Born For Porn: How The Jizz Biz Is Becoming A True Family Business

By Troy Michael

In the last year the adult film industry has taken on more of a family feel to it with relatives performing in movies. Weather it is sisters Ava and Mia Rose churning out unbelievably hot scenes or the new twin sensations Whitney and Britney Stevens, it is obvious the adult film industry has parallel blood lines.

Family in porn isn’t something new. You can look back to the beginning of porn and even to behind the scenes to see that family members have been working in the porn industry in one capacity or another for many years.

Like with many jobs, once you have a relative working for the company it is much easier to get your foot in the door.

“I’ve been in this business for some 15 years now. Having a relative working doesn’t impact me at all.” Porn legend Sunset Thomas said. “Of course, having a famous aunt can’t hurt.” She said of her famous porn star niece Sunrise Adams.

Ava Rose said of her and her sister Mia’s getting into the porn business, “We kind of do our own thing these days. Mia has always been my best friend so it was easier for both of us to come into the business together.”

On the business side of the porn industry there are many families working together. It all started with the Spinelli brothers of decades past and has continued on to the Hirsch family at Vivid.

“It is easier for us in the business,” Cousin Stevie said of him and his nephew Seymore Butts. “Seymore helped me get my foot in the door and then I took it from there with his help and ideas. It’s not like I was some no name off the streets trying to get into porn. That rarely happens really. It’s cliché but it is all who you know.”

For Larry and Debbie Swartz, they kind of fell into the business thanks to their Hall of Fame porn daughter Jewel De’Nyle being part owner of Platinum X Pictures.

“The likelihood is we would have never gotten into this business if it were not for Jewel already being in it, and especially since she was a 25-percent owner of the company at the time,” Larry Swartz said. “Obviously, the other partners had to also approve of our being here, but we recognize and appreciate it was Jewel who worked so hard to have the partners agree for us to come here.”

With working in the adult film industry along side your mother, brother, sister, aunt, uncle etc can certainly be comforting in this tough business. But once outside the business, back to everyday life, their extended family can have mixed emotions about their careers of choice.

“None of our family members back home are thrilled about our careers, but they still love us. We'll talk about being busy with work, but we don't go into details of the movies or anything like that,” Tricia Deveraux said of her career with husband and Evil Angel owner John Stagliano.

Like the Pied Piper, once one of the family members come to the business, you might expect more of the family to follow. But that is not always the case for some.

“All my male relatives want to be in the movies but now they are already established with their career and families, so they don’t want to be in front of the camera,” Cousin Stevie sad.

Age is also a factor as Larry Swartz noted. “We only had one other person in our family mention getting into the business, but then they followed that sentiment up with ‘if only I was younger.”

“My ex-husband was the first member of my “family” to join me in the industry,” Sunset Thomas said. “We shot a lot of films together. Of course, my niece, Sunrise Adams got into the business after lots of consultation from me and a few open doors. She became a contract girl with Vivid. I’m very proud of her.”

Like the Swartz’ being the family in the company office, Seymore Butts’ mother is the accounts and billings handler. “It’s funny to hear his mom talk about anal titles,” Cousin Stevie said then added. “I believe you should support anybody in porn no matter if they are family or not.”

Ava Rose added, “Mia and I somehow came into this (adult industry) at the same time on a mutual decision. We haven't received any backlash or extreme negative feelings from our immediate family, just the usual and much expected reactions at first. But that’s all and they are over it.”

“Our families on both sides knew of our daughter’s chosen profession for many years so it was no shock to see me and my wife come here,” Larry Swartz said. “Actually, most thought it was great our daughter and we could all work together and live so near each other again after living apart for so many years.”

Sunset and Sunrise Adams did in fact receive some negative reaction when they worked together, but it wasn’t by the rest of their family, it was by the legal system. “When Sunrise and I did a shoot for Cheri Magazine it got pulled from the stands. We weren’t touching each other but we were sharing a great cock. I guess it was considered crossing the line.”

