UPDATE: After the time of this post, The Sun removed the original piece from their website, citing âlegal reasons.â
In what just might be the worst reporting of the year thus far, British tabloid The Sun has unleashed their investigative department on a 23-year-old nurse. Why? He had the audacity to work in the â gasp! â gay adult film industry while putting himself through nursing school.
Itâs shocking that an article like this would be printed in the year 2017. Even more offensive are the photos The Sun covertly took of the nurse â whom we wonât be naming here â taking out his garbage, alongside racy stills from his films.
An anonymous source told the rag: âNo one at the hospital knew of his background. Heâs only just got the job.â
The âarticleâ ends abruptly, not even attempting to offer any bit of reasoning as to why it was in the public interest to reveal the manâs past. Nope, just a completely unnecessary and potentially damaging invasion of privacy.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Readers of The Sun are no doubt used to some degree of shenanigans from the notorious tabloid, but there was no getting around the sheer backwards approach to this public shaming.
âWhat a disgrace the sun newspaper truly is,â wrote one commenter. âTo slander a 23 year old whoâs got his foot in the door with an excellent job! Let him keep his private life/ hobbies to himself. Heâs a bloody excellent nurse!â
âWhat a disgusting invasion of privacy with absolutely no public interest,â said another. âIt just goes to show how vile a human being the author really is.â
The comments continue on with similar disgust, and we can only hope publishers at The Sun have learned that homophobic hit pieces are not an acceptable path to continue down.
Heywood Jablowme
I’m surprised he didn’t get a job as a high school teacher, since that seems to be always the 2nd career choice for former porn actors.
“Privacy”? It’s hard to see how this fits any definition of “privacy” in the dictionary. OK, it was rotten for the paper to bring it up. On the other hand, he probably lied on his job application. And his film past was bound to come out somehow, eventually, sooner or later (probably sooner).
Juanjo
Both in the US and the UK the regular person who is not a public figure has a right to be free of publicity of this sort. There is nothing newsworthy about it at all. It just gives salacious details to low minded individuals such as yourself who will engage in vicious speculation about the poor man.
Heywood Jablowme
Really, a paid actor who’s already been seen by thousands of viewers is NOT a public figure? That’s a really weird definition of “public figure.”
Xzamilloh
Definitely in poor taste, but I agree with you. Unless these are videos from a private server or were done without his consent, I’m not seeing how his privacy was violated.
alterego1980
Fine, he did porn so technically he’s a public figure. But “probably lied on his job application”? Really? 99 percent of people never get asked in an application or interview if they’ve been in gay porn films, or anything of the such. And it’s not illegal to do porn as a consenting adult. This guy is definitely more a victim here and didn’t do anything wrong. I just hope it doesn’t negatively affect his career
gayjim1969
Someone has to DIG for this kind of information on a porn actor–it is not common knowledge. Only the most popular, famous star’s real names are somewhat known. And, yes, as a private citizen, he was deserving of privacy.
“Iâm surprised he didnât get a job as a high school teacher, since that seems to be always the 2nd career choice for former porn actors.”
You have difficulty with reading comprehension. “He had the audacity to work in the â gasp! â gay adult film industry while putting himself through nursing school.” He intended to go into nursing BEFORE being a porn star and followed through with it. Once he met his goal, he stopped being a porn star and went into nursing. That wasn’t enough for people like the article’s author, the Sun’s editor, and you, though.
Maybe you would be happier if he didn’t go to school, stayed in a low-paying job or got into drugs for a living? Should he have drowned in student loans, or defaulted on them?
It’s amazing to me that people can stand in moral judgment of others when they have no idea what others have gone through.
captainburrito
“On the other hand, he probably lied on his job application.”
What is the process you used to come to that conclusion? Because I’m thinking whatever standard you come up with is something most of us are guilty of ie. not volunteering information they did not ask for but could be potentially embarassing.
jfhjr
Lying on his job application?!?? I don’t know where you complete job applications, Heywood, but I doubt the medical facility’s job application contains a question about whether the applicant has starred in adult films. And don’t start with the “It asks for job history” business b/c many don’t include job history details that are completely irrelevant. Don’t be a jerk.
At any rate, this kid has a prima facie case for tortious invasion of privacy and he should sue the publication.
lauraspencer
âTo slander a 23 year old whoâs got his foot in the door with an excellent job! Let him keep his private life/ hobbies to himself. Heâs a bloody excellent nurse!â
NOTE to all job seekers. If you want your foot in the door keep your dick out of his mouth (at least on video). People need to wise up that porn does come back to haunt you professionally.
