According to Industry Week, the porn business has been around since biblical times. In the U.S., 13 percent of households operate a small family business, which begs the question: How many of those are X-rated?
Among some of the more prominently known porn couples finding a harmonious balance between their work and their private lives are Wankus, KSEX radio program director, and adult actress Tyler Faith, who have been in a committed relationship for more than a year.
Forming their own company last year, Team Tyler recently released its first movie, "Unfaithful Secrets." Faith starred; Wankus wrote and directed. Faith does a sex scene for the movie with Tommy Gunn. She distanced herself during the filming, and tried to remain professional and listen to the director, Wankus, even if she couldn't look him in the eye. Wankus doesn't love Tyler having sex with other people, but he realizes that it's a part of the business that they do together. While the sex scenes are the tough part, the other aspects of working together are fun. Faith says, "Wankus is super creative, and I am not creative at all. So when it comes to writing the movie, or his vision for what the movie should be, that's his baby. And then I know what I want to see in the sex scenes and I know what I want the girls to wear and how I want the set. So we really work well together."
The couple also shares the money decisions, and so far there haven't been any big fights. Faith laughingly adds: "Of course we haven't made a lot of money yet. Maybe when we start making millions, we'll see."
Nicki Hunter and her husband, Jason Hourne, both work as talent, but they also work a lot behind the scenes at a studio they own. They don't have money problems because Hunter takes care of the finances.
"I am really, really cheap!" she says, "I am a penny-pincher. I use my money for entrepreneurial ideas. I own Xotic Studios, and I am trying to direct for myself. I have my own production company called Xotic Entertainment. I just bought a house; I saved up to buy the studio. I don't go out and buy the newest car. I have a little Hyundai."
At their studio, Hunter often helps the director with behind the scenes, and Hourne is a cameraman and editor.
Married couple Tera Patrick and Evan Seinfeld (aka Spyder Jones) operate several businesses together. Seinfeld changed his career from TV actor ("Oz") and singer (Biohazard) to partner with Patrick on their movie company, Teravision, which along with Vivid, put out the best-selling "Tera, Tera, Tera." Additionally, the couple's threemonth- old - but already successful - talent agency has signed 22 female performers. Seinfeld also stars in movies as Patrick's on-camera partner.
Long-Time Relationship
Felicia Fox and Tim Case have been involved for 11 years now, a long-term relationship by normal standards and amazingly long by porn standards. They treat Fox's movie and dance career like their business. Case handles the press releases, fan clubs, bookings, scheduling and driving the long distance from their home in Ohio to their movie gigs in Los Angeles and to feature dancing appearances all over the country. Case also has no problem carrying Felicia's suitcases and laughs at the term "Suitcase Pimp," hence his stage name Tim "Case." Fox's duties include doing the sex scenes and dancing her butt off at the clubs. Fox and Case love being together 24/7, Case says.
"We enjoy that aspect of what we do more than just about anything," she says. "It's great being able to live and work together every day. The times when we're not actually working, finding fun stuff to do on the road as a couple is the best."
Of course one of the most profitable and successful adult companies in the U.S., just happens to be run by the most famous porn starlet and her husband. Jenna Jameson and Jay Grdina have so many new projects going on; it's amazing that they can keep track of them. Grdina oversees all of websites run by ClubJenna, they currently have video games and toys on the market with many more to come. Also, Jenna stars in a few big-budget movies a year, has signed five contract girls, and she makes numerous appearances at conventions and clubs across the country.
Derek Hay (aka Ben English) owns LA Direct Models. He is known for getting his girls to their assignments happy, healthy and on time. For a short time he was assisted by his girlfriend, Brooke Haven. Haven says: "I don't get special treatment. When I talk to Derek during the day, it's all business. I worked in the office for the first two months we started dating. We were living together at that time too, so [we were together] at work, at shoots, at home. It was too hard; I don't work in the office anymore. I moved out and got my own place. Our relationship is 100 percent better now. Derek books my shoots, and we sometimes do scenes together."
Mari Possa and Seymore Butts (aka Adam Glasser) became a couple right before the premiere of the hit Showtime program "Family Business." Mari was Butts' assistant, then one of his tushy girls and is now his main squeeze. Unlike all of the other couples, Possa and Butts started out in a business relationship and ended up in a personal one. They star together and separately in their movies, and run the behind-the-scenes activity along with Butts' mom and his uncle Stevie.
According to Business Week, there are currently 3 million successful family-run operations in the U.S. So whether you are building a Buddhist temple or building a porn empire, family businesses are here to stay.
