Unless you’re an established adult performer like James Deen or Sasha Grey, porn actors tend to have fairly brief careers before fading into obscurity. That was the case with Snow Bunni, aka. 24-year-old Justin Washington, an adult performer who shot for Flavaworks, a company that specializes in “blacks barebacking, interracial lovers, [and] Latinos banging hard,” from 2008 to 2010.
Curious about what became of Snow Bunni, the gay porn blog The Luckey Star (NSFW) reached out to him late last year for a “where are they now?” feature. Justin responded with a heartbreaking video update from his hospital bed, where he says he is in his fourth day of treatment for complications related to HIV/AIDS.
In the video, Justin details his promiscuous past and his life leading up to his contracting HIV, which he says has developed into full-blown AIDS.
“I just wanna be the first to say to those young up-and-coming homosexuals that think being gay is one big party and all about having fun: Not everything that looks great is good at all,” he says while fighting back tears. He also urges young gay men to “be cautious and be mindful, because if you don’t take care of yourself you can end up like this.”
Justin has been blogging for the past few months on The Luckey Star, sharing more details about his life prior to and during his time in the porn industry. He was a college student in Arkansas when he started shooting for Flavaworks, traveling to Miami during breaks. He says he contracted HIV at the age of 18 but was not diagnosed until six years later, at which point the virus had already spread. Since then, he seems to have found religion, and is currently managing a restaurant in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
It should be noted that Justin doesn’t mention how he contracted the virus, and his story is by no means representative of the gay porn industry or the adult film industry in general. But his decision to share his story with the world is extremely commendable, and it sheds light on an often-overlooked aspect of the adult industry: What happens to performers after the cameras are turned off.
H/T Queerty | Photo via Justin Washington/Facebook