There are plenty of jobs that you can get to pay the bills that look good on a resume. Porn isn’t one of them.
Juanjo
you seem to have done well, given your lengthy career as the target when doing bukkake videos.
Heywood Jablowme
@juanjo: Just a few minutes ago you wrote about me: “salacious details to low minded individuals such as yourself who will engage in vicious speculation about the poor man.” Now you’re accusing another poster of being in “bukkake videos”?!? Lol. That’s quite a double standard of vicious speculation you have there.
Anyway, how dare you! – there’s nothing wrong with lauraspencer appearing in bukkake videos. Well, as long as he got paid for it. đ
jfhjr
Oh and to answer your question about the “privacy” issue… As I mentioned in my previous comment, he has a case for invasion of privacy, a cognizable claim for which only has two elements: 1) the matter publicized is of a kind that would be highly offensive to a reasonable person, and 2) is not of legitimate public concern. Liability will likely attach even when the statement is true. So there you go.
svustabler
He may make it pass a motion for summary judgment but I highly doubt he would win at trial.
The first prong is certainly not met. Perhaps if he was engaging in private, sexual conduct but he was not. He was engaging in commercial trade. He’s already publicized himself. He cannot call foul because a news outlet put brought to the mainstream.
The second prong is likely not met. There could be several reasons as to why it may be a matter of public concern. Additionally, I do not believe this cause of action can be levied against a news outlet, which even tabloids fall under.
Of course, this is American law. I am not sure if UK law will even allow for this.
ozymandius
@svustabler I’m not sure about American or UK law but generally speaking if you make it past a motion for summary judgment then there won’t be a trial…(i.e. because you get summary judgment).
The concept of “privacy” and “invasion of privacy” is still developing in Australian law but the question will be whether or not his prior engagement in porn has any effect on his ability to perform his duties in his current role. There may be some clause in his employment contract that says he won’t do anything to cause his employer to be brought into disrepute, or that he will disclose any such information – which in this case might be an unfortunate thing for him – but other than the fact he might get increased referrals from people who have seen his videos there is little he can do against the paper for publishing an article about otherwise publicly available information, despite how vile and unnecessary it was for them to do so. I don’t agree with the article being published, I don’t think doing porn is wrong, and I don’t think he should be judged on his ability to be a nurse by the fact he did porn in his past, but your past is your past and if you live it in the public eye then in this day and age chances are it is going to come up at some time.
jfhjr
To Laura Spencer: #judgmental To be fair, you don’t know what options were or were not available to him at the time he made the decision. Life isn’t always black or white; there tends to be an overwhelming amount of gray most all of the time.
Scribe38
I’m a nurse. I spent years in school trying to heal and save lives, just like this young man has. Who I have slept with on film or not doesn’t change that. Within the last two months I have ran codes that saved someone’s life, do you really think they would care if I did porn when I was younger? I hope the young man has some sort of way to sue and eventually get back to his career. To those taking shots against the nurse, wish I could see your Internet history -_-
Heywood Jablowme
There’s no indication the hospital is annoyed with him. Maybe they’re totally cool with it.
You seem a little conflicted about all this yourself. You’re the second poster here who (a) thinks it’s a horrible evil awful thing to point out that an actual, paid porn actor was indeed a porn actor (gasp), but then (b) the only “insult” you can think of to fling at total strangers on the internet is to accuse them of doing porn!
Make up your mind!
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
Two questions:
1) “ran codes”? (Google was not my friend)
2) well, did you or didn’t you do porn when you were younger?
Bonus question) Where can we find it? TIA
gayjim1969
Heywood–Again, your problem with reading comprehension raises its ugly head. When Scribe38 said, “[I] wish I could see your internet histories,” they meant to point out the posters’ likely hypocrisy at looking at internet porn while denouncing this nurse for having worked in porn.
Also, no one is stating that it is wrong to “point out that…[a] porn actor was…a porn actor.” What they’re saying is that it is wrong to dig up that PAST, which has no BEARING on their JOB, in order to torpedo that person’s CAREER.
Please, learn to read!
Heywood Jablowme
@Scribe38: Learn to read, yourself. Nowhere do I “denounce” him for doing porn. In the very first comment here I say the paper was “rotten” for doing this. But it was going to come out anyway. And not a single other person here is “denouncing” him for doing porn. Some of us think that maybe, just maybe, it would have been wise for a 23 year old job applicant whose porn career was obviously in the very, very RECENT past, to practice full disclosure about something that was inevitably going to come out anyway.
