New Starlet at the 2015 AVN Awards.
In her brief four-year-career, Ames starred in more than 270 films and nabbed a nomination for Best New Starlet at the 2015 AVN Awards
Born Mercedes Grabowski in Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1994, Ames had found her way to the adult-film industry in 201
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