Jessica Drake is an American
pornographic actress and
sex educator.
Career
Drake spent two years as a contract performer for the studio
Sin City
''Sin City'' is a series of neo-noir comics by American comic book writer-artist Frank Miller. The first story originally appeared in ''Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special'' (April 1991), and continued in ''Dark Horse Presents'' #51– ...
until May 31, 2002, when her contract expired.
She gained her first
AVN Award
The AVN Awards are film awards sponsored and presented by the American adult video industry trade magazine ''AVN'' (''Adult Video News'') to recognize achievement in various aspects of the creation and marketing of American pornographic f ...
in 2001, winning "Best Tease Performance" for her role in
VCA Pictures' ''Shayla's Web''.
In 2003, she signed an exclusive contract with
Wicked Pictures
Wicked Pictures is an American pornographic movie studio headquartered in Canoga Park, California. Between 2004 and 2021, it was one of the only heterosexual studios to maintain a condoms-only policy.
Company history
Steve Orenstein founded W ...
.
In 2004, during an
HIV
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immu ...
outbreak in the industry, she stated that she had only performed with men who wore condoms,
although she added that "working without condoms in the industry is less dangerous than going home with someone who you just met randomly in a bar."
Her performance in ''Fluff and Fold'', a romantic comedy set around a laundromat, earned her the 2005 AVN Award for
Best Actress, Video and the 2005
XRCO Award
The XRCO Awards are given by the American X-Rated Critics Organization annually to people working in adult entertainment and it is the only adult industry awards show reserved exclusively for industry members.
Once every calendar year, XRCO ...
for Single Performance, Actress.
Along with comedian Jim Norton, Drake was chosen to co-host the 2007 AVN Awards, and stated "this is probably the greatest thing that ever happened to me." At the awards, she won Best Actress, Film for her role in ''Manhunters'', for which Drake trained as a bounty hunter
A bounty hunter is a private agent working for bail bonds who captures fugitives or criminals for a commission or bounty. The occupation, officially known as bail enforcement agent, or fugitive recovery agent, has traditionally operated outs ...
during pre-production. Her directorial debut came in the 2008 film ''What Girls Like'', having gained previous experience working as Brad Armstrong’s assistant director on titles such as 2007's ''Coming Home''.
She began writing screenplays during her tenure with Sin City, and has since penned films including ''Dating 101'', ''Love Always'' and ''Just Between Us''.[ In January 2009, she won her third Best Actress AVN Award, this time for her performance in ''Fallen'',][ which she has described as "the best movie I have ever been in." In the film, she plays an angel trapped on Earth after the death of a woman she was sent to protect.][ Around the time of the awards, she suffered a ]stress fracture
A stress fracture is a fatigue-induced bone fracture caused by repeated stress over time. Instead of resulting from a single severe impact, stress fractures are the result of accumulated injury from repeated submaximal loading, such as running or ...
to her left foot.
With porn actress Kayden Kross, Drake co-hosted the 2009 XRCO Awards, at which her role in ''Fallen'' won the award for "Single Performance, Actress." She and Sunny Leone
Karenjit Kaur Vohra (born May 13, 1981), known by her stage name Sunny Leone (), is a Canadian-American model and actress in the American and Indian film industries. She is a former pornographic actress. She was born in Canada to an Indian S ...
co-hosted the F.A.M.E. Awards
The Fans of Adult Media and Entertainment Awards (or F.A.M.E. Awards) were created in 2006 by ''Genesis'', Adam & Eve, WantedList, Playboy Radio and '' AVN'' as a means for the general public to vote for their favorite adult film stars, di ...
in July 2010. Drake was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame
The ''AVN'' (''Adult Video News'') Hall of Fame has honored people for their work in the adult entertainment industry since 1995.XRCO Hall of Fame
The XRCO Hall of Fame lists well-known adult entertainment works and workers. The list is managed by X-Rated Critics Organization and inducted annually during the XRCO Award
The XRCO Awards are given by the American X-Rated Critics Organizat ...
in 2011. ''Jessica Drake's Guide to Wicked Sex: Anal Edition'' (Wicked Pictures) was named "Specialty Release of the Year" at the 2012 XBIZ Awards.
On October 21, 2016, Drake opened an online store selling adult videos and sexual paraphernalia.
Appearances
In November 2007, Drake was among several porn actors to be guests on ''The Tyra Banks Show
''The Tyra Banks Show'', also known as and shortened to ''Tyra'' or ''The Tyra Show'', was an American talk show hosted by Tyra Banks that aired from 2005 to 2010.
While Banks's show covered a variety of topics, there was a sensationalized focus ...
