Digital Social Hour – Episode #1677
Guest: Brittany De La Mora
Title: “I Was a Top P*rn Star… And Completely Empty Inside”
Date: December 11, 2025
Host: Sean Kelly
Episode Overview
In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Sean Kelly sits down with Brittany De La Mora, former adult film star turned faith leader, to discuss her journey from one of the top figures in the adult industry to finding fulfillment outside of fame, money, and external validation. The conversation navigates issues of trauma, personal transformation, the impact of pornography on individuals and society, parenting challenges in the digital age, and her current mission to help others break free from addiction and find purpose.
Key Discussion Points
1. Early Life, Trauma, and Entry into the Adult Industry
- Emotional Roots: Brittany traces her path to the adult industry to childhood emotional and verbal abuse, which left her seeking validation and acceptance desperately ([00:00]–[02:17]).
- First Steps: After an early experience dancing at a strip club at 16, Brittany was drawn by affirmation and financial reward, eventually entering porn at 18.
- “I dealt with a lot of emotional and verbal abuse almost on a daily basis, which left me feeling really rejected…my entire life I was searching for validation and acceptance. And unfortunately I had found that in the adult industry for some time.” – Brittany ([02:17])
- Industry Experience: Brittany spent seven years in adult film, achieving significant fame (top 12 in the world) but says, “it just was never enough. It left me feeling more empty.” ([03:35])
2. The Illusion of Fame and True Emptiness
- Chasing Approval: Despite thousands of followers and mainstream media appearances (Howard Stern, Maxim Magazine), Brittany describes a “never-ending hole” where neither fame nor money satisfied her need for self-worth ([03:35]–[04:10]).
- “If enough people recognize me and praise me and affirm me, then maybe I will learn to somehow love myself. And so I chased after that for many years, but it didn’t matter how much fame I acquired…it was never enough. I continued to just feel more and more empty.” – Brittany ([02:56])
- The Industry’s Dark Side: Conversations with other performers revealed similar backgrounds of trauma, abuse (emotional, sexual, or religious), and rebellion ([04:14]–[05:21]).
3. Parenting, Control, and Relationship
- Controlling Upbringing: Brittany discusses how both she and the host rebelled against controlling parents, emphasizing the importance of influence through relationship rather than control.
- “Peace is an inside job, not an outside job…when your parents are trying to control you, it’s coming from a deep place of fear.” – Brittany ([06:07])
- Discipline vs. Shame: Advocates for discipline rooted in love (discipleship), not punishment that creates shame ([08:04]):
- “I don’t agree in punishment, but I agree with discipline. Discipline is from the root word discipleship…Everything that God does, he does out of love.” – Brittany ([08:08])
- Discipline as Teachable: They explore whether discipline and work ethic come from trauma or can be consciously taught and modeled ([09:31]).
4. Hitting Rock Bottom and Spiritual Awakening
- The Turning Point: Brittany details hitting “rock bottom” due to drug addiction and suicidal thoughts. A profound moment came on a plane while filming, reading her Bible:
- “I just got this deep conviction…[God said] ‘Brittany, I love you so much. This is not the life that I have for you. If you would just quit this business today, I would bless your life like no man ever could.’” – Brittany ([12:07])
- Divine Intervention: She describes two instances where she believes God spoke to her, once preventing her suicide attempt.
- Hope Restored: Experiencing divine love gave Brittany the hope and courage to leave the industry for good ([14:07]).
5. The Impact of Culture, Media, and Social Media
- Charlie Kirk’s Assassination: The conversation turns to recent tragedy, reflecting on societal darkness and the “offended generation.” Brittany and Sean note the horrifying normalization of violence and the demonic nature of celebrating a tragedy ([16:40]–[19:13]).
- Parental Responsibility: They discuss heightened vigilance needed in modern parenting over social media exposure ([19:32]):
- “Kids are on this…I mean, this is what children are being…exposed to porn from social media.” – Brittany ([20:27])
- AI & Explicit Content: Explains how explicit material (even AI-generated) is easily accessible to children, and describes how OnlyFans creators skirt moderation with shocking tactics ([20:26]).
6. Porn, Addiction, and Long-term Effects
- Early Exposure: Host Sean recounts stumbling upon porn at 15, like most teens, and notes mounting mental health issues and social disconnection among youth ([24:15]).
