It brings us great sorrow to relay the news that gay porn performer Wilfried Knight has taken his own life, after his partner of nine years committed suicide earlier this year. He was only 35 years-old.
Wilfried’s career spanned over nearly a decade, notably working as the first ever joint-exclusive model for Raging Stallion and Lucas Entertainment. At 6’2″ and nearly 200 pounds with a “huge presence, a gracious air and a caring disposition”, it was impossible to deny his status as a hirsute superstar. He delivered on camera too, winning both the 2010 GayVN Award for Performer of the Year and the 2011 Grabby for Best Versatile Performer.
But Knight was more than just a porn star. In his own words: “I am happier hiking or climbing than in any party… Yes, I was a porn star, but it always had been a hobby. In the meantime, I also graduated in law, in Chinese medicine, in personal training. I have always achieved academically, and always assumed my choices. I will not apologize. I do not see how having sex on screen is less socially acceptable than being a corporate banker regularly backstabbing anyone on his way in order to get richer.”
With the deaths of Arpad Miklos, Erik Rhodes, Roman Ragazzi and a handful of other industry folks in the recent past, there’s surely a temptation to point fingers and ask (as Conner Habib does in a lengthy essay) “Why do gay porn stars kill themselves?”
However, as Conner notes in his essay, the better question is—“What can we do to make involvement with porn easier, less stressful, and healthier?” While you might not think there’s much you can do, it can be as simple as offering a kind word on Twitter, leaving a friendly comment to outweigh the negativity or simply, well, holding back some of the negative things you might have to say about a given performer.
It might not be the solution. But it’s a start.
– Dewitt
My condolences to his family and friends, it always saddens me to hear people who seem rather well-to-do take their own lives.
I do not really understand why somebody as intelligent, hard-working and physically attractive as Wilfried would need to take his own life. No matter how low he thought his life was, he surely had to recognise he had a lot going on for him, and all he needed to do is distance himself from whatever demons were plaguing him. It is really such a needless waste over a life a lot of people would have loved to have.
RIP ..very sad story….porn must be a tough business
This is so Sad!
That’s not how depression works. Depression tells you you’re worthless and spits on you every waking minute. It’s not as simple as “getting away from his demons”.
This has little to nothing to do with his career in porn and everything to do with his partner commiting suicide a short while ago. This could be anyone’s story… A lawyer, a retail employee, your brother. Knee-jerk reactions and assumptions to his past career are not helpful. Anyone taking his life, whether you knew him, approve of him or jerk off to him, is a tragedy.
That’s very sad. Suicide is a difficult thing to come to terms with…
Hopefully he’s finally found peace.
Such a shame. Whenever suicide is involved, you just have to wonder “what if?” You know, what if they’d just had the right people or the right support system around for them, would they still have done it? Still, such a shame, my condolences to his family and friends.
Suicide is not the answer it only hurts everyone that has ever loved you those that have USED & ABUSED you will never give it a second thought ! I know all to well what that feeling of despair is like and I am all to GRATEFUL to the all MIGHTY GOD for allowing me to see that my life despite all the difficulties is very much WORTH LIVING ! Wilfred & Jerry
This is quite sad, and even more disheartening that so many gay porn stars keep ending up on this same path 🙁
There has to be something to being in porn that makes so many of these guys so unhappy they would kill themselves. Maybe they just can’t handle reality? The highs and lows of life are to much for them? I don’t know. I do know that age is a privilege denied to many! I kind of like it here on planet earth and want to stick around as long as I can!
This is so sad. I suffered with depression when I was in my 20’s and attempted suicide once. Thank God my roommate came home from work 2 hours early and found me. I got the help I needed and am grateful for each day I have left. As long as you are alive, things can, and almost always do change for the better. All we can do for him now is hope that he has found the peace he was seeking.
If you’re going to get into the business, do it for all the right reasons: make money, have fun, network, etc. Don’t do it to boost your self esteem or confidence levels, because once the public’s interest in you wanes and you’re no longer the flavor of the month, reality is going to hit you like a Mack truck. Have a strong support group of faithful friends who won’t judge you or abandon you. No matter the setback, remember…it does get better.
好像挂了哇