With her fiery red hair and a laugh that practically hugs you, Lainie Speiser is impossible to miss. Having repped some of adult’s biggest stars during her 30-plus years in the business, the veteran publicist is also a treasure trove of tales dating back to the days when print was king and social media not even a glimmer in the industry’s eye.
“I started in this business when you had to communicate by fax machine,” Speiser laughs.
I don’t sell people some fantasy of overnight success. If you work with me, I’ll help you find the right angle, the right audience, the right strategy.
She got her start in publishing by writing jacket copy for Pocket Books, before moving into magazine work. Soon, her love for pop culture, her knack for working with big personalities and her blunt honesty led her into the world of adult publicity — first at Genesis magazine, then eventually as the publicist for Penthouse Media Group.
“When I was at Penthouse, I was doing a lot of heavy-duty publicity — real PR,” she recalls. “We were putting girls on ‘Howard Stern’ and booking them on ‘The O’Reilly Factor,’ making real headlines. I loved that work.”
Speiser’s name quickly became a staple in adult media circles — and not just behind the curtain. Her relationships with performers were personal, built on respect and mutual hustle. Over time, she became more than just a publicist. She was a confidante, a creative collaborator and, for many, a trusted consigliere.
“I think I’m pretty easy to work with because I get it,” she says. “I understand how talent thinks, and I understand the press. So I’m in the middle, translating both sides.”
‘Like a bull in a china shop’
Speiser’s PR journey began in New York City in the early 1990s. After graduating from the School of Visual Arts with a degree in journalism, she briefly worked for an art book publisher — but quickly discovered she wasn’t cut out for traditional editorial life.
“My personality was not ‘editorial’ at all,” she says. “Apparently editorial people are a lot more quiet, and I would come in like a bull in a china shop in some of these jobs. I always had a big mouth — but I kept writing. I graduated college in June and by February of the following year, I started my porn career.”
In the pre-LinkedIn days, Speiser hunted for jobs the old-school way: sending out resumes, scanning the classified ads in The New York Times and courting headhunters. Eventually she landed an interview at Gallery magazine — a men’s sophisticate to which her then-boyfriend just happened to subscribe.
“It’s funny because I graduated with amazing people who ended up working at The New York Times, Comedy Central and Rolling Stone — meanwhile, I’m the one that got the job in porn,” she jokes.
Gallery, she explains, was something like Playboy and Penthouse — but with a more approachable “heartland” vibe.
“I got a job as assistant to the head of promotions and we just basically promoted the ‘Girl Next Door of the Month’ and the magazine,” she says. “I started out doing menial-ass labor — rolling posters and making cold calls — but media pitching was also a big part of it. That’s when I started meeting porn stars and learning a lot more about what it is to be in porn.”
Understanding the Moment
Over the years, Speiser has repped a wildly diverse mix of personalities: adult stars, comedians, viral sensations and even political lightning rods like Roger Stone.
Speiser remembers Stone getting arrested while she was attending an adult industry trade show.
“I woke up to a stream of messages and phone calls so I couldn’t leave my hotel room for most of the day,” she says, throwing up her hands. “I think I went on the show floor twice during that entire weekend. Sometimes you’ve got to drop everything and just pay attention to the client.”
Then there was performer Kendra Sunderland, one of Speiser’s most media-savvy clients.
“She was great, I helped get her a ton of press,” Speiser says. “We did ‘Howard Stern,’ we got mainstream articles — she really ran with it. That’s someone who understood the moment.
“Did I help?” she reflects. “Sure. But at the end of the day, it really is up to the talent to make or break their own career. She didn’t just stay in that ‘Library Girl’ thing. It would’ve died down very easily. But she just kept changing and she kept growing. She never got bigheaded about herself.”
Fighting for Space
Speiser’s no-BS style — grounded, energetic and refreshingly unfiltered — is part of what keeps her clients coming back.
The other part is her capacity for handling the decidedly unglamorous chores that occupy a PR person’s days: calls and emails, fielding crises, pitching stories, coordinating interviews and pushing to get her clients the visibility they deserve — even in spaces that still hesitate to platform adult talent.
“You’ve got to fight for space,” she says. “Especially now, with mainstream press being tighter and social media platforms changing the rules every week.”
Speiser’s secret weapon? She genuinely likes the people she works with.
“I have a real fondness for performers,” she says. “They’re smart, they’re creative — and they’re funny. You have to have a sense of humor in this business, or it’ll break you.”
That fondness comes with a protective streak as well.
“If you’re cool with me, I’m cool with you,” she says. “But if you’re mean to me or my people, forget it. I don’t have time for that.”
Some clients, she notes, need more hand-holding than others. She’s happy to guide them, but she’s also learned to draw the line when necessary.
“You have to set boundaries without being a jerk about it,” she explains. “Your actions speak more than your words. So if you don’t pick up the phone at 10 p.m., they know you’re not picking up the phone at 10 p.m. If you pick up the phone at all hours, they know that’s cool and they’ll keep calling.”
Of course, she makes exceptions for emergencies.
“If it’s a crisis, like a national headline situation, I’m there,” she affirms. “But part of being good at this job is knowing when to step in and when to hold back.”
Even when managing big moments, Speiser makes sure to keep her feet on the ground.
“Sometimes it’s not about one big hit,” she says. “I don’t sell people some fantasy of overnight success. If you work with me, I’ll help you find the right angle, the right audience, the right strategy. But you’ve got to put in the work. It’s about consistently showing up, building your presence and treating people right.”
Following the Energy
Speiser works hard, but she also knows how to unplug and take a breather.
“When I take the subway to a meeting, that’s my time,” she says. “I bring a hardcover book and just lose myself, so I can just be Lainie before I have to be ‘on’ again.”
On her days off, she likes to walk around New York with her husband, ducking into pubs for pints and snacks along the way. She’s also a movie buff, especially when it comes to the quirky and unexpected.
“I like indie films, foreign films,” she shares. “I miss the smaller theaters — we lost so many of them during the pandemic.”
Her YouTube algorithm? A mixed bag.
“It’s all true crime, food videos, and travel content,” she laughs. “Nothing porn-related.”
As for what’s next, Speiser says she’s following the energy.
“I want to do more live stuff,” she says. “I’ve been talking to comedy clubs in New York about doing shows featuring my clients — including one for trans performer Athena, who’s been doing a talk-show format for her OnlyFans.”
One of her most unexpected recent gigs involved booking reality star-turned-adult performer Farrah Abraham for stand-up shows.
“It kind of came out of nowhere,” she says. “But she’s cool, professional and really open to trying new things. That’s the kind of energy I love.”
Does she ever think about slowing down?
“I probably should,” she admits. “But I love it. I really do. It’s never the same day twice, and I get to help people tell their stories.”
As a PR person, Speiser is used to working her magic from behind the scenes rather than chasing the spotlight. After three decades, however, her rep often precedes her.
“I’ve been around long enough that people know who I am,” she shrugs. “But I’d rather the focus be on my clients. That’s always the goal.”
Each month, XBIZ spotlights the career accomplishments and outstanding contributions of Women in Adult. WIA profiles offer an intimate look at the professional lives of the industry’s most influential businesswomen.