- Porn as a Drug: Brittany likens pornography addiction to substance addiction:
- “It releases the same amount of dopamine as doing a line of cocaine. So it really is a new drug.” – Brittany ([25:32])
- Destructive Cycles: They address how compulsive consumption (sometimes 13 hours daily) mimics withdrawal patterns of chemical dependency ([26:27]).
7. Systemic Issues and Advocacy
- Predatory Content: Brittany shares how porn often normalizes pedophilia and recounts stopping certain scenes even before having strong convictions, asserting, “this is encouraging pedophilia” ([22:46]).
- Legal Reform: Supports raising the legal age for entering porn to at least 21, given neurodevelopment continues until 26 ([29:11]):
- “If you have to be 21 to drink alcohol …you can get into porn at 18? You’re so impressionable at that age, even at 21, but 18?!” – Brittany ([29:28])
- Regret and Exploitation: The majority of performers she knows regret their decision; she is actively working to have videos taken down and supports others seeking removal ([28:42]).
8. Redemption, Mission Work, and Hope
- Current Work: Brittany now leads Love Always Ministries and Jesus Loves Porn Stars, dedicated to helping people break porn addiction and find faith. She offers Bibles and support to both creators and consumers at industry expos.
- “I’m going into porn shows. I’m going to hand out thousands of Bibles…have conversations…about Jesus.” – Brittany ([33:20])
- Witnessing Transformation: Shares stories of changing hearts even at AVN conventions and the hope for more compassionate outreach ([33:25]).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Emptiness Despite Success:
“It didn’t matter how much, you know, fame I acquired…it was never enough. I continued to just feel more and more empty.” – Brittany, [03:35] -
On the Roots of Rebellion:
“When you feel like you’re being belittled by your parents, then you want to rebel against them because you’re hurt by them.” – Brittany, [05:27] -
On Leaving the Adult Industry:
“He [God] gave me hope that day. And that was something that I didn’t have. I didn’t have hope.” – Brittany, [13:45] -
On the Dangers of Social Media:
“I would never let my kids on social media…The things that kids are being exposed to – they’re being exposed to porn from social media.” – Brittany, [19:43], [20:27] -
On Porn Addiction:
“Pornography is a drug. That’s why there are so many addicts…They will spend 13 hours a day sometimes just watching pornography because they’re chasing that dopamine.” – Brittany, [25:41], [26:27] -
Advice from Her Husband:
“If you don’t like what you’re attracting, change what you’re promoting.” – Brittany relaying her husband’s advice that motivated her to wipe her old social profiles, [27:54] -
On Regret in the Industry:
“I think that those are girls that are also trying to push the limits of how much attention can I gain from sleeping with a thousand guys or a hundred guys…They don’t know their value, they don’t know their worth.” – Brittany, [30:02]
Timestamps of Important Segments
- 00:00 – 02:17 – Brittany’s childhood, emotional abuse, and desperate search for validation
- 03:35 – 04:10 – Achieving industry success; emptiness at the top
- 04:14 – 05:21 – Abuse, broken homes, and rebellion as root causes for many in the industry
- 06:41 – 09:16 – Parenting, discipline, and shame vs. conviction
- 12:07 – 14:31 – Spiritual awakening; the moment Brittany decided to leave the industry
- 19:32 – 21:46 – Influence of social media, explicit content, and parental vigilance
- 22:46 – 26:27 – AI porn, OnlyFans, encouragement of pedophilia, and pornography’s addictive qualities
- 27:41 – 29:03 – Social media, motivations for validation, and industry regrets
- 30:02 – 31:53 – Recent examples, public figures, and the impacts on future relationships and family
- 33:20 – 34:10 – Brittany’s current ministries and intervention work
Conclusion & Takeaways
Brittany De La Mora’s candid exploration of her journey from the heights of porn stardom to a life anchored in faith and service offers a rare and unfiltered look into the realities behind the adult industry, the psychological patterns of addiction and validation-seeking, and the redemptive power of hope and spiritual purpose. Listeners are encouraged to consider the deep-seated causes and societal influences behind such choices and the ways we can better support those struggling with similar battles—while also reflecting on the impact of parenting, online culture, and personal transformation.
For more on Brittany's work: