Normally, a well-known public figure issuing a heartfelt plea to preserve something that was precious to them growing up would be the kind of thing to get people inspired. But what happens when that public figure turns out to be under investigation for sexual assault — and when their behavior has already made them persona non grata in parts of their industry?
That’s about where things stand right now with porn actor Ron Jeremy. Jeremy has been in the news recently for attempting to preserve a tree planted by his father in his Queens neighborhood on the day he was born. There’s nothing objectionable there, really — but taken in the larger context of Jeremy’s life right now, he becomes a far less sympathetic figure regardless of childhood mementoes.
At The Daily Beast, Marlow Stern reports that Jeremy is currently being investigated by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office for multiple instances of sexual assault.
Stern notes that the adult film industry has been, on the whole, less responsive to the #MeToo movement than its mainstream counterpart. A number of high-profile figures who have been accused of sexual assault and other acts of violence have continued their careers with little fallout.
Reports of Jeremy engaging in troubling behavior are nothing new. In 2018, he was banned from the AVN Awards after reporting from The Daily Beast and Rolling Stone unearthed a number of accusations of sexual assault against him. Stern notes that Jeremy made a public statement at the time that didn’t exactly sound like a plea of innocence. “If you were going to be around Ron Jeremy, wouldn’t you assume that I’d be a little bit touchy feely?” he said. “Yes. This is what I do for a living.”
Plenty of people in the adult film world have managed to earn a living there without being creepy or harming others. Whether Jeremy’s tree-saving efforts are sincere or a calculated distraction, there’s a wider context to consider here.
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