Pornography

Dan Benson -- a former star on "Wizards of Waverly Place" -- went from child star to porn star ... and he says he couldn't be happier over the career change.

The ex-Disney Channel actor -- who used to play Zeke Beakerman and work alongside Selena Gomez between 2007 and 2012 -- hopped on TikTok to provide a mental health update ... explaining he was feeling great about his pivot into adult entertainment.

He says he has no regrets about the kinda stuff he's doing on camera now, and that he was even surprised about some of the reactions he's gotten ... which have mostly been positive.

DB explains that while he thought he'd be met with shame and condemnation, he's actually experienced a lot of love and empowerment -- and he's glad the stigma associated with porn isn't being hurled his way. On the job front, there too he's found a healthy environment.

Dan goes on to say he's asked to do stuff all the time that he's not necessarily comfortable with, but now finds himself in a position to say no -- which he says is often respected.

And, the cherry on top ... him being supported, encouraged and, sometimes, approached by fans in public -- who he says have been nothing but lovely to him since he left the Mouse House. As he puts it, Dan feels like a "badass" these days ... so he's in a solid place.

Dan uses OnlyFans, among other X-rated platforms ... and has embraced his sensuality.

It just goes to show, there's lots of ways to make money these days -- and even the untraditional ways are being viewed in a different light than ever before.

Donald Trump might have had his worst day ever ... but Stormy Daniels had her best day on a popular pornography website.

The good folks over at Pornhub tell TMZ ... Donald's arrest has been a boom for Stormy's adult videos, with searches for her pornos spiking while Trump was getting booked.

We're told Pornhub users searched "Stormy" more than 650,000 times Tuesday ... it's a staggering figure on its own, but when it's compared to her daily search average over the first three months of the year, it works out to a whopping 32,400% increase.

Seems like there's a lot of interest out there as to why Trump allegedly had an affair with her.

Diving deeper into the numbers ... by 1:00 PM ET, as folks were waiting for Trump's motorcade to arrive at Manhattan Criminal Court, Pornhub says "Stormy" searches were six times their normal level ... which usually isn't peak horny hours.

Trump flew back to Mar-a-Lago on his private jet after his first day in court ... but some folks still have "jail" and "prison" on the brain ... Pornhub says searches with those two keywords this week are more popular than normal.

Trump's accused of paying Stormy $130,000 to shut up about the alleged affair. As for how much Stormy is making off the recent spike in her videos ... Pornhub is mum.

Former President Donald Trump's indictment should go down in history -- literally, as a national holiday ... at least, according to "Veep" actor Reid Scott.

We got Reid at LAX Friday, and we chatted with the former (fake) Deputy Director of Communications about Trump's legal trouble ... and he says he's on cloud 9 about the news.

Reid is concerned, however, about all the good it could do for D.T., with some speculating the attention pointed back could actually help mobilize his supporters and grab him a ton of votes. Regardless, Reid explains why he thinks Trump is more than deserving of getting indicted.

As we reported, Trump didn't look too bothered -- albeit a little preoccupied -- as he strolled out of Mar-a-Lago after dinner on Thursday following news of the indictment ... but Reid seems to think he's got reason to worry, and he tells us exactly why.

ICYMI -- Trump's facing more than 30 counts of business-related fraud -- stemming from his former lawyer Michael Cohen allegedly paying porn star Stormy Daniels $130K to keep her quiet about a supposed affair.

Donald Trump's luck in sidestepping criminal charges over the years might be running out ... and the former President himself admits it.

Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, Saturday morning to make the stunning announcement that he expects to be arrested next week. He also ordered his minions to protest his likely indictment from Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg over his alleged participation in the notorious Stormy Daniels hush-money case.

In all caps, Trump wrote, “THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK. PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!.”

He also referred to Bragg's office as “CORRUPT & HIGHLY POLITICAL" while touting his innocence.

As you may know, Bragg has been investigating Trump for purportedly making a $130,000 payment to Daniels back in 2016. Trump allegedly brokered the deal with the porn star to buy her silence during the Presidential campaign that year after she alleged they had an affair. Trump has long denied the accusation.

Daniels recently met with Manhattan prosecutors, according to her attorney, who also said she was prepared to testify if the case against Trump goes to trial.

Maitland Ward says the adult film industry's awards show is far superior TV than anything the Academy Awards is offering ... and she thinks it boils down to who's doing the voting.

