When I calmed down from the initial shock, I realized that Jessica was not just in porn—”Lexi Belle” was a massive star. She was a multi-time AVN award winner and listed by CNBC as one of the top 12 porn stars in adult entertainment. She had starred in hundreds of movies, and started working when she was only 18, so many of her films were her first sexual experiences. I’m progressive enough to understand that porn stars are normal human beings and making a conscious decision to partake in a profession I regularly enjoy, but all I could see was the 8-year-old child that meant so much to me.

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I cast zero shame on her, and I’m even weirdly proud that she’s been able to successfully survive in that aggressive business for almost a decade, but it’s just not what I would’ve picked for my beloved baby-faced cousin to do for a living. I once told Jessica that and she quickly replied, “I wouldn’t have picked it either.”