And I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t look at porn on the internet. I did that exactly once, years ago, and it caused major virus problems on the pc. I’m enough of a Luddite that I just don’t bother with that stuff.
Also, you can get off your high horse about that “healing and saving lives” guff. Nurses are a bunch of sad!sts. That’s why you’re attracted to that profession. đ
dustashed
@prince
1)When he said he “ran codes” That means he was/is a team leader running “code blue” when a person crashes. Implying he has been in the profession for a while, ACLS trained and dictates the flow of the code as per protocol.
2) I wish more professionals did porn. I secretly want to, but alas don’t have the greek god body for it.. plus there’s the chance of this sort of repercussion. barring those 2 conditions, I’d try it.. one off the bucket list
NateOcean
The nursing student was acting in gay porn on the side to finance his college career.
After The Sun has been thoroughly sued, the irony being that *they* will now be paying for his schooling.
jhon_siders
So he did porn so did Sylvester Stallone And he was a draft dodger too but nether hurt his film career .I think every one has some sort of skeleton in there closet (Bad pun intended )
gayjim1969
Excellent point! Nobody holds Sylvester Stallone’s porn history against him! Perhaps because he’s been a staunch conservative Republican throughout his career, so conservatives haven’t had to dredge up his “sordid” past for the faithful to gleefully consume.
Donston
That’s because no one knew for a long time. Also, he got in and out quick. Today is different. Just one scene for a couple thousand will stay with you and it’ll come on you quick.
People do porn/sex work for different reasons. Sometimes decent people just have desperate situations. Often times, however, it’s laziness, narcissism, delusions of grandeur, HPD and addiction (whether that be addicted to sex, drugs and/or attention) that spur on the involvement. So, let’s not act like that’s not frequently the case.
Ultimately, privacy is an archaic and precious ambition. If you covet it you have to always be aware your decisions. Once it’s out there it’s out there. It is lame as fvck to put him out there. Is there not more interesting things for a tabloid to discuss than a random nurse doing some porn?
Chris
He did something to put himself through school. As long as it didn’t hurt anybody (hmmmm, add “against their wishes” in this case), who cares? I know that the larger society still has issues with sex work. But for those of us who are consumers of gay porn, who are we to judge anyone who produces it?
However, in an era of Facebook, Google, and the like, no one can claim the “right to privacy” when doing something that is being filmed and will be broadcast. Beyond being naĂŻve, that is simply trying to have it both ways.
And now the important question: Where are the links to his oeuvre?
Bob LaBlah
Regardless of sexual orientation those of us who have been at the mercy of having to have nurses come into the room and render assistance while we were sick or injured do not give ONE damn what that person does in their bedroom. This reporter was turned down by the guy and decided to get even only it backfired.
cancorv
And from a totally different angle, 1 in 10 nursing positions are unfilled in UK. “The report prompted the government to relax rules and grant up to 15,000 visas for nurses from outside the European single market over the next three years.” [source: BBC http://www.bbc.com/news/health-36729108%5D
If the UK made nursing college free, as higher education should be anyway, this young man would not have had to do porn. The UK could then issue visas for young people to make porn instead of stealing other country’s nurses.
Neville
You nailed it, buddy.
dustashed
So you want to steal other country’s pornstars instead? lol jk đ
Doug
I can’t believe in 2017 this is even an issue.
Neville
It is, because people are full of shit.
Heywood Jablowme
(sigh)
Apparently you didn’t notice that in the article here, Queerty made a point of NOT naming the nurse:
“the nurse â whom we wonât be naming here…”
And now YOU have named him!
FrChris
I do not think that the issue here is one of ‘privacy’ in the legalistic sense…
What public interest is there in the fact that this young man paid his way through medical school by performing in adult entertainment? If this young man is performing admirably at his job, if he is caring and compassionate to the patients under his care – who cares where the funding for his training came from. I’m sure the Sun could dig up much more salacious examples of nurses funding their own education if they really wanted to – but this guy is easy game.
To be honest there are quite a few little old ladies that I know who would be titillated by the fact that they were being nursed by a porn star.
Come off it – the social hang ups are those of the Sun… not of British society in general.
If this guy was remiss in his duties, if he was shown to be engaging in inappropriate relationships whilst in his position – THEN and only THEN would this be public interest.