Bryan Matthew Sevilla
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Bryan Matthew Sevilla (born February 7, 1986), known professionally by the
stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...
James Deen, is an American
pornographic actor A pornographic film actor or actress, pornographic performer, adult entertainer, or porn star is a person who performs sex acts on video that is usually characterized as a pornographic film. Such videos tend to be made in a number of distinct ...
and
director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...
. Deen entered the porn industry in 2004 at the age of 18. He gained attention due to his relatively slender build, lack of tattoos, and
everyman The everyman is a stock character of fiction. An ordinary and humble character, the everyman is generally a protagonist whose benign conduct fosters the audience's identification with them. Origin and history The term ''everyman'' was used ...
appeal, bucking the stereotypical image of
hypermasculine Hypermasculinity is a psychological and sociological term for the exaggeration of male stereotypical behavior, such as an emphasis on physical strength, aggression, and human male sexuality. In the field of clinical psychology, this term has be ...
male actors in the pornography industry. In late 2015, multiple women came forward with allegations of
sexual misconduct Sexual misconduct is misconduct of a sexual nature which exists on a spectrum that may include a broad range of sexual behaviors considered unwelcome. This includes conduct considered inappropriate on an individual or societal basis of morality, ...
, including
rape Rape is a type of sexual assault involving sexual intercourse, or other forms of sexual penetration, carried out against a person without consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person ...
, against Deen, with the most notable being his former girlfriend
Joanna Angel Joanna Mostov (born 1980), professionally known as Joanna Angel, is an American pornographic film actress, director, and writer of pornographic film, adult films. She founded the website ''BurningAngel.com'' in April 2002 with her roommate Mitch ...
.


Early life

Deen was born in
Los Angeles County, California Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as LA County, is the List of United States counties and county equivalents, most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 202 ...
and raised in
Pasadena Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial d ...
. Event occurs at 01:22. His father is a
mechanical engineer Mechanical may refer to: Machine * Machine (mechanical), a system of mechanisms that shape the actuator input to achieve a specific application of output forces and movement * Mechanical calculator, a device used to perform the basic operations o ...
and his mother is a computer electronic engineer, and one of them worked at the
Jet Propulsion Laboratory The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a Federally funded research and development centers, federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) in La Cañada Flintridge, California, Crescenta Valley, United States. Founded in 1936 by Cali ...
. According to Deen, performing in pornographic films was his ambition since he was in
kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...
. Around age 15, he left high school and spent two years homeless. He graduated from
La Cañada High School La Cañada High School is a combined junior-senior high school located in La Cañada Flintridge, California, US. It sits at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, below the Angeles National Forest, in the City of La Cañada Flintridge. The school ...
in 2004. At 17, Deen moved in with his father. He worked at a
Starbucks Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational List of coffeehouse chains, chain of coffeehouses and Starbucks Reserve, roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gor ...
for two years and took classes at
Pasadena City College Pasadena City College (PCC) is a Public college, public community college in Pasadena, California. It was founded in 1924 as Pasadena Junior College. History Pasadena City College was founded in 1924 as Pasadena Junior College. It originally o ...
.


