Pornstar August Ames, real name Mercedes Grabowski, passed away Tuesday (Dec. 5) at just 23-years-old. Her cause of death hasn't been officially released, but the Ventura County Medical Examiner Media spokesperson spoke with Hollywood Life and said, “Mercedes Grabowski died of asphyxia due to hanging. [The] manner is suicide.” Her friends suspect it was a suicide as well, as Ames was prone to depression.
Ames joined the adult film industry in 2013 and had appeared in more than 270 X-rated films during her four years in the business. Her popularity grew steadily since she nabbed a nomination for Best New Starlet at the 2015 AVN Awards. She also scored a nomination for Female Performer of the Year in 2016, 2017, and the upcoming 2018 Awards coming in January. Ames also had a significant social media following; her online presence may have contributed to her death.
The young starlet was recently attacked by cyberbullies who accused her of being homophobic after she tweeted about choosing not to work with an unidentified actor who had previously shot gay porn. Ames was staunchly met with criticism but said she was not homophobic and would not put her body at risk. The backlash continued, and she later defended herself again after a user responded to the tweet urging her to apologize.
"F--k you guys for 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," she wrote.
Fans and fellow porn stars expressed sadness on social media at her passing, and some fans called out the LGBT community for bullying Ames.
"She was the kindest person I ever knew, and she meant the world to me," her husband, director Kevin Moore, told industry trade magazine Adult Video News (AVN), which first reported news of her death. "Please leave this as a private family matter in this difficult time."
Source: nydailynews.com