'' episode, "A Day in the Life of a Porn Star." In 2008, Drake, Kaylani Lei, and Mikayla Mendez shot a scene for the mainstream comedy movie, '' Barry Munday'', in which they played themselves as judges in an air-guitar contest. Drake appears in the music video for the 2010 single "Telephone
A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into el ...
" by Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
featuring Beyoncé.
In 2014, Drake was on CNBC
CNBC (formerly Consumer News and Business Channel) is an American basic cable business news channel. It provides business news programming on weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time, while broadcasting talk sh ...
's list of "The Dirty Dozen: Porn's Most Popular Stars". Later in the year a documentary series
Television documentaries are televised media productions that screen documentaries.
Television documentaries exist either as a television documentary series or as a television documentary film.
*Television documentary series, sometimes called ...
began airing on The Movie Network
Crave (formerly The Movie Network or TMN) is a Canadian premium television network and streaming service owned by the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE Inc.
Launched in 1983 as the national service First Choice, early difficulties and a subsequent ...
and Movie Central
Movie Central (occasionally abbreviated as "MC", mostly in program guides) was a Canadian English language Category A premium cable and satellite television channel that was owned by Corus Entertainment. Movie Central was designated to oper ...
titled ''Love, Jessica'', directed by Kai Soremekun.
Drake, along with her then husband, actor and director, Brad Armstrong, were interviewed for a 2014 story in ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine about costume design
Costume design is the creation of clothing for the overall appearance of a character or performer. Costume may refer to the style of dress particular to a nation, a class, or a period. In many cases, it may contribute to the fullness of the arti ...
in adult films. In April 2014, Drake was part of discussion panel at the USC School of Cinematic Arts
The University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) houses seven academic divisions: Film & Television Production; Cinema & Media Studies; John C. Hench Division of Animation + Digital Arts; John Wells Division of Writing for Sc ...
titled "The Piracy of Sex." The event featured Drake and copyright enforcement activist Nate Glass and was hosted by David Lerner, Ph.D.
Charity
Drake is affiliated with an organization that focuses on building homes and providing clean water to people in poverty-stricken and remote areas. She has performed charity work in Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...
, Kenya
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, national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
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and Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...
. In 2012, Drake formed a 501(c)(3) non-profit to assist in domestic efforts. This is separate from her role in the adult industry and the "jessica drake" brand, since she does not want anyone to believe that she volunteers her time as part of a public relations campaign. Her charity work is done anonymously.
Sex educator
Noting a demand for modern sex education, Drake and Wicked Pictures
Wicked Pictures is an American pornographic movie studio headquartered in Canoga Park, California. Between 2004 and 2021, it was one of the only heterosexual studios to maintain a condoms-only policy.
Company history
Steve Orenstein founded W ...
launched ''Jessica Drake’s Guide to Wicked Sex'', a series of erotic educational films. The first DVD in the line, ''Jessica Drake’s Guide to Wicked Sex: Fellatio'', was honored with the 2012 award for Best Educational Release by AVN Media. In 2014 Drake added a video to the series that addressed a segment that she said was under represented, plus size. In collaboration with plus-size performer Kelly Shibari
Kelly Shibari (born 9 September 1972) is an American former pornographic actress and plus-size model.
Early life
Shibari was born and raised in Japan. She moved to the United States at the age of 15. She has also lived in the Bay Ridge, Brook ...
, they released ''Jessica Drake’s Guide to Wicked Sex: Plus Size''. ''"Guide to Wicked Sex"'' was also a weekly segment on Jessica's popular Playboy Radio show, ''IN BED with jessica drake.''
Drake teaches sex education seminars and workshops around the world, including addressing a class of licensed therapists at UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a Normal school, teachers colle ...
on May 3, 2012 and speaking on a panel at CatalystCon West sexuality conference. In February 2014, Drake spoke on a panel with fellow actress Tasha Reign
Rachel Swimmer (born January 15, 1989), known professionally as Tasha Reign, is an American pornographic actress, nude model, producer, and sex columnist known for her appearances in ''Playboy'' and '' Penthouse'' magazine.
Early life
Born in ...
during the University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...
's ''Sex Week'' where they were featured on a panel entitled ''Jessica Drake: From Porn to Sex Ed''.
Again in February, Drake along with fellow actress Tasha Reign
Rachel Swimmer (born January 15, 1989), known professionally as Tasha Reign, is an American pornographic actress, nude model, producer, and sex columnist known for her appearances in ''Playboy'' and '' Penthouse'' magazine.
Early life
Born in ...
spoke on a panel titled ''Porn, Prostitution, and Censorship: The Politics of Empowerment'' at Moore Hall at the University of California at Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a Normal school, teachers colle ...