Career

After entering the
pornography industry The sex industry (also called the sex trade) consists of businesses that either directly or indirectly provide sex-related products and services or adult entertainment. The industry includes activities involving direct provision of sex-related se ...
in 2004, he initially worked with older female performers. In 2009, he was named the "Male Performer of the Year" by '' AVN'' at the age of 22, making him the youngest actor to have won this award. Deen has a fan following among teenage girls, a demographic typically not associated with the pornographic industry. In February 2012, ''
ABC Nightline ''Nightline'' (or ''ABC News Nightline'') is ABC News (United States), ABC News' Late night television in the United States, late-night television news program broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC in the United States with a franchis ...
'' aired the feature ''Porn's Boy Next Door'', which included interviews with Deen and his fans. One fan described him as "the
Ryan Gosling Ryan Thomas Gosling ( ; born November 12, 1980) is a Canadian actor. His work includes both independent films and major studio features, and his accolades include a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Awards, a ...
of porn". In September 2012, Deen was a participant in a press conference, along with others opposing
Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as LA County, is the most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 2023. Its population is greater than that of 40 individua ...
Measure B, an initiative which would require condom usage in the pornographic film industry. Deen questioned the measure's constitutionality. Deen's collaborations include work with pornographic site WoodRocket.com. As the host of original web series, ''James Deen Loves Food'', Deen has been featured reviewing top restaurants, ordering every item on a drive-thru menu at once, and creating a $580
burrito A burrito (, ) or burro in Mexico is, historically, a regional name, among others, for what is known as a taco, a tortilla filled with food, in other parts of the country. The term ''burrito'' was regional, specifically from Guanajuato, Guerre ...
. In January 2013, Deen took to
crowdfunding Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing and Alternative Finance, alternative finance, to fund projects "withou ...
site Kickstarter.com to raise funds for the mainstream
steampunk Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and Applied arts, aesthetics inspired by, but not limited to, 19th-century Industrial Revolution, industrial steam engine, steam-powered machinery. Steampun ...
Western film The Western is a film genre defined by the American Film Institute as films which are "set in the American West that mbodythe spirit, the struggle, and the demise of the new frontier." Generally set in the American frontier between the Calif ...
''Cowboys & Engines''. Deen is listed as the producer of the Bryn Pryor vehicle. The campaign surpassed its goal of $100,000 in 58 days. Actors
Malcolm McDowell Malcolm McDowell (born Malcolm John Taylor; 13 June 1943) is an English actor. He first became known for portraying Mick Travis in Lindsay Anderson's ''if....'' (1968), a role he later reprised in ''O Lucky Man!'' (1973) and ''Britannia Hospital ...
, Richard Hatch and
Walter Koenig Walter Marvin Koenig (; born September 14, 1936) is an American actor and screenwriter. He began acting professionally in the mid-1960s and quickly rose to prominence for his supporting role as Ensign Pavel Chekov in '' Star Trek: The Original ...
had signed on to the project. Deen has performed in over 5,000 videos in his pornographic career.