A question most porn fans might have is how close these relative follows each others career. As Sunset Thomas eluded to with her magazine lay out story, they do in fact work together. Ava and Mia Rose have been in the same scene in a couple movies in fact.

“Mia and I have been in the same scene before but it was a boy, boy, girl, girl. We had our own partners, but it was still pretty awkward.”

And if they aren’t performing together, sometimes curiosity gets the best of them as Sunset Thomas explains. “I hate to admit it, but as much as I enjoy making films, I don’t really watch them much. Of course, curiosity got me checking out Sunrise’s first few films and I was blown away—she’s got that natural, sexual screen appeal that apparently runs in the family!”

For Cousin Stevie it is all business however as he watches his nephew Seymore Butts films to see what new and exciting things he is doing in his films. “I watch everyone fuck on film. I don’t limit it to family members. In fact I don’t feel competitive with him. Seymore was quite influential in the theme of my series. He has helped with guidance. Seymore is one of the most intelligent people in the business.”

No matter if these family members are in front of the camera shooting a scene or doing a layout for a magazine or even behind the scene in the office of their respective companies, it is well know that family is very important, even in the adult film industry.

“I was vice president for a major computer company for most of my career and Seymore needed someone to come in and help,” Cousin Stevie said. “He needed someone who he could trust so he could do more of his own thing and he wanted a business minded person. I left that job and came into porn. That’s how it all started and I would do it all over again because it is family.”

“I am not sure there is one simple answer to that age old question of blood being thicker then water,” Larry Swartz said. “Personally, Jewel’s mother and I do believe that ‘blood is thicker than water’ insofar as always being loyal and loving of our family members, particularly our respective children. However, we must recognize and appreciate our individual personalities, desires, actions we choose to take, and beliefs, will not always agree with another’s decisions and/or ideas, but continue to support and love regardless. ‘Live and let live’ in other words.

Ava Rose added, “There are times when I ask myself the same question of blood being thicker then water. I am sure both Mia and myself have asked ourselves that question at least once in our nearly 20 years together.  It always has been in the end of all my experiences. You still can't help but wonder when you hear of people whose family blacklist them because of petty things like porn.”

In the end, it takes a girl with many years of experience in the porn industry to sum it up best in regards to if blood is thicker than water in the adult film industry.

“Family is family,” Sunset Thomas said. “Of course you’ll always have differences and spats and such but at the end of the day that kind of unconditional love is the greatest comfort of all.”

 

AUNT/NIECE

Sunset Thomas and Sunrise Adams

 

BROTHERS

Voodoo and Franco del Torro

Brian Surewood Rick Majors

T.T. Boy has a porn actor brother, Talon and Uncle, Dirty Harry (The entire Rivera family is in at one point or another)

 

BROTHER/SISTER

Amber Lynn and Buck Adams

 

COUSINS

Kelly Madison and Janine

Solara Star and Stephanie Swift

 

FATHER/SON

Anthony and Mitchell Spinelli (Acid Rain)

Chuck and Matt Zane

Jerry and Jay Huntington

The owner of DVSX Javier is Russ Hampshire’s (former owner of VCA) son. 

 

MOTHER/DAUGHTER

Jewel De’Nyle and De’Bella

Angela D'angelo and Ice La Fox

Charlie and Kitana Steele aka Tawny Gold

 

SISTERS

Mia and Ava Rose

Lyndsey and Lacey Love (aka the Love Twins)

Cherish and Cali Marie (twin sisters)

Jade and Nyomi Marcella

Luci and Nyla Thai

Ines and Inga

Crystal & Jocelyn Potter (aka Tyler Starr & Taylor Starr)

Whitney and Britney Stevens

Sin twins are sisters

 

OTHERS

Dave Hardman mother does porn

Seymore butts and Cousin Stevie

The Hirsch family from Vivid

Tyler Night’s brother performed for a short while.

Jerry and his dad, Jay Huntington of (LA Direct) have actually done scenes together.