Carmen Luvana Interview

I chat with Carmen Luvana, Adam & Eve contract girl, Thursday morning, July 15, 2004. She lives in LA but speaks to me today by phone from Las Vegas, where she's appearing at the VSDA show.

"How was the first day?"

"It's not a fan-based convention. The VSDA is never jammed. I get to sit down and relax. It's nothing like the AVN Expo chaos."

"Which do you prefer?"

"I like to stay busy. I like the Expo. It's so much fun. All the parties. Everyone goes crazy."

"When you were a kid, what was expected of you?"

"Because I was cutting class and having sex, my family expected me to come up pregnant at an early age. They didn't know what to expect from me. They knew I was never going to school. They always knew I wasn't planning to go to college. I didn't know either. I was just going with the flow and having regular jobs."

"At what age did you first have sex?"

"At 13, with this 23-year-old guy next door. The first three times, I hated it. I didn't know what the big deal of sex was. I spent the entire time in pain. I kept on trying. He was doing it wrong. After that guy, he wasn't my boyfriend. He was somebody who took advantage of me. After that, another guy, I started having that good feeling. I started having sex like a maniac."

"With just that one guy or with a lot of guys?"

"With a lot of guys. My family found out. They didn't want us together. So I moved out of the house when I was 16 and I moved in with him for two years. I had sex with other people I met in school.

"My first five years were in Brooklyn. Then I moved to Puerto Rico at age five. At 18, I moved to Miami."

"Did you graduate highschool?"

"Yes. I was a good student. I never had anything less than a C. I rarely went to school, but when I went, I knew the answers or I copied from somebody.

"The only time I had difficulty was when my grandmother sent me to New York for eighth grade. I had to turn back because I had already forgotten my English. Everything was in English and I didn't understand crap of what it was all about. I was starting to fail all the classes.

"I used to hang out with four girls in Puerto Rico. They told me they knew this Cuban guy in Miami who owned a strip club. We could make a lot of money. He said you didn't even need to know how to dance. It sounded easy. We ended up all going. We started dancing at Pink Pony. We made so much money the first day. After that, we stayed for a couple of months. Unfortunately, my friends were married with kids. I was the only one who was single. They ended up turning back to Puerto Rico. I ended up getting an apartment and living in Miami by myself.

"After that, I danced at Tootsies, and that's how I got recruited into the adult business. Steve Seidman was the one who approached me, but he didn't quite tell me what I wanted to know. Mainly, I was concerned that I was going to be able to do all my scenes with condoms. He told me, really, no. Most of the companies are going to want you to do non-condom. As soon as he told me that, I told him no.

"He didn't tell me the rate that I wanted to hear.

"One day he returns. He says this manager saw my pictures and he really wanted to contact me. That's Rob [Dee's ex-husband]. He told me the high price I was going to get paid and I said, yeah right. I didn't believe him. He said, if you want condoms, that's what you are going to get.

"I said, give me a two-week flight. If I get there and I don't like it, I will come right back. I flew out to LA November 16, 2001. On November 21, I did my first scene with Ed Powers. It was the easiest scene on the planet. I thought, this is easy. Let's keep on doing it. I was 20 years old.

"I've done around 35 movies. I did condom-only for the first seven films. After I complained so much about being condom-only, I found that condoms irritated the crap out of me. The next day I was in pain with them. So I stopped using them.

"If you don't know nothing about the adult business, your main concern is the AIDS, the condoms. After that, I started learning more about the business. The foreplay. The testing.

"I found the latest [HIV crisis] scary. I knew Darren James. I never worked with him. But I worked next to him on a scene. One of my interracial scenes with Marc Anthony. Darren was working next to me with Nikki Fairchild. Darren was such a gentleman.

"When that came out, I had not worked for at least two months. I knew I was fine."

"Do you think the industry is doing a good job handling STD problems?" I ask.

"Something that really bothers me is that everybody is going against Sharon Mitchell, dissing her, saying that she is guilty. Without Sharon, a lot of people would've been screwed a long time ago. She does what she can possibly do. She has told everyone since the day you come in that it takes ten days to test whether you are positive or not. Just because [Darren James] worked while being positive, that's not her fault. A lot of people turned against her. That really bothered me.

"It is sad. What if I decide to get into a serious relationship with this guy who looks clean, and all of a sudden, I get AIDS. It could've happened to anybody. It could've happened to the cleanest person in this business. They have their personal life too. Instead of saying something bad, I will say, people will be people.

"Last year, I did eight movies for Adam & Eve. This year I'm doing twelve. I'm considering doing an anal for them this year."

"What do you love and hate about working in this industry?"

"I love that it is such an easy going job. I love to travel. I love to hang out. I love to meet new people. I've traveled more in this business than I ever thought I would in my entire life.