In media

In February 2013, Deen was invited to return to his alma mater,
Pasadena City College Pasadena City College (PCC) is a Public college, public community college in Pasadena, California. It was founded in 1924 as Pasadena Junior College. History Pasadena City College was founded in 1924 as Pasadena Junior College. It originally o ...
, by professor
Hugo Schwyzer Hugo Benedict Schwyzer (born May 22, 1967) is an American writer and former instructor of history and gender studies. A member of the feminist blogosphere in the 2000s, he received media attention for a number of personal controversies around 2 ...
to speak to students about his career. The appearance, initially open to the public, was restricted by college administrators due to "public-safety concerns" over "protesters". Deen was restricted to speaking to the students of Pasadena City College's "Navigating Pornography" class. In April 2013, Deen delivered the keynote speech for the ''Sexual Health Fest'' at the
University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...
. Deen was featured in a July 2012 ''GQ'' multi-page article, chronicling his work and personal life. ''GQ'' interviewed Deen again for an article about his workout regimen, in which he credited healthy eating habits, a "Jew stomach" and lots of sex. In 2013, Deen was listed as the only male performer to make the
CNBC CNBC is an American List of business news channels, business news channel owned by the NBCUniversal News Group, a unit of Comcast's NBCUniversal. The network broadcasts live business news and analysis programming during the morning, Day ...
''Dirty Dozen'' list of the
porn industry The sex industry (also called the sex trade) consists of businesses that either directly or indirectly provide sex-related products and services or adult entertainment. The industry includes activities involving direct provision of sex-related se ...
's popular stars. In April 2013, Deen filmed a pornographic scene with reality television participant
Farrah Abraham Farrah Abraham (born May 31, 1991) is an American reality television personality, singer, pornographic actress, and writer. Born and raised in Council Bluffs, Iowa, she received public attention after being cast in the reality television series ...
, who had been in one of the ''
Teen Mom ''Teen Mom'' (renamed ''Teen Mom OG'', starting with the fifth season) is an American reality television series broadcast by MTV. It is the first spin-off of ''16 and Pregnant'', and it focuses on the lives of several young mothers as they na ...
'' series. Deen indicated that he was asked to pretend to be dating Abraham as part of a ploy to market the scene as an accidentally released
sex tape Amateur pornography is a category of pornography that features models, actors or non-professionals performing without pay, or actors for whom this material is not their only paid modeling work. Reality pornography is professionally made pornogra ...
, but that he refused to do so, arguing, "If you're going to make a celebrity sex tape and try to pass it off as an amateur home video, you don't hire a well-known porn star!" Deen co-starred with
Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Dee Lohan ( ; born July 2, 1986) is an American actress, singer, producer, and businesswoman. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Lohan was signed to Ford Models at age three. She appeared as a regular on the soap opera ' ...
in
Paul Schrader Paul Joseph Schrader (; born July 22, 1946) is an American screenwriter, film director, and film critic. He first became known for writing the screenplay of Martin Scorsese's ''Taxi Driver'' (1976). He later continued his collaboration with Scor ...
's 2013 film '' The Canyons'', written by
Bret Easton Ellis Bret Easton Ellis (born March 7, 1964) is an American author and screenwriter. Ellis was one of the literary Brat Pack (literary), Brat Pack and is a self-proclaimed satirist whose trademark technique as a writer is the expression of extreme acts ...
. In July 2013, Deen teamed with American pornographic actress Andy San Dimas, adult app store
MiKandi Mikandi (, also Romanized as Mīkandī; also known as Makīdī and Myakidi; in ) is a village in Misheh Pareh Rural District, in the Central District of Kaleybar County, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 184, ...
and adult industry news source
XBIZ XBIZ is an American publisher of business news and business information for the sex industry founded in 1998 and based in Los Angeles. In addition to its flagship "Xbiz.com" website, XBIZ publishes two monthly trade magazines, hosts winter and ...
, to release the first adult video production recorded with
Google Glass Google Glass, or simply Glass, is a discontinued brand of smart glasses developed by Google's X Development (formerly Google X), with a mission of producing a ubiquitous computer. Google Glass displays information to the wearer using a head-u ...
. Within 24 hours, the censored trailer reached one million views on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
. Deen filmed a sex scene with ''
Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers ...
'' blogger and comedian Jenn Tisdale in late 2013, in a New York City hotel room, after she responded to an open invitation by Deen on
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
. In light of
sexual assault Sexual assault is an act of sexual abuse in which one intentionally Physical intimacy, sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or Coercion, coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their w ...
allegations made against Deen in 2015, Tisdale addressed the issue by amending her original story about filming a sex video with Deen, saying she regretted contributing to the false image Deen projected of himself. Deen has a sizable fan base; his fans, dubbed "Deenagers", have created social media fan pages on
Tumblr Tumblr (pronounced "tumbler") is a microblogging and Social networking service, social networking website founded by David Karp in 2007 and is owned by American company Automattic. The service allows users to post multimedia and other content ...
,
Pinterest Pinterest is an American social media service for publishing and discovery of information in the form of digital Bulletin board, pinboards. This includes recipes, home, style, motivation, and inspiration on the Internet using image sharing. Pint ...
and standalone fan sites. Deenagers regularly share and comment on Deen's work. In February 2013, Deen launched JamesDeenStore.com. In addition to Deen's films and adult novelties, the store features Deen's Baby Panda brand of clothing. In January 2014, Deen joined the newly formed Adult Performer Advocacy Committee (APAC), which provides representation for performers within the adult film industry, protects performers' rights, reviews existing health and safety protocols, and initiates new ones as needed. As part of the committee's launch, APAC released a ''Porn 101'' video. A DVD copy was released to all industry talent attending the recent Adult Entertainment Expo in
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
. Deen has served as
Treasurer A treasurer is a person responsible for the financial operations of a government, business, or other organization. Government The treasury of a country is the department responsible for the country's economy, finance and revenue. The treasure ...
and served as
Chairperson The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a Board of directors, board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by ...
of APAC until December 2015, when he stepped down following accusations from fellow performers. On June 25, 2014, Deen participated in a Reddit A.M.A. He received over 4,000 questions over the course of an hour, making Deen's AMA listed by Reddit as the most popular on the site as of the following morning.