We got the former "Boy Meets World" actress-turned-porn star in Bev Hills and asked why she thinks traditional awards shows like the Oscars are losing interest and viewers.

Maitland says the folks voting for the Oscars are way too old and aren't in touch with the country ... and she thinks the nominations this year once again show a lack of diversity.

On the flip side, Maitland says porn is rife with female directors and performers from all walks of life ... and she thinks the AVN Awards does a better job reading the room and going with the most deserving candidates, with no politics involved.

While awards shows are mostly losing viewers year after year, Maitland has an idea for how the Academy Awards could get a shot in the arm and a ton more eyeballs with a new category ... yep, she wants to see someone win an Oscar for having sex on camera!!!

Maitland has won seven AVN awards since joining the porn industry in 2019, including Best Leading Actress this year.

"Vanderpump Rules" star Tom Sandoval's cheating scandal is worth six figures to a site pushing adult content ... he's got a live streaming offer on the table, and a possible way to avoid some potential nastiness on his band's upcoming tour.

CamSoda is making an offer they hope Tom and his band can't refuse ... $540,000 to stream 12 concerts live on their site, instead of taking his show on the road and playing in front of an audience.

Tom's Enemy No. 1 in the Bravo realm now that he's destroyed a nearly 10-year relationship with longtime girlfriend and castmate Ariana Madix by cheating on her with fellow 'VR' cast member Raquel Leviss ... and CamSoda thinks Tom's going to catch tons of flak if his band plays before a live crowd, so they're offering him a way out.

Tom's band, the aptly named Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras, is scheduled to play 12 shows across the country from April through June, and CamSoda is trying to convince him to scrap the shows and live steam instead, warning him it may not be safe to play in front of a live audience.

CamSoda's vice president, Daryn Parker, fired off an offer letter to Tom, pitching the $540k live stream deal as a way to save the band from potential "Justice for Ariana" chants and tomato throwing.

In the letter, obtained by TMZ, CamSoda tells Tom, "livestreaming your tour from a safe place would make the most sense" ... and they're offering the band $45k per show to pull the plug on the tour and go virtual.

Of course, CamSoda is still CamSoda, and the adult live streaming porn site adds ... "You can dress in your outfits, show some skin, and even tell your side of the story if you'd like."

Ron Jeremy is unable to make serious legal decisions on his own, so his sister is stepping in, asking a judge to get him a conservator STAT.

Ron’s sister, Susan Billotte, filed a petition — obtained by TMZ — to appoint attorney Ellen Finkelberg as his conservator, requesting Ellen be given authority to make decisions regarding the former porn star’s finances and health care.

The docs state, Ron is “concurrently incarcerated at the Twin Towers-Mens Central Jail. He has been found incompetent to stand trial in a criminal case due to a diagnosis with symptoms of Lewy body dementia and has a pending transfer to a state hospital.”

According to the docs, there is urgency to get a conservator now so Jeremy can get to a “private secured perimeter facility specializing in treatment of dementia.”

In other words, his sister says he’s in desperate need of a conservator but is unable to make the call due to his deteriorating health.

The Weeknd's new HBO show is getting dragged after a report suggested the production is in shambles -- but sources tell TMZ things are actually quite the opposite, and Abel's actually quite pleased.

Production sources for "The Idol" -- which has been a work in progress for nearly 2 years now -- tell TMZ that the Rolling Stone story that came out Wednesday about "Euphoria" creator Sam Levinson's involvement is not a fair representation of how the lead star of the series feels ... which we're told is optimistic and grateful.

Our sources tell us that nobody who talked to RS -- upwards of 13 sources, they claim -- has seen the final product ... despite reports of reshoots involving oversexualized and/or "torture porn" scenes featuring Lily-Rose Depp and Abel, among other cast members.

In other words, we're told to suggest these scenes are going to make it in the final cut is misleading.

Fact is ... we're told Levinson was brought on to replace OG director Amy Seimetz for a reason -- and that he has crafted an adult story with mature elements ... what Abel and show creators had envisioned from the beginning.

Our sources say The Weeknd and others felt the show was not in a good place before SL came aboard to "right the ship" -- which we're told a majority of the cast/crew feel he did with success, despite how edgy some of the material they may have shot has been thus far.

As RS notes in their piece, Levinson completely redid Amy's work ... bringing on new actors -- like Dan Levy, Hank Azaria and Jennie from BLACKPINK -- spliced in a new script with a new angle and employed a more robust shooting schedule too ... which our sources insist have elevated the art and which will make for a better product when it finally hits the service.