"What I hate about it is that because somebody has a bad reputation, they consider everybody the same. I don't smoke. I don't do drugs. I'm not a groupie. Because so many people get high and do stupid stuff and are on crack and 20,000 things, they consider the entire industry the same. Why? Because some people think it is cool to go out in public and do it. We've got a bad reputation as it is being porn stars. So now you're going to dumb stuff on the street? It's even worse. They consider the entire industry the same. That bothers me but there's nothing I can do.

"Aside from that, I love my job. When you've worked so much in a regular job, and you come to this and it is so easy going, you love it."

"What do you do in your spare time?"

"I'm an Internet guru. I love to play pool. I may go to a club once in a while but my main thing is to go out with a bunch of friends and play pool. I love to go to the beach. Have a drink or two.

"On the computer, I work on my website carmenluvana.com. I've been working with PhotoShop for weeks because it is so hard. I check everything that is going on in the industry.

"Adam and Eve had my web site for an entire year but now it is getting turned over to me all over again."

"Did you get breast implants?"

"Yes, when I turned 18 and started dancing. I had little saggy breasts. My measurements are 34C-24-32."

"What are your ambitions in life?"

"I'm not a crazy person who spends all her money on jewelry and clothes. I've always invested my money the right way. My boobs, my house, my apartment. I've never had to depend on a guy to be ok. I've been saving a lot of money. One day I hope to open a business that will run by itself.

"I've opened my own company, Carmen Luvana Entertainment. I hope that soon I will launch my own production company.

"I am the new exclusive sex advisor for Genesis magazine. I'm feature dancing for my first time today."

"How is feature dancing different from the dancing you were doing when you were 18?"

"With the regular dances, you don't have to put on a show. When you're a feature dancer... When I saw these feature dancers at Tootsies, these girls were putting on fire shows, hula hoops, some incredible acrobatic moves... When you're a feature dancer, they expect you to put on a major show."

"How has being in this industry affected your ability to have a relationship with a man?"

"Not at all but I really wouldn't know. I've had so many guys approach me. They don't care that I'm in the industry. At the same time, I've seen so many girls ruined by it. At first, the guy says he doesn't care. Then, after they fall in love, the guy says, I don't want you to do this anymore.

"If I go to a club and meet somebody and hook up with somebody, I set it straight: I'm not looking for a relationship. I'm with you for the moment. Let's not get serious. I travel and work too much."

"Do you want to marry and have kids one day?"

"That would be nice. When I'm 30."

"How has your family reacted to your becoming a porn star?"

"Puerto Rico is so bad when it comes to drugs and drug addicts. They're happy that I don't even smoke a cigarette. When they found out, they were a little upset. But right now, they're happy. They say, work out. How are you doing? They know that it's not the best job in the world but they know I'm doing the right thing."

"Who are you closest friends in the industry?"

"I try not to mix my business with personal. If I do spend time with people in the industry, is it is with three people. One is my manager Rob. I have to be with him all the time. He takes me everywhere. Second person is Heidi, the make-up person. Third person is Kitty, a young asian girl.

"An orgasm was something that happened to me once in a while. Now, in my personal life, I will not get away with not coming. I've dealt with more experienced people since I've been in the business. It's opened me. I've become more sexual. Porn has changed me for the better."

"Are you primarily heteroxual or bisexual or what?"

"I prefer men. I will never be with a woman when she's drunk. Because most girls when they get drunk say they adore women just because of the alcohol. But they're only doing it to show off or because they're with a guy who..."

"How many men have you been with in your life?"

"Before the business, I'd say 50-100. In the business, a few more."

"Who are the other Puerto Ricans in the business?"

"Gina Lynn. They don't know Spanish because they were born in Puerto Rico and then moved to the US. Dee. Mercedes Ashley."

"Do people in the industry make Puerto Rican jokes?"

"No. I guess Puerto Ricans have a good reputation. When you say you're Puerto Rican, they love it. There's something about Puerto Ricans that guys seem to love. The only thing that people would make a joke about was that when I first got in the business, my English was bad. People couldn't understand what I was saying, particularly in interviews. Now you can tell me if I sound better?"

"You're easy to understand."

Blacks in Blondes 2 From Adam & Eve

12/5/04

Chasey Lain does her first interracial, performing with Mr. Marcus. Luc Wylder directs while his wife Alexandra Silk (a product of Hebrew Academy of Suffolk) serves as production manager.

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Journalist and photographer Marc Star is about to marry.

Chasey Lain says she graduated high school in 1989. She started stripping and posing nude in 1990. She entered porn in 1992. She turns 33 on Tuesday.

I ask her about Dimitri [Romasenko, the murdered San Francisco rapper].

From the 6/27/04 San Francisco Chronicle article:

"He's helping his porn-star girlfriend, Chasey Lain, get custody of her kid."

[Reporter:] "The cops also told me Dima had a porn-star girlfriend."

