Adult Stars Come Out to Help One of Their Own at Miami Velvet

The words “charity” and “porn star” are usually not ones you think of in the same sentence. That is, of course, unless the porn star’s name is actually “Charity.” Which I guess is not uncommon.  But this past Friday several local porn starts gathered at Miami’s venerable swinger’s club Miami Velvet to help raise money for one of their own. And while it was about as far from a black tie charity function as one could get, I guarantee it was a hell of a lot more fun.

BECAUSE THERE IS NO PORN STARS’ UNION

For the unaware, local adult star Kimora Klein was seriously injured in a car accident on January 5. She suffered a collapsed lung, perforated liver, and multiple fractures to her jaw, pelvis, hips and ribs. And, not surprisingly, the adult industry does not provide health insurance for its performers.

“It’s not like we have a union or anything, or get any benefits for our work,” said Karen Kougar, one of the adult stars in attendance.

“But we should,” added Trina Michaels, another adult actress who came to help out her friend.

With all the discussions this country has had over the uninsured and how to cover them, somehow the adult industry has been overlooked. Apparently porn starts aren’t exactly the most sympathetic to mention when those pushing universal health care make their cases. Though if you think about it, their bodies are how they make their livings. So a series of injuries like Kimora Klein had can not only put you out of work, it can end your career.

AND WHAT EXACTLY WOULD THE REHAB ENTAIL?

“She was known as the ‘Deep Throat Queen,’” Kougar said. “I’m not really sure that she’s gonna be able to do that anymore.”

Sara Jay, Kimora’s former roommate and adult star who lives part time in Miami, had similar observations.

“She has multiple fractures to her pelvis and ribs,” she said, “She’s obviously not going to be working in porn for a long time. I’m not even sure she’ll ever be able to do this again.”

So while the immediate medical bills are certainly a concern for Kimora, the rest of her career is the bigger issue. And it was almost touching to see how the local community of adult stars rallied around her.

Throughout the night, the VIP room at Velvet played host to not only the aforementioned Sara Jay, Karen Kougar and Trina Michaels, but also Angelina Castro, Diamond Kitty, Cameron Keys, Holly Halston, and Ms. Marshae. Male performer Dave Pounder was also in attendance, both supporting a star he’d worked with and recruiting for his production ventures.

PORN STARS ARE JUST PEOPLE WITH JOBS MORE INTERESTING THAN YOURS

If you’d never hung around porn stars before, Friday night showed that while some may find the adult industry objectionable, those who work in it are generally good people. They are a close knit community who watch out for each other, and for the most part they’re just regular folks who happen to have sex on camera.

One star talked to me at length about why she moved her family from Kendall to Coral Gables.

“It was just too far and too suburb-y,” she said. “And, one day I was driving my daughter to school, and the roof of my Escalade caved in on me. Some people had broken in and ripped out the ceiling. What on Earth they were looking for, I don’t know. But we needed to move somewhere safer.”

In Miami, even porn stars aren’t immune to petty theft.

Another star had grown up not far from me in the Bay Area, and actually went to High School with a friend of mine from the Marines. Although neither knew the other.

Another complained to me about her condo building, a pretty ubiquitous Miami conversation.

“That bar they put in on the ground floor, I hate it,” she said. “It makes the entire f*cking building smell like a deep fryer. I didn’t pay that much for my building to smell like a deep fryer.”

Essentially, none of the porn stars there took themselves too seriously. Which is a refreshing breed of person to be around in Miami.

WORK HARD, PLAY HARDER

By the end of the night, when the drinks had been flowing for a few hours, a handful of the porn stars adjourned to the large 4-bed private room in the back of Miami Velvet for a private/public party. Private because only the stars and people they invited were allowed in. Public because everyone else in the club could watch through the giant glass window in the front.  A reward, so to speak, the stars gave themselves for all the good work they had been doing. And they drew quite the towel-clad crowd.

What this – and the rest of the night – shows is that you should never judge someone on how they choose to express themselves sexually. If you find ending a night with an orgy sick and depraved, ask yourself, have you ever thrown a charity event to help someone else? The Porn Stars in attendance Friday night weren’t doing this for PR or exposure. Hell, I think I was the only “reporter” there. They were doing it out of earnest and love for a fellow performer. And if you don’t think that’s the makings of good people, I’m not sure what your definition is.

If you’d like to donate to help Kimora Klein, follow this link, or the link below.

All photos courtesy of Miami Velvet and Jesse Swinger

Related Links: Help Kimora Klein Miami Velvet Related Categories: Miami: Nightlife, About the Author: Matt Meltzer is a featured columnist at Miami Beach 411. See more articles by Matt Meltzer. See more articles by Matt Meltzer Was This Post Helpful? Please Share It With Others! Tweet

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