Not many envision themselves being employed in the adult film industry, but contrary to popular belief, being an adult entertainer or sex worker is a full-fledged job. Porn actors and actresses have faced many challenges navigating their way within the industry while simultaneously trying to balance their personal lives. 

In all honesty, it's a risky business, working in this industry. But either way, most people get into it initially with a mentality to pays the bills, and later find themselves knee-deep in the business. Being in the limelight as an adult actress is hard and Riley Reid can attest to it. In a candid YouTube video posted earlier last month on her channel, she got real about her tribulations and how being a porn star has taken its toll on her personal life.

"You have to be okay with being shamed every day of your life", she said. "You're putting yourself out there and the world is now judging you."

Reid is one of the most successful and sought after actresses in the adult film industry. She was crowned as the "most searched for" porn star with 585million views, earning her a fortune in 2019. Even so, the 28-year-old has had a fair share of predicaments and deems it to be a career not worth a recommendation.

While being candid in the video, Reid spoke about the downsides of being in this industry and how it has impacted her outside of it. She told her 175,000 subscribers that it has impacted her dating and family life as well. As an adult actor or actress, you're making yourself susceptible to cruel treatment and trolling at the hands of rather judgemental faceless people and well as those you come by in real life, including your own family.

Dating, Reid explained, is hard for everyone but being a sex worker adds to it, even more. She said it has always been very challenging to find people who show genuine interest in her, separate from her pornstar persona."I've had some trouble dating guys because I'm financially successful. People would want to date me because I'm a famous pornstar", she said.

Commenting on that, she also touched upon a previous relationship that ended because of her job. "I dated a guy for over two years, and the main struggle in the relationship was that I do porn. It wasn't until we broke up that he told me that sometimes he didn't wanna kiss me. Moving forward after that, I've dealt with it again and again."

In a contrasting scenario, she talked about dating men that assured her they'd get her to quit porn altogether. "To have the audacity to ask me to quit my job is so f***ed!", adding to that, she shared, "I've dated guys who were just really insecure or like, mid-way through the date, they'd ask me if I knew their name. This has happened to me multiple times".

She believes that mainstream media, movies, and books have made it seem like everyone will have a beautiful love story and are entitled to a fairytale happy ending, but it's highly unrealistic. Yet, just like any other person, she longs for intimacy and companionship, which are very important. "I feel like intimacy is being vulnerable with someone, but to feel someone's hands on my face, there's something about it that just feels so secure. I think intimacy is not a sexual thing - sharing laughs together, sharing moments together. I want intimacy in my life."

"Will I ever settle down? I hope so. Do I feel sad and lonely? Yeah."

Talking about her family's stance on her choice of career, she revealed that it was not easy. A family's outlook on their child being a pornstar is hard to decipher, simply because they tend to vary. Most people's families may handle it negatively, while others slowly come to terms with it.  "This is your life, so like, you should do the things that you want to do", Reid strongly asserted.

Explaining the situation with her family, she said that they don't talk anymore. She misses having a mom but their relationship had soured over time.

"With me personally, my mom was supportive in the beginning. She kinda just let me do whatever. I think it was a good thing I had a lot of freedom. As time progressed and I became successful, I started to feel like my mom was using me so that she could live a more luxurious lifestyle. When I started to set like these boundaries, not giving her money or things like that, it made our relationship a bit more difficult and almost toxic. I really felt like she was just trying to take full advantage of me."

Although she had tried to extend an olive branch and bridge the gap between them, it hadn't turned out well for the porn star and her mother.

"I've tried to reach out to her to have these conversations of value because I want to be able to have a relationship of substance. I want to be able to talk about our problems, but she just isn't willing to understand where I'm coming from. I think that she's too prideful and doesn't want to admit that she's wrong and doesn't want to admit that how she treated me and what she asked of me was really inappropriate from a mother. So it sucks. I don't have a mom anymore, I don't talk to her."

She further shared that she is in a difficult place with her father. While they're still on talking terms, her job has made it difficult for them to resume their father-daughter relationship."I talked to my dad and he struggles with my job being in the industry. He's also religious. I'm not allowed to go visit my dad anymore because my stepmom doesn't like that I do porn. When I was like 'can we go and get coffee?' and 'we can go and get breakfast', he was like 'I don't wanna be seen in public with you'. That just f***ing hurt so bad and it just sucks."

I lost my family. I don't talk to my brothers or sisters. I think they all kinda like take advantage of me and stuff or they're just like my dad and don't want to be around me", she added.
She cited these instances as the reason she tells people to not do porn when they come to her for advice."

So a lot of times when people ask me if they should do porn, I tell them no. I tell that it makes life really hard. It makes dating really hard, it makes your family life really hard, it makes intimacy hard", she stated. "There's a lot of negatives that come out of it and you have to be a really strong person to be able to be okay with it."

Further, she talked about her future and the drawbacks that can come from being active in the industry. "I don't even want to have children because I do porn. I'm worried of the way people will treat my child. The fact that these are the things I think about because people are so f**king s**tty, sucks", she commented.

Her video has garnered over 590,000 views with many of her followers commenting on encouraging words, and appreciating her brutal honesty. "I’m shocked by the amount of people commenting who clearly have watched porn yet have disdain for women working in the adult film industry", was a user's response to her video in a show of support.

"The fact that Riley has to cut out crying about her family abandoning her and nobody willing to date her should tell you a thing or two about what "the industry" will put you through", said another.

"Wow this is actually.. really sad. The fact that there is a real living person still alive through this industry, is disheartening beyond all hell and is honestly a great reason to stop watching and supporting the industry. I wish all of you the best as you make it through this strange life", a third commented.