The fact that adult film star Stormy Daniels lives quietly in a conservative North Texas town isn’t so surprising, industry insider says
For Dallas-area residents, perhaps one of the biggest shocks about the alleged one-night stand in 2006 between President Donald J. Trump and adult entertainment star Stormy Daniels came when the media revealed that Daniels lives in Forney, east of Dallas on the outskirts of the Metroplex. Then, an examination of her resume revealed her film credits include quite a bit of lesbian-themed pornography.
Double wow.
The news made a few people wonder how a blond bombshell with manufactured breasts the size of watermelons could go unnoticed in a middle-class subdivision in a small, conservative area like Kaufman County. If Daniels lived on the other side of the county near Cedar Creek Lake — where folks even tolerate The Rare Reporter — it might make more sense. But Forney, a hotbed for Tea Party activists who are among the most active of their ilk in Texas?
Not so strange, said Kelli Roberts, at-large editor for MikeSouth.com, a news blog examining the adult entertainment industry. Roberts — who has two decades of experience in marketing movies for studios and public relations work for adult entertainment stars, who wrote and produced a film in 2010 that garnered three Adult Video News (AVN) award nominations, and who has advocated for adult entertainment stars — took offense at the notion there would be anything peculiar about an adult entertainment star living in a small Texas town like Forney.
“Wow, this question is just really judgmental and negative,” Roberts said in written response to a few questions from The Rare Reporter. “As a fellow Texan (I’m from Houston), I would assume better of you.”
Still, Roberts explained why Daniels would be attracted to life in Forney. As it happens, Daniels grew up in Louisiana. She always loved horses, and even owned one and became an accomplished rider before she graduated from high school and entered the world of adult entertainment, first as a dancer and then later as an actress.
In Daniels’ spare time today, when she isn’t flying to Los Angeles to perform in and direct films, she cares for her seven-year-old daughter with her third husband and rides her horses, which she likes to jump. In fact, she suffered a broken back last year in a horse-riding accident.
“She loves horses, and from what I understand, they have wonderful facilities in the area for her horses,” Roberts said. “Beyond that, what does it matter what she does for a living? Why would that be any different than people judging you based on your sexuality or the color of someone’s skin?
“Stormy Daniels isn’t a criminal,” Roberts continued. “She holds down a legal job and supports her family with the money she makes from that job. She isn’t breaking the law. She isn’t doing drugs or partying it up. I can’t imagine her neighbors having a problem with that.”
Fair enough.
But in the Republican-dominated land of Kaufman County, where President Trump is literally worshiped, can you logically expect fair, broad-minded treatment from the natives?
In fact, Daniels has revealed on social media that she is concerned about her husband possibly suffering scorn because of her notoriety, and she said that her young daughter was uninvited from a birthday party.
In truth, backlash in light of all the attention she has gotten lately is likely inevitable. Those who believe Daniels’ story but still support Trump undoubtedly have some wild explanation about how she lured the president away from his wife, Melania, who had recently given birth to their son, to frolic in all kinds of sinful activity. And their imaginations likely run wild about what Daniels does in her down time.
But Roberts said their suppositions are distorted.
“Some people are clearly confused about the fantasy of what a porn star is, and what the reality is,” Roberts said. “Most people like Stormy live normal lives in normal houses in neighborhoods in small towns.
“Sure, she happens to fly to Los Angeles a few times a year to make porn,” she said. “But when she’s not in L.A., she lives a normal life with her husband and child. She wakes up and prepares breakfast, just like you and me. She does laundry and goes to the grocery store.”
As far as Daniels’ participation in lesbian-oriented films, Roberts said there is nothing especially kinky about that, either.
“I think that every straight movie has a formula that always seems to include that one token girl-girl scene in it,” she said.
In the adult entertainment business, performers do not carry labels, Roberts said. “It’s not really easy to put a porn star in a box like ‘straight’ or ‘lesbian,’” she said. “Their sexuality is often more fluid. With most girls, you’ll find they are far more open-minded than your average person about their sexuality, and it just is what it is.”
Besides, Daniels has not participated in a lesbian-themed movie in about a decade, Roberts said; that’s one of the reasons no one knows much about that facet of her work. And these days, Daniels makes only a small number of high-quality films each year because she is also involved in screenwriting and directing.
Today, Daniels is arguably the most famous adult entertainer in the world, and there appears to be no end in sight to where her career is headed in the wake of the scandal involving the president, Roberts said. Saturday Night Live recently featured Daniels in a skit with Alec Baldwin portraying the president.
“You know what they say, there is no bad press. And the amount of exposure [Daniels] is getting right now is just insane,” Roberts said.
“More than just that though, it also translates to real money,” she added. “For example, the average porn star would get about $1,500 to show up and do a feature appearance at a strip club. Stormy Daniels gets way more than that now. She’s probably getting about $10,000 minimum at this point and maybe even more — those are reality TV star rates.
“She’s also getting more bookings. Before she might get requested to do an appearance at a club a few times a year. Now, she has to turn down jobs. She’s got so many requests she can’t handle them all.”
That’s obviously good news for Daniels, who surely is flipping off her critics all the way to the bank. If life in Forney sours, she will more than likely be able to move wherever she wants. If she likes Texas, there is always Highland Park in the Dallas area or River Oaks in Houston.
Carry on, girl.
David Webb is a veteran journalist with more than four decades of experience, including a stint as a staff reporter for Dallas Voice. In 2016, he received the Press Club of Dallas’ Legends Award, bestowed in large part for his work with Dallas Voice. He now lives on Cedar Creek Lake and writes for publications nationwide.