There's also a major misconception, we're told, about an alleged notion that Weeknd felt the OG version of "The Idol" was too focused on a female perspective ... which is something that was floated in Rolling Stone. We're told he doesn't feel that way at all -- if anything, the whole show is about a woman who wants to control her own narrative in showbiz.

Another thing ... our sources say the claim that the budget hit close to $80 million is "nowhere near" accurate. In other words, the reshoots weren't that expensive.

As for Lily-Rose, she says ... "Sam is, for so many reasons, the best director I have ever worked with. Never have I felt more supported or respected in a creative space, my input and opinions more valued. Working with Sam is a true collaboration in every way - it matters to him, more than anything, not only what his actors think about the work, but how we feel performing it. He hires people whose work he esteems and has always created an environment in which I felt seen, heard, and appreciated." That backs The Weeknd's view.

HBO themselves have weighed in too, confirming the original direction "The Idol" was going in wasn't up to their standards, and that they're happy with where Levinson's taken it so far.

R. Kelly has just been sentenced in Chicago to 20 years for his federal sex crimes case.

The disgraced singer was in federal court in Illinois Thursday ... 19 of the years will be served concurrent with the sentence he's carrying out now, while the final year will be consecutive.

Prosecutors recommended a 25-year sentence and asked that it be served on top of the time he's already serving behind bars.

As we reported, Kelly was accused of abusing 4 people, 3 being minors, in this case and faced child pornography charges. He was found guilty on 6 of 13 charges, with the jury convicting him on the child pornography counts, but acquitting him on charges of conspiracy and enticement.

U.S. Attorney Jon Lausch at the time said his sentencing could range anywhere from 10-90 years ... but Kelly seemed to catch a small break earlier this year -- even if it won't make a big effect on his time in prison.

Charges against Kelly from Cook County State Attorney Kim Foxx were dropped in January, with Kelly's attorney Jennifer Bonjean telling us Foxx decided to not pursue the case because he's been convicted twice of similar crimes and is already looking at the possibility of a lifetime lockup.

As you know, R. Kelly's currently serving a 30-year sentence for federal racketeering from a conviction in New York.

Maitland Ward from "Boy Meets World" says she's in costar Ben Savage's corner as he makes his run for congress ... even if it might be an uphill battle for him.

We got the actress, who played Rachel on the hit show, in Bev Hills and she had nothing but positive things to say about Ben ... adding he's always been into politics, so his drive for a seat in the House of Representatives makes sense.

She does seem kinda doubtful about him getting a W, though ... admitting it's gonna be a very tough fight. However, she has some killer Cory Matthews-themed campaign ideas to give him a leg up on the competition!

As we reported, Ben filed paperwork this month expressing interest to run for CA's 30th district, which includes parts of Los Angeles and its northern cities.

The filing came after he unsuccessfully ran for West Hollywood City Council back in November.

Maitland, who's famously transitioned into the porn industry, was all for Ben's decision to join that race, but says he might not have had enough brand recognition that time around.

The BBC's broadcast of an important soccer match got super sexual ... audio from what sounds like a pornographic movie started playing ... and now the network's apologizing.

It all happened during the buildup to Tuesday's FA Cup match between Wolves and Liverpool, when BBC broadcaster Gary Lineker was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a woman having an orgasm.

Gary was barely able to contain his laughter as he told the audience, "I wasn't expecting that noise," before asking a reporter at the game a couple questions.

In the moment, Gary openly wondered about the source of the porno audio, saying ... "Somebody's sending something on someone's phone, I think. I don't know whether you heard it at home."

Yes, yes we did, Gary ... we all heard it loud and clear.

During the match, Gary tweeted a photo of a cell phone with some adhesives and captioned the post, "Well, we found this taped to the back of the set. As sabotage goes it was quite amusing."

The BBC is already apologizing "to any viewers offended during the live coverage of the football this evening" ... and a network spokesperson says BBC is investigating.

Ron Jeremy is reportedly unfit to stand trial for dozens of counts of sexual assault -- including  rape -- because prosecutors have found he's suffering from clinical memory loss.

According to the LA Times, the former porn star is believed to have severe dementia ... a diagnosis reached after consultations from medical experts enlisted by both the prosecution and the defense, respectively. The report also says there's no indication he's faking either.