Personal life

From 2005 to 2011, Deen dated fellow pornography star
Joanna Angel Joanna Mostov (born 1980), professionally known as Joanna Angel, is an American pornographic film actress, director, and writer of pornographic film, adult films. She founded the website ''BurningAngel.com'' in April 2002 with her roommate Mitch ...
. In an interview with ''
The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...
'' from July 2013, porn actress Stoya stated that she was dating Deen. They dated from 2012 to 2014. Deen is Jewish and identifies with
Judaism Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...
as "a culture more than anything else." Deen identifies as a
libertarian Libertarianism (from ; or from ) is a political philosophy that holds freedom, personal sovereignty, and liberty as primary values. Many libertarians believe that the concept of freedom is in accord with the Non-Aggression Principle, according ...
.


Rape and sexual misconduct allegations

On November 28, 2015, Deen was accused on
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
of
rape Rape is a type of sexual assault involving sexual intercourse, or other forms of sexual penetration, carried out against a person without consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person ...
by the pornographic actress and writer Stoya, with whom he had previously been in a romantic relationship. Deen denied the allegations, calling them "false", "egregious", and "defamatory". Deen's former girlfriend
Joanna Angel Joanna Mostov (born 1980), professionally known as Joanna Angel, is an American pornographic film actress, director, and writer of pornographic film, adult films. She founded the website ''BurningAngel.com'' in April 2002 with her roommate Mitch ...
was one of the first performers to tweet support for Stoya. On '' The Jason Ellis Show'', Angel accused Deen of being abusive during their six-year relationship. In total, nine women came forward with allegations of abuse and unnecessarily rough sex during scenes. The allegations included claims that Deen forcibly had anal sex with a woman during a non-anal scene, that he physically restrained and hit several women, and forced one woman's face into his crotch to "sniff his testicles". Amber Rayne said that during a shoot, Deen punched her in the face and caused her anus to bleed with violent anal sex. Due to the allegations, Kink.com, Evil Angel, and HardX.com severed all ties with Deen, stating that "consent is sacrosanct". ''
The Frisky ''The Frisky'' was a women's entertainment and lifestyle website, operating from 2008 until 2016. In 2010, ''The Frisky'' had more than 2 million average monthly readers (as measured by comScore) making it one of the leading woman's interest s ...
'' cancelled Deen's sexual advice column and removed advertisements for and links to Deen's official site from previously published editions. Deen voluntarily resigned as chairman of the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee. In December 2015, an article in ''
The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. Founded in 2008, the website is owned by IAC Inc. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief ...
'' referred to Deen as the "
Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American retired comedian, actor, and media personality. Often cited as a trailblazer for African Americans in the entertainment industry, Cosby was a film, television, and stand-up comedy ...
of porn", while the feminist site ''We Hunted the Mammoth'' wrote that James Deen seemed to be "a perfect example" of a
missing stair The missing stair is a metaphor for a person within a social group or organization who many people know is untrustworthy or otherwise has to be "managed", but around whom the group chooses to work by discreetly warning newcomers of their behavior ...
. Deen later gave an interview to ''The Daily Beast'' where he stated he was "baffled" by the accusations and denied or offered counter-explanations for them. In 2016, Deen and his production company faced a $77,875 fine for violating a California safety law by failing to provide
condom A condom is a sheath-shaped Barrier contraception, barrier device used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy or a Sexually transmitted disease, sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are both external condo ...
s for performers, failing to disclose safety records, and other violations. In July 2017, director Maria Demopoulos filed a lawsuit against Deen for blocking the distribution of a documentary that addresses the numerous rape and sexual assault allegations against him by stealing
legal release A legal release is a legal instrument that acts to terminate any legal liability between the releasor and the releasee(s), signed by the releasor. A release may also be made orally in some circumstances. Releases are routinely used by photographer ...
s from her office.


Awards


References


Further reading

* Tracy Clark-Flory, ''A Male Porn Star Speaks'', July 27, 2011
''Salon''
Retrieved October 29, 2014. * ''ABC Nightline Interview'' * ''GQ magazine issue, June 2012''


External links

* * * *
"James Deen Purchases Softball Team"

James Deen Reddit Questionnaire
(November 6, 2012) {{DEFAULTSORT:Deen, James 1986 births Living people 21st-century American male actors American male bloggers American bloggers American libertarians American male film actors American male pornographic film actors American male television actors Pornographic film actors from California Actors from Los Angeles County, California Pasadena City College alumni 20th-century American Jews 21st-century American Jews Jewish American film people Male Performer of the Year AVN Award winners