From 2006 to 2012, Rocco Reed was a prolific gay-for-pay performer in the adult video industry, appearing in over 1,000 scenes for studios like Men.com. But these days, Reed — a 39-year-old whose birth name is Joshua Broome — has become a preacher at the Good News Baptist Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Broome recently told The New York Post that he began appearing in adult videos after moving to Los Angeles, California because some female friends said it would help him become a movie star. From age 23 to age 29, he shot dozens of scenes each month. But away from the camera, he felt depressed.
“I believed the lie that if I made money I would be happy,” Broome said. “I made well over a million dollars. I traveled everywhere I wanted to go. I had all the sex I could have ever imagined. But once I had it all, my life fell apart, because it amplified the sorrow and emptiness I always felt inside…. I literally lost track of who I was. Everything was lies and fiction … I wanted to take my own life and didn’t have the guts to do so.”
When he retired from adult videos in 2012, he asserted his heterosexuality and said it was just time for him to move on. After moving to North Carolina, he wrestled with shame and worried about having his past uncovered while working as a trainer at a local gym.
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In 2014, he met his now-wife, a woman named Hope, and joined her for a jog. When he mentioned his past adult video work, she responded with kindness instead of rejection. The following weekend, they went to church together. Gradually, he let go of his shame and feelings of worthlessness. He and Hope then married in 2016 and now have three children.
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It’s unclear whether Broome now follows the Baptist church’s anti-LGBTQ stances, but he definitely preaches against the effects of adult videos.
“It’s so harmful,” he told The Post. “You are saying it’s okay to consume a person like a product, and if you treat people like products every aspect of your life is going to be detrimental.”
It’s not altogether surprising that Broome is religious. An estimated 65 percent of U.S. adults identify as Christian, and 47 percent of LGBTQ people identify as religious. Even though Broome and other former adults stars have experienced shame over their past work, many other gay adult film performers have expressed gratitude that their work put them in touch with a community of sex-positive fans and LGBTQ activists trying to make the world a more accepting place.
Diplomat
It’s all a matter of perception. As he said his loneliness was there B4 doing adult films so that was never the problem until he decided to make it so.
jt1990
Pastors belong to the same league as politicians and car salesmen. Growing up, I actually knew of a guy who was all three of these! Baptist preachers are amongst the most hypocritical of the self-righteous crowd, so this news is no surprise. But I suppose when EVERYTHING is a sin, it’s hard to keep your nose (or other parts in his case) clean…
Jack
I couldn’t disagree more. Layman pastors really serve their communities. They don’t have fancy jobs and they aren’t motivated by money….because there’s no money to be had. I’ve met a ton of Baptist preachers who are genuinely supportive and happy that I’m gay….and they will drop an F bomb if the situation calls for it. Can’t co-sign on the stereotyping. And not all car salespeople are slimy by any stretch. Politicians….I with you .
AuntieXhrist
Hi-Jack.
Your unsubstantiated rhetoric belies the published facts as in Houston Chronicles’ Investigation into 750 Baptist pastords and youth ministers guilty of child molestations. In addition, a 21 yo TX missionary abused 250 Nigerian young girls and boys. Of course, the big scandal was Deacon Ralph Shorter pictured w/Donnie Jr after busted for 17 yo boy in OK Motel.
PubicHairus
jt1990, I… wholeheartedly agree with you! (That wasn’t hard for me to say at all.)
Donston
Why is queer media so hyper focused on porn performers and sex workers?
I believe this dude mostly did hetero porn for years before he ventured into homo porn. I’m guessing the hetero work started to dry up. It is a bit cringe-y when these dudes who indulge porn/sex work for years, sometimes well over a decade, want to be reborn and then preach their sainthood. You pretty much got all you could get out of one thing (porn) and now you’re leeching off of something else to give you contentment and an ego boost (religion). But whatever you gotta to sustain I suppose.
Porn is rarely the catalyst of the problem. Many of these dudes suffer from past traumas, drug addiction, mental health struggles, being rejected by their families, hyper-sexuality or fluidity or paraphiliacs or contradictions that stifle their ego and sense of self and lead to them doing dumb stuff. Many also suffer from internalized phobias, queer insecurities, gay resentments, uncertainty about or rejection of their place in the gender, sexual, affection, romantic attachment, emotional investment, relationship contentment, commitment spectrum. Hardly any of it starts with porn/sex work. However, that environment and constantly using your body and sex for money and ego can exasperate issues that are already there. It can be a quick fix when it comes to money, ego and sociological problems. But it does seem like a short-lived fix that isn’t worth it in the long run.
DarkZephyr
I don’t mind the focus on porn performers and the like but I have NO interest at all in hearing about these self-righteous judgy types or ex gay4pay performers.
TheMarc
Well said! Seeking validation via sex work is a symptom of a larger problem that rarely has a lot to do with the work itself. And yes, enough with mainstream gay/queer media covering the comings and goings of porn stars and sex workers. They can all pretend it’s about the clicks; but they’ve been doing this long before there were “clicks” to be had.
inbama
Judging from the beautifully clear skin, I can’t imagine he has drug problems.
Donston
I don’t see anywhere I said he had a drug problem. I was talking about the general dynamics of the porn/sex work world and the varied struggles and motivations many performances have. Also, clear skin doesn’t equate to “no drug problems”.
Jack Meoff
Didn’t Tom Katt do the same thing?
Dev
“I made well over a million dollars.” Doing just gay porn? Sweetie…
Gordon of the Bassets
Randy Cochran, (sigh, still my favourite porn star) always said that the porn was the advertising, and that the money was in the escort business.
Donston
He was likely escorting as well. And he was probably escorting even when he was doing strictly hetero porn. A lot of these performers get rich sugar daddies/mama’s off camera. A lot of guys that mostly/only do hetero porn escort for dudes off-camera. Some of those guys who mostly/only do hetero porn are very much in the queer spectrum. Some are no where near hetero when it comes to the sexual, affection, romantic attachment, emotional investment, relationship comfort, commitment spectrum. Some have same-sex or trans long-term partners off-camera. However, being “straight presenting” means that you can more easily get consistent hetero porn work. While it’s an ego boost to many of these guys to fvck girls on camera. And rich men are often willing to pay more for “straight presenting”/“hetero-leaning presenting” guys. However, a million is probably a stretch.
Heywood Jablowme
He began “appearing in adult videos” “because some female friends said it would help him become a movie star.” There was his FIRST mistake! That’s not actually a career path.
dynamic33
Do the math. He made over a million dollars over the six years of his career. That’s like $160k a year. Hardly big money.
ShiningSex
I’m sure he did escorting too.
Which again, is NOT straight. He’s bi and gay for pay is a myth.
Max
wow, he’s still got a cute face. wonder how many in his flock have previously watched his old clips or searched the ‘net to see him naked with either end stuffed?
Jack
We have to be careful about stereotyping any church or denomination. A co-worker invited me to his church on Christmas eve. When my husband and I drove up at it was a Church of God, we were so over it. It could not have been more progressive, warm and welcoming. And just plain fun. The pastor was awesome and everybody was in jeans. The program was very anti-discrimination.
Invader7
He has issues….
MrMichaelJ
Wow, someone give me a buck so I can be “pay for gay” too.
I’m sure he switched professions because there’s a helluva lot more $$$ to be made from the pulpit.
wikidBSTN
He didn’t make over “a million dollars” just doing gay porn. NO way. To make that kind of money he would have had to hustle – A LOT. And most “gay-for-pay” don’t bottom – which he did. If I had to bet the house, I would say he’s bi and did gay porn for money. Zip.
Chrisk
It’s possible if you have say a only fans page and you’re really popular. Looking at his work I’d say he’s mediocre at best.
However, making up shit is something he shares with many of his Christian folk so not that surprising.
Bosch
There is no such thing as “gay for pay”. You can’t stimulate the hypothalamus with money.
Chrisk
Viagra?
Bosch
Viagra’s effect is multiplicative; it enhances existing physical arousal, it doesn’t expand your sexuality.
You can take Viagra and end up with nothing but an increased heart rate.
BrownFriedRice
He was on Candace Owen’s show… Soo, not exactly a real Christian. No one who follows the bible would align themselves with someone as dishonest, hateful, and greedy as that shill.
Gigi Gee
“When he retired from adult videos in 2012, he asserted his heterosexuality…” What does that even mean?
mateo
I wondered the exact same thing. That phrase sounds so aggressively defensive, doesn’t it?
Kangol2
He did what we’re always told gay, bi and trans people aren’t supposed to, which is that he announced his heterosexuality, to himself, probably others, so that there’d be no mistake that he was anything BUT “straight.” You know, something that no one really has to do in a society in which heterosexuality and straightness are normalized and naturalized, from the time of infancy on, and thus everywhere viewed as foundational, but hey, he felt the need to “assert,” just so everyone was clear.
Paulie P
On the show We’re Here…..the local pastor/ preacher who took part in an episode and performed in drag was realized from his duties once the show aired…..I wonder if this will happen to him now that his million dollar gay for pay porn past its revealed…
MusicBoi74
Do you mean “released” from his duties?
dynamic33
Everybody was in jeans, eh? Sounds like a cult!
Berneice
Appears he went from one extreme to another. He still seeks to be in the limelight. I think his 15 minutes is about up.
trojanboy
He was one of my favs. I’d sure like to hear him preach.
Mr. Stadnick
some female friends said it would help him become a movie star When did that ever happen? What ex-porn star made it as a “movie star”? I stopped believing him after that.
Leash
From one extreme to another. If it helps you to not kill yourself, fine whatever, but like, don’t bite the hand that fed you all this years and preach homophobia.
ShiningSex
NO such thing as “gay for pay”. it’s a tag to sell videos. They’re bi at the very least.