[Dimitri's mom:] "I personally have the privilege to know that woman. She's very manipulative. She's telling him she'll introduce him to Dr. Dre. and P. Diddy.

"She is probably my age. Her brain didn't function that well to know his age. She was not a girlfriend. How is that possible? I have been telling my kid, with this kind of girl, you can get a headache."

"I haven't been able to locate her," Stasko [cop] said. "Apparently she isn't where she's supposed to be. People don't even know how she fits in. There's been a lack of cooperation in talking to some people in this case."

Chasey says Dimitri was not her boyfriend, just a friend. A good friend. That's what she told the FBI and the homocide detectives.

"They'll probably be asking you next," Chasey says.

Lain knew Dimitri's family but she did not get into his business.

Chasey was promoting Dimitri's record label and she had an ownership share in the company.

Chasey and I are outside. A light rain falls. She smokes a cigarette and sips a cola. She's wrapped in a red dressing gown.

"They were going to use my picture on the album cover," says Chasey. "They were almost done recording the first album."

We reminisce about the 1998's Ballad of Chasey Lain by The Bloodhound Gang. She laid down an audiotrack for the song.

Mr. Marcus walks up. Chasey welcomes him. He's over an hour late.

Chasey: "It's cold out here. We're waiting on you. They've got a bet going on how late you're going to be."

Chasey returns to me to talk about her ballad. "It was number one in Germany. I was pregnant when I went into the studio to lay down the voice track. They used my picture on the album cover and on their backstage passes."

Duke: "How did you meet Dimitri?"

Chasey: "Friends."

Duke: "How long did you know him?"

Chasey: "A year."

Lain says she doesn't know who killed the 21-year old.

I meet the wife of famed porn photographer Scott St. James, 48. He used to be with porn star Sindee Coxx (who's now married to videographer Barry Wood). Now he's married to 28 year old Emma Edwards (a relationship of four years, married for two). She's stunning. Tall brunette with curly hair down past her shoulders. Slim. Elegantly dressed in tight blue jeans and boots. She writes on the set pieces for Club magazine. Marc Star is taking the photos to accompany her essay.

Emma says she can tell if the sex scene was good by if she's written so hard that the second page in her notepad has indentations.

She takes detailed notes as the Marcus-Chasey scene unfolds in the bathtub. Luc, a camera guy and a lighting guy are crammed into the bathroom.

During a break for stills, about six still photographers from the porn press descend (including Dr X, Mark Kernes).

Gene Ross showed up at the house yesterday, misinformed about the date of the shoot.

The Bel Air mansion is leased by Giorgio and his wife Tatziana. They edit about 15 movies a month there. Giorgio shoots camera for Platinum X and Red Light District and occasionally does scenes.

I had dinner at his beautiful home in Calabassas about six years ago. Giorgio drank a lot of wine and said that none of the big shots in the industry intimidated him. He repeatedly bellowed, "En vino verita." That's latin for in wine truth.

I hear there were about 400 people at Saturday night's KSEX awards. All the people who host KSEX shows were there along with other porn stars such as Digital Playground's Jesse Jane.

Max Hardcore began the evening his charming self but the more he drank, the more belligerent he grew.

Alexandra Silk grew up in an Orthodox Jewish home but rebelled upon reaching adulthood.

The Chasey - Marcus scene begins with an interview by Luc.

Chasey and Marcus reminisce about the time they first met -- ten years ago.

Chasey: "That was right when I had stopped working with guys. That lasted eight years."

Luc: "Chasey, have you ever done a black guy before?"

Chasey: "Yes, but not on film. Heather Hunter [black] was in all of my videos. She was one of my favorite people to work with."

Marcus: "It takes girls like Chasey to show others [in porn] what it could be."

Luc asks Chasey: "What do you like about blackness? Just a one-liner."

Chasey's stumped. Finally she says, "they have nice ass."

Luc asks her to repeat her comment as a complete sentence.

Marcus says he was watching a football game earlier in the day with some ladies. And he found out to his horror that they were watching for the view of the players' butts.

I hear Heather Hunter is shooting a music video in the next few days.

Luc Wylder remembers when AVN featured a special supplement on the Internet in its September 1995 issue. It mentioned Luc Wylder and his wife of the time Ariana hosting the first adult chat on Compuserve. Luc and his former business partner built a web site for Ariana in 1994.

Luc now owns Fallen Angel free and clear, having paid his debts to his former business partner Gigi Appleton, who has her own company.

Fallen Angel releases about 14 movies a year and it has 110 in its catalogue.

Giorgio (who has been with Tatziana for 16 years) with Geoff Coldwater made a mainstream film The Passion of the Reefer. It had a short theatrical release, which was ripped by The Los Angeles Times (but praised by the LA Weekly and other critics).

Chasey hooks up with Carmen Luvana in the second and final scene of the day.