Now that his condition has been confirmed ... the Times says, citing an L.A. County Deputy D.A., that Jeremy will be declared incompetent as early as Jan. 17 -- which essentially stops the proceedings against him, and will likely see him being sent to a state-run hospital.

The D.A. is apparently keeping the door open for future prosecution if RJ shows improvement, but as of now ... there's no sign of that happening any time soon.

Jeremy was hit with a 30-count indictment in 2021 that included allegations from 21 different women -- all claiming he'd forced himself on them in one way or another dating back decades. The alleged victims ranged in age from 15 to 51. He pled not guilty to all of it.

Jeremy's charges represent what some said was a long overdue reckoning in the adult film industry -- where lines could easily be blurred and teeter over into criminal behavior.

San Jose police have made an arrest months after a teenage boy took his life -- this after being extorted for money when he sent a nude photo to someone he thought was a teen girl.

SJPD announced Monday 25-year-old Jonathan Kassi was taken into custody in Los Angeles to face charges of extortion and attempted disorderly conduct ... related to posting a photograph or recording without consent.

The cops are saying Kassi is connected to the death of 17-year-old Ryan Last -- who died by suicide in May when someone he'd been chatting with online demanded he send them $5,000 upon receiving an intimate picture they'd solicited from him or else the pics would go public.

Ryan apparently believed he was communicating with a girl his age -- and when a photo was sent to him that person asked for a similar naked photo in return, which he sent.

Once the fraudster got the photo of Ryan ... he demanded money on the threat of releasing the picture publicly among his friends and family members. Ryan didn't have anywhere near $5,000 but he did pay $150. It was at this point Ryan panicked and died by suicide.

Amid their investigation -- which ended up including the FBI -- law enforcement said they believed this was happening on a larger scale ... where crooks from overseas were tricking young people into sending compromising material, and then extorting them for quick cash.

The San Jose Crimes Against Children Task Force said they were looking into possible ties to a West African financial extortion scheme ... which could also connect to Southeast Asia.

The cops, thus far, have stopped short of explicitly connecting Kassi to any greater criminal enterprise -- but we're sure more info is due to be released as the process plays out. They're saying they suspect Kassi might've victimized other minors as well through multiple profiles.

The same day Kassi was arrested, the FBI and Dept. of Homeland Security issued a PSA about this phenomenon -- saying it was happening all across the country (mostly to boys) and that it had resulted in more than a dozen suicides. Scary stuff, to say the least.

Jesse James' pregnant wife is persona non grata at the couple's former home ... at least according to Jesse, who wants a judge to block her from being allowed inside the residence.

Jesse filed his response to Bonnie Rotten's divorce petition, asking the judge permission to stay in his Austin, TX home and prevent Bonnie from entering ... at least while the divorce proceedings are ongoing.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Jesse is also seeking the exclusive use and possession of any cars and motor vehicles that he owns.

As we've reported, Bonnie filed for divorce from Jesse earlier this week, but called things off just a day later, telling her followers she jumped the gun by putting Jesse on blast for allegedly cheating on her.

Jesse James' wife Bonnie Rotten has changed her mind yet again, this time deciding she wants to file for divorce, only hours after announcing she was going to try to make things work with Jesse.

Bonnie filed for divorce Tuesday in Texas ... just one day after calling off her first filing -- and after she'd moved back in with Jesse.

You'll recall, the mommy-to-be took to Instagram Monday after it was reported she filed to divorce the mechanic. She backtracked on the move ... telling her followers, she jumped the gun by putting Jesse on blast for believing he was cheating on her.

She wrote, "The past week has been a pretty terrible week on all accounts ... I mistakenly posted my private business between my husband and I on social media."

She continued, "I love Jesse so much and was very hurt by what I saw when I went through his phone" ... saying she's working out the marriage "I believe in."

Well, now it seems she's no longer a believer.

Jesse James' wife Bonnie Rotten is apparently willing to give her marriage another shot ... because she's pulling the plug on their divorce just a day after filing.

Bonnie took to social media Monday, putting up a lengthy post about her decision ... saying, "The past week has been a pretty terrible week on all accounts" -- saying she made the mistake of posting her "private business" about Jesse online.

For those unaware, Bonnie's referring to her putting Jesse on blast for believing he was cheating on her -- and soon after, it was reported she filed to divorce the mechanic.

She confirms she did file, but says "the next day I filed a non suit to stop the divorce."

Bonnie continues, "I love Jesse so much and was very hurt by what I saw when I went through his phone" ... saying she's working out the marriage "I believe in."