(UCLA), along with UCLA Distinguished Lecturer Dr. Christopher Mott. The annual panel is sponsored by the Social Awareness Network for Activism through Art (SANAA) in honor of Eve Ensler
V, formerly Eve Ensler (; born May 25, 1953), is an American playwright, performer, feminist, and activist. V is best known for her play '' The Vagina Monologues''. ’s V-Day Organization. Ensler’s ''The Vagina Monologues
''The Vagina Monologues'' is an episodic play written in 1996 by Eve Ensler which developed and premiered at HERE Arts Center, Off-Off-Broadway in New York and was followed by an Off-Broadway run in at Westside Theatre. The play explores c ...
'' is an annual presentation on women’s issues.[
]
Sexual misconduct allegations against Donald Trump
Seventeen days before the 2016 United States presidential election
The 2016 United States presidential election was the 58th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. The Republican ticket of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana governor Mike Pence defeated the Democratic ticket ...
, Drake became the 11th woman to accuse Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of ...
, the 2016 Republican nominee, of sexual misconduct. On October 22, 2016, Drake and feminist civil rights attorney Gloria Allred
Gloria Rachel Allred ( Bloom; born July 3, 1941) is an American attorney known for taking high-profile and often controversial cases, particularly those involving the protection of women's rights. She has been inducted into the National Women's ...
held a news conference in which Drake accused Trump of having sexually assaulted her and two acquaintances nearly ten years prior. Drake said that she met Trump at the Wicked Pictures
Wicked Pictures is an American pornographic movie studio headquartered in Canoga Park, California. Between 2004 and 2021, it was one of the only heterosexual studios to maintain a condoms-only policy.
Company history
Steve Orenstein founded W ...
' (her employers') booth in a gifting suite during the '' American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament'', a charity golf tournament at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe (; was, Dáʔaw, meaning "the lake") is a freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. Lying at , it straddles the state line between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake ...
in 2006. Drake claims that she was invited to meet with Trump, at his hotel suite and since she was "uncomfortable going alone" she brought along two women friends. Describing the meeting with Trump, Drake recounted that "He grabbed each of us tightly, in a hug and kissed each one of us without asking permission." Drake stated that she and her friends left the suite after 30–45 minutes. Shortly thereafter, Drake received multiple phone calls from Trump or his associate, requesting that she join him in his suite for $10,000, and offering to fly her on his jet plane back to Los Angeles. She said she declined his offers.["Another Donald Trump accuser come out with a charge of sexual misconduct"](_blank)
CBS News. Reena Flores, October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 23, 2016. At the press conference, Drake displayed a photo of herself and Trump together on the Lake Tahoe golf course.
During the news conference, Drake said, "I am not looking for monetary compensation. I do not need additional fame ..I understand that I may be called a liar or an opportunist but I will risk that in order to stand in solidarity with women who share similar accounts." In response to Drake's allegations, the Trump campaign stated that her story is "false and ridiculous", that " e picture is one of thousands taken out of respect for people asking to have their picture taken with Mr. Trump" but Trump did not know Drake and "would have no interest in ever knowing her," and that the story was "just another attempt by the Clinton campaign to defame a candidate".
In January 2018, Drake's publicist, Josh Ortiz, commented that Drake had signed a non-disclosure agreement
A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a legal contract or part of a contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but wis ...
regarding “any and every mention of Trump”. On the following day, Ortiz however retracted his words by reading a statement supplied by Drake's lawyer, which stated that Ortiz had no knowledge of any non-disclosure agreement signed by Drake.
Personal life
In 2002, Drake married fellow pornographic actor Evan Stone
Evan Stone is an American pornographic film actor and director.
In 2011, Stone became the third actor in history to receive the AVN Award for Male Performer of the Year three times. That same year, he was listed by CNBC as one of the twelve mos ...
,divorcing in 2004,
after which she was living with Wicked director and performer Brad Armstrong, her partner for over a decade.In 2021, she mentioned in a twitter Q&A session that she and Armstrong had seperated and was single again.[Drake, Jessica (July 11, 2021]
"not a “good question”, but i’m answering it anyway.
for those who somehow don’t know this yet, he ended our 16 year relationship at the beginning of the pandemic. i will not be taking additional questions about this at this time, and he deleted all his social media, so"
''Twitter.com'' She has said that her brother and father were more supportive of her career choice than her mother.
Awards
References
External links
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Photo of Drake and Donald Trump on golf links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Drake, Jessica
Actresses from San Antonio
American female adult models
American female erotic dancers
American erotic dancers
American pornographic film actresses
American pornographic film directors
American sex educators
American women screenwriters
Living people
People from San Antonio
Philanthropists from Texas
Pornographic film actors from Texas
Radio personalities from Texas
University of Texas at El Paso alumni
Women pornographic film directors
1974 births
21st-century American women