Porn Stars on the Year in Porn: Drone Erotica, Belle Knox, and Wild Sex

There was drone-shot erotica and some very titillating Oculus Rift experiences, but it wasn't just tech that took the porno spotlight in 2014. It was a dramatic year for headline news when one porn star landed in the hospital with eighteen broken bones after being severely beaten by her former boyfriend and adult film co-star, who fled and was later captured. It was one of the darkest moments of the year, and yet one of the most uplifting when the adult industry united to raise money for one of their fallen.

This was also the year Duke University student Belle Knox put college girls on the map. “This was by far the craziest and most memorable year of my life,” she says. “I went off to my first year of college and caused a national scandal. That was pretty crazy.” You can say that again! She’s not the first girl to pay her tuition with porn money, but she might be the most famous. And to prove she’s really just like any other student, Belle gushes about her hopes for 2015. “I am hoping for continued success and happiness, and good grades of course! I would also love to travel to Australia this summer!”

When The Daily Beast reached out to porn stars about their most memorable moments of 2014, there weren’t any stories about wild orgies or piles of cocaine. Instead we heard about hard working business minded stars, a few sexual escapades, and one porn star’s venture into the legal marijuana business. The days of the empty headed blonde are behind us. We like wild chicks who can think, too.

Justine Joli, Penthouse Pet

“I had such a wonderful time at AVN this year with Stockroom. I was thinking about retiring from modeling, but spending that time with them rekindled that bug. This year was hard and awesome at the same time. I’ve been working on greenfairyedibles.com, a pot beef jerky business. Marijuana doesn’t actually work with sugar the way people think it does, the molecules just don’t bond that well. So that’s the hard part, educating people and starting a whole new chapter—going back into food where I came from. I’m going back to my roots.”

Ashley Sinclair, adult starlet

“I'm being recognized in public now. It's nothing for someone to walk up to me in the store or at a restaurant and ask for an autograph or speak to me. That didn't used to happen much. While grocery shopping a guy I had noticed following me earlier, walked by me really fast and said, ‘You look shorter in person.’ It just made me giggle. Then a waiter at Cracker Barrel recognized me by my feet (I was wearing sandals) and asked for my autograph on his order pad.”

Layton Benton, 2015 AVN award nominee

“The craziest thing that happened to me in 2014 was the incident with Chase Bank. And all the craziness that came from it. I’d have never imagined I would be on Fox News or on TMZ or The Huffington Post, and including you guys at The Daily Beast. It’s been such a remarkable year for me even though the Chase Bank situation still isn't completely resolved. I’d say that would be the most memorable thing to happen, but also being nominated for hottest ass at the AVN awards as well.”

James Bartholet, AVN award winner and host of AVN Live

“2014 was a busy year, I made a lot of great movies, especially Barbarella XXX for Axel Braun Productions with my buddy Riley Steele. Craziest moment in 2014 was during the Nightmoves Awards weekend in Tampa, which was also my birthday weekend, and I had sex with five different beautiful and sexy adult stars in the same night. Not bragging, but come on, most guys my age can handle maybe one or two in one night. Hot Sex after 50? Hell YES! LOL!”

Liv Aguilera, 2015 XBIZ nominee

“The craziest thing I did in 2014? Traveling in Europe, smoking joints in Amsterdam, and getting wasted with some Italian guys in Florence.”

Riley Steele, award-winning porn star

“I've had a really busy year, especially since I'm an Axel Braun Contract Star, but starring in the title role of Barbarella XXX for ABP and Wicked has been the best so far.”

Misty Stone, December 2014 Penthouse Pet

“2014 was an incredible year for me, baby, and as a black female performer I feel I made some really big leaps forward. I had the opportunity to appear on the popular Sons of Anarchy series in their final season. Even though my character got killed in that first episode it was a pretty shootout scene. Then I was the December Penthouse Pet, which is a huge honor. It was their holiday special issue and Holly Randall and the crew made me feel so glamorous and everybody loves the cover and layout and my fans went wild about that. In 2015 I want to expand myself more as an actress a model and a mentor to young female performers in the industry.”

Britney Amber, AVN award nominee

“In 2014 I was named the spokesmen for Teddy Love, which is a great new adult toy that's a Teddy Bear with a vibrator built into its nose. Every girl loves teddy bears and I love playing with Teddy. I've had him on several of my shows, The Britney Amber Show and even on some shoots. But my wildest moment in 2014 had to be when I was in Mexico for an appearance and some of the girls and I were partying afterwards and I had some tequila with a scorpion in it. When we finished the bottle I ate the scorpion! Girls, I do not recommend doing that!”

Bonnie Rotten, AVN 2014 Performer of the Year

“Well in 2014, I would definitely have to say that launching Mental Beauty has been a large crazy adventure for me this year. I have learned a lot about productions and the abilities I have in this realm. In 2015 I am looking forward to working with more people in the industry and doing crazier and crazier scenes! Also testing my abilities as a director and producer to create content that people love.”

Lotus Lain, award winning porn star

“This was a good year for me because I feel I really branched out to do more extreme scenes than what I had been doing before, really going wild and hardcore. I thought about it and thought about the outcomes of what doing this could be. But then I thought about the feedback I get from fans, yes we do listen to you, and thought why not? I'm going go for it. Conservative vanilla pornography can be so boring at times.”

Alana Evans, 2015 AVN Hall of Fame inductee

“I stated doing music this year. I’ve release two singles over the summer. That was amazing because I spent so much time in a different kind of studio for once! It’s pop music. I write the lyrics and work with Murv Douglas from Lords of Acid. It’s not a situation where I walk into the studio and he has a song ready for me, we literally from start to end work on it together, so it’s really a 50/50 input from the two of us. It’s huge. One of my bigger accomplishments of 2014, it’s been a lifelong dream. Because of porn I never thought music would be a reality for me. I’m not going to be the next Madonna but I’m just so happy to be living my dream.”

Selma Sins, adult starlet

“My most memorable moment was when my nephew was born. And working on Barbarella XXX. In 2015 I would definitely like to make more movies, get nominated, and maybe make a gang bang shoot.”