Everything We Know About August Ames' Death
Reports of adult film actress August Ames' death received heightened attention after she was recently subjected to cyberbullying and since her cause of death was not immediately disclosed. Some members of the porn industry initially suspected that she had committed suicide.
Born Mercedes Grabowski, the 23-year-old Canadian actress died Tuesday morning, but her death wasn't reported until Wednesday. She appeared in more than 270 adult films after making her debut in 2013.
Ames Is Found Dead
Police said she was pronounced dead at the scene at her home in Camarillo, California, a city in Ventura County and roughly 50 miles north of Los Angeles.
Police did not provide a specific location of where she died. There was no indication of foul play.
Ames' Cause Of Death
The Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office on Thursday told gossip website The Blast that the cause of death was asphyxia due to hanging.
Ames' Husband Issues Statement
Ames was survived by her husband, Kevin Moore, a pornographic film director and producer. Moore, 43, issued a statement Wednesday about Ames' death. He requested for privacy during this "private family matter."
"She was the kindest person I ever knew and she meant the world to me," Moore told Adult Video News (AVN). "Please leave this as a private family matter in this difficult time."
Ames' Battle With Depression, Family Issues
Ames said she suffered from bipolar depression and multiple personality disorder. Her mother dealt with bipolar disorder, too.
"Some days I'll be fine and if I'm not doing anything I'll get these awful flashbacks of my childhood and I get very depressed," Ames said on the Holly Randall Unfiltered podcast in August. "I can't get out of bed and cancel my scenes for like a week or two."
Ames also shared that she has an "awful relationship" with her father. She alleged that her grandfather molested her as a child, which was a claim she said her father never believed. These accusations apparently led her father to put her in a group home at 12 years old.
Ames Was Cyberbullied Before Her Death
Ames was criticized on Twitter after sharing her decision to exit a project because the male actor previously worked with other men. Ames wrote: "Whichever (lady) performer is replacing me tomorrow... you're shooting with a guy who has shot gay porn, just to let cha know. BS is all I can say Do agents really not care about who they're representing?"
This led some on social media to accuse Ames of homophobia, though she refuted the claim. She added that "most girls don't shoot with guys who have shot gay porn, for safety." Ames was asked her to issue an apology for her remarks the next day, but she instead addressed the individuals that continued to attack her for her choice.
"F—k you guys attacking me when none of my intentions were malicious. I f—king love the gay community! What the f—k ever! I CHOOSE who I have inside my body. No hate," Ames wrote Monday on Twitter.
Ames' Friends Allege Cyberbullies Pushed Her To Her Death
Ames' friends took to social media to express their thoughts on the star, some of which included the reasoning for her death.
"Omg, I can't believe she's dead. You people should have known better than to berate her over her personal thoughts," Anikka Albrite, a pornographic film star, posted on Twitter. "Shame on all you for beating it into the ground. Online harassment is a real thing & it claimed another life."
"I'm not going to talk about why August Ames left us," Randall wrote on Instagram. "I'm not going to point fingers, I'm not going to take sides, I'm not going to engage in a flame war on social media. I only want to remember the light that August brought into this world."
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