A resurfaced video shows adult film star Riley Reid speaking candidly about losing her family and how porn has made her life significantly harder.
In the clip, Reid explains why she often advises people against entering the adult industry, despite her fame and financial success.
“So a lot of times when people ask me if they should do porn, I tell them ‘no,’” she said. “I tell them that it makes life really hard. It makes dating really hard, it makes your family life really hard, it makes intimacy hard.”
The video, which has recently gone viral on TikTok and Twitter, comes from a 16-minute Q&A Reid uploaded back in 2020. Although filmed years ago, many say her honesty feels especially relevant in today’s growing sex work landscape.
In the video, Reid responds to a fan who asked how her family handled her career as a porn star. What followed was a deeply personal and emotional account of fractured relationships that she says never recovered.
Reid explained that her mother was initially supportive of her career. Over time, however, she claims her mother began relying on her financially to live a more luxurious lifestyle. When Reid eventually set boundaries, their relationship collapsed.
“It sucks. I don’t have a mom anymore,” Reid said. “I don’t talk to her, I miss having a mom. You can’t rewind, and you can’t go back.”
She added that she does not believe their relationship will ever recover. “And that bums me out. Bums me out a lot,” she said.
Rejection from her father and the rest of her family
Reid said her father, who is religious, was never supportive of her career. She recalled trying multiple times to spend time with him, only to be rejected.
According to Reid, her stepmother did not approve of her doing porn, and that ultimately drove a wedge between them.
“Recently, I wanted to go visit him, and he said that I can’t go visit because his wife, my stepmom, doesn’t want me there,” she explained.
She described one moment in particular that left a lasting emotional scar. “When I was like, ‘Can we go get coffee or breakfast,’ he said, ‘I don’t want to be seen in public with you,’” Reid said. “That hurt so bad.”
Reid went on to explain that the rejection did not stop with her parents. She said her siblings and extended family also distanced themselves from her.
“I lost my family. I don’t talk to my brothers or sisters,” she said tearfully. She added that some relatives attempted to take advantage of her financially, while others simply did not want to associate with her at all.
“They’re just like my dad. They don’t want to be around me,” she said.
These experiences, Reid explained, are the reason she frequently warns others against entering the adult film industry.
“If you’re putting yourself out there and the world is now judging you, you have to be okay with being shamed every day of your life,” she said.
Life after porn and fears for her child
Now 31, Reid is married and has welcomed a child with her husband, a milestone she once feared she might never reach. Despite this happiness, she has openly shared concerns about how her past could affect her daughter in the future.
“I don’t even want to have children, because I do porn, because I’m worried about the way people will treat my child,” she said previously.
Those fears resurfaced recently when Reid asked people to stop leaving cruel comments about her daughter online. In an emotional podcast appearance, the retired adult star also asked fans to stop sharing her old porn videos.
“I have a daughter now — Emma, born 2022 — and I don’t want her to grow up seeing that version of me,” she said.
Reid stepped away from boy-girl scenes in 2023. She married in 2021 and has since focused on voice acting, comedy, and other creative projects. Still, she admits the internet makes it difficult to fully move on.
“I thought I could outrun my past, but the internet won’t let me,” she said. “I just want peace for my family.”
A wider conversation about regret and consequences
Reid is not alone in her reflections. Former adult film star Lana Rhoades has also spoken openly about regretting her time in the industry. Appearing on The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast, Rhoades said she felt ashamed of her porn videos.
“Those videos make me want to throw up,” she said, adding that many women she knew ended up with permanent online exposure and little financial gain.
“They end up with a bunch of videos of them getting f***ed on the internet for their family to see,” she said.
While some people mock women like Reid and Rhoades for speaking out, others argue their stories deserve serious attention. Their experiences highlight the emotional and social consequences of porn, beyond the often-glamorized idea of empowerment.
As more young women are encouraged to monetize sexuality through platforms like OnlyFans, their warnings serve as a sobering reality check.
Though they face the consequences of their choices, their insight may help others think twice before following the same path.
Featured image credit: instagram/Riley Reid
