another overdose death shines light on substance abuse

The adult film industry is once again mourning the overdose death of one of its young stars — and experts say rampant drug use behind the scenes is only one of porn’s many tragic trappings.

Research finds adult performers engage in a host of risky behaviors, including substance abuse, and that female performers are more likely than male actors to be exposed to drugs. In the last three years, at least six female porn actresses have succumbed to the deadly lifestyle.

The lifeless body of Kylie Page, 28, was found inside her Hollywood apartment on June 25.

Police went to check on the Oklahoma-bred actress after a concerned friend hadn’t heard from her in some time.

Page starred in films such as “Frisky Freshman” and “Naughty Bookworms” and was in the 2017 Netflix mini-series about the porn industry, “Hot Girls Wanted: Turned On.”

Her estimated worth was just over $1 million.

Cops reported finding fentanyl and drug paraphernalia inside Page’s home, and believe she died from an accidental overdose.

Amy-Marie Merrell, co-executive director of the Cupcake Girls, a non-profit that connects adult performers with mental health resources, said Page was known as a “kind, loving, wonderful person.”

The majority of studies on the mental health effects of pornography have centered around viewers, not the talent. The limited amount of research on performers indicates female participants generally experience worse mental health than women surveyed at random.

“Evidence suggests alcohol and drug use is higher among adult film performers — women, in particular,” concluded a study by Dr. Corita Grudzen, who now works at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

While there are many “pathways” to drug use in porn, the findings revealed the minority come into the industry already addicted — and use the money they earn as a performer to support their habit.

“Some developed drug habits as a result of their social network, and some used drugs as a means to cope with the stress, stigma, and emotional repercussions of their performing,” Grudzen wrote in 2008.

Depression, post traumatic stress disorder, self-esteem issues, anxiety, stress, poor body image, and suicidal thoughts are not uncommon for them, Grudzen noted.

The tragic body count includes:

Angelina Please

Trans adult performer Angelina Please was found dead in her Las Vegas apartment on March 15, 2022 — nearly a week after she was reported missing. The 24-year-old from Chicago died from an accidental overdose after ingesting fentanyl-laced cocaine, coroners determined. Please’s mother, Francesca Montalbano, insisted she was not suicidal.

“She’d been clean from meth for over a year but she was still dabbling in party drugs,” the mourning mom said. “I could tell her until I was blue in the face not to do it, and why you shouldn’t do it, but she would just hide it from me and I didn’t want her to do that.”

Porn star Aspen Brooks found Please’s body; they were friends and neighbors. “I’m at a loss for words. Went to go check up on my friend after she had been missing, only to find out we lost an amazing person. One of my best friends.” She was nominated as Trans Performer of the Year at the 2022 AVN Awards.

Sophie Anderson

Popular UK porn star and internet personality Sophie Anderson was 36 on Nov. 30, 2023, when she died from a fatal overdose of the club drug GHB — days after her husband, fellow adult entertainer Oliver Spedding, also OD’d on the same drug.

The Bristol-born Anderson, who also modeled under the name Karen Cook — and become a breakout star with “The House of Taboo” — was found dead at a Travelodge near London with enough of the drug in her system to kill 10 people, authorities said.

Friends said she was abused by Spedding in the months prior to his death, and that she told them police would not take her claims against him seriously. Former porn actress Rebecca More took to Instagram after her death, and called Anderson “the bubbly, funny, kind hearted soul who was outrageous on the outside but also so gentle behind closed doors.”

Sophia Leone

Adult film star Sophia Leone’s died of an overdose March 1, 2024, in her Albuquerque, New Mexico, apartment. After initial suspecting foul play, Albuquerque police confirmed months later that the Miami-born Leone, 26, who struggled with alcohol dependency, accidentally overdosed, but never disclosed what drug killed her.

“You were nothing but genuine and kind to me and made me laugh,” offered adult star Penelope Woods in a tribute to Leone. “It truly angers me that you were taken from this world.”

Her stepfather, Mike Romero, said at the time her unexpected death “left her family and friends devastated and in shock.” He said she “was a beloved daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece and friend. She had a deep love for all animals, specifically her three pets. She enjoyed travelling and always found ways to make everyone around her smile.”

Jesse Jane

Blonde bombshell Jesse Jane managed to cross over into mainstream TV and film roles before she died of an accidental overdose in early 2024. She and her boyfriend were found dead inside his Oklahoma home. The X-rated actress, 43, had deadly levels of cocaine and fentanyl in her blood stream.

Jane appeared on the HBO show “Entourage” and in Nick Swanson’s film “Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star.” She also acted alongside “Frasier” star Kelsey Grammer in 2009’s “Middle Men.”

Porn publicist Brian Gross told People.com Jane was “a vivacious person who had an absolute and ultimate love for life. There is not one person in the adult industry who didn’t spend time with her, whether onset or in a social setting, that she didn’t make smile or laugh or both. She would light up a room as soon as she walked in. Her laugh would echo wherever she was.”

Kagney Linn Karter

Porn star Kagney Linn Karter was in recovery for unspecified substances when she committed suicide in 2024. The 36-year-old spoke openly about her battles with addiction. The “Lonely Wives Club” star died inside her Parma, Ohio, home from a self-inflicted gun wound. She had no drugs in her system, coroners later confirmed, but friends said she lived with mental illness.

“Unfortunately, despite all of her many impressive accomplishments and talents, Kagney struggled with mental health issues as the years passed by,” said Megan Lee, who owns a pole dancing studio in Cleveland.

“As alone as she undoubtedly felt within the confines of her own head, she continued to make an effort to show up for her friends and the community who cared about her,” said Lee, who inspired Karter to open her own pole dancing studio in Akron. “She fought her own battles with the same tenacity and drive she showed in every other area of her life, with as much strength as she could.”

Merrell insisted drug and alcohol use affects people in all industries.”I think when it comes to drug use and why many people might turn to drugs for emotional support, folks in the adult industry aren’t all the same,” said Merrell. “People in the adult industry are not a monolith.

“When talking about drug use, people will say, ‘Oh, well, they were in the adult entertainment industry — that’s why it happened,” Merrell said. “But that’s oversimplifying the issue.”