LOS ANGELES—A joint statement has been issued on behalf of director Just Dave, performer Rico Strong and production assistant Tofu challenging accusations made by performers Leigh Raven and Nikki Hearts on social media and in a March 9 YouTube video regarding a shoot three days prior in which Raven performed.
The shoot in question was a race play themed boy/girl scene for a company identified as Exploit It All Media, Inc., in which Raven served as a last-minute replacement for an unknown female performer who canceled to work opposite Strong, with Dave directing. Tofu also acted in a non-sex role in the scene. In the YouTube video, Raven and Hearts claimed that during the shoot, Raven was subjected to what the video notes described as "violent acts of sexual assault."
According to Raven, she filed a police report March 7 leveling her accusations about the shoot, however no formal charges have yet been made.
Unabridged "raw footage" from the shoot has been released to correspond with the statement from Dave, Strong and Tofu. That footage can be viewed here.
Raven provided AVN her own response to the joint statement, which can be found immediately below it.
Following is the full statement from Dave, et al:
Picture if you will, the following scenario:
You’re an independent contractor in a competitive industry that has been financially battered for more than a decade. You create a legal product, but one which, historically, has left you maligned and shunned by sectors of the population. You have enemies you have never met that want to put you out of business or behind bars. Nonetheless, through diligent hard work, by virtue of your reputation, and with the collaboration of similarly-situated individuals, you eke out a living for yourself and your family.
You have a constructive day at work. Despite a glitch early on, where a contractor didn’t show up, a replacement is found and everyone pulls together as a team to create a commercially-viable product. In fact, everyone is still smiling, laughing and embracing as they leave the workplace to return home to their families. It was a good day.
Then, a couple of mornings later, you wake up to find that one member of the group has changed her mind about what transpired on the job. Her significant other has placed her in front of a video camera, and together the two of them make shocking and potentially career-killing false claims about you, personally, as well as the events that transpired at work.
Now imagine a social media frenzy that creates a snowballing effect in which anyone who’s ever held a grudge against you jumps into the fray.
To defend yourself would be seen as proof that you are indeed a misogynistic bully. You have no choice but to watch your good name trashed while you sit sidelined, wearing boots of clay.
We, the production crew and male performer who worked on a consensual “rough sex”/race play video shoot featuring adult performer Leigh Raven, don’t have to imagine this scenario; we are living it.
On March 9, 2018, we were stunned and, frankly, devastated to find that a performer named Nikki Hearts had posted on her YouTube channel a video she made of herself and her wife Leigh Raven. In this false and defamatory video, they claim that Raven had been “abused” and “assaulted” by us.
(A third performer, Riley Nixon, appears in the video making assertions about a different shoot months earlier, but that is a topic for another day.)
Hearts’ video, which is still posted on YouTube and currently has over 133,000 views, carries the following description:
Trigger warning, this video describes violent acts of sexual assault. Porn Performers, Leigh Raven & Riley Nixon open up about their assault experiences endured while working for director, Just Dave; for sites believed to be linked to Facial Abuse. Nikki Hearts, wife of Leigh, describes her perspective on the abuse.
These accusations are extremely dismaying and defamatory, however we were immediately struck by three facets of the video:
1) Neither the attached video description (presumably written by Hearts) nor Raven’s account correspond to the actual documented events of that day. Nor does the sensationalistic description match up with Raven’s claims in the video. Instead, the video shows the couple ticking off a checklist of sociopolitical catchphrases about male violence, intimidation and oppression vitiating a woman’s consent;
2) Raven is coached by Nikki Hearts throughout her “testimonial” (Raven claims on camera that Hearts was interjecting to help her remember things); and,
3) having Hearts coach, interject, and later turn the focus on herself to talk about an incident where she was not present is odd to say the least.
Director Just Dave, male performer Rico Strong, and production assistant Tofu are all horrified by, and absolutely deny, each and every accusation or implication of assault, sexual assault, deception, bullying, and consent violations made in the video, its description, and elsewhere online by Hearts and Raven.
Leigh Raven was fully informed of the requirements of the scene, repeatedly gave knowing, affirmative consent, and was not coerced or intimidated in any way by any of us either before, during, or after that March 6 shoot.
As a matter of course, we turn away models who express unease with any element of a scene for which they have been booked. It is for this reason we take great pains to fully and accurately explain the requirements of the shoot.
This is because a performer who is unhappy, ill at ease, and just doing it for the paycheck would be suffering unnecessarily, and would not provide the level of performance required to create a commercial scene. It’s simply not worth it for anyone involved.
We state unequivocally that there was no abuse and there was no assault, and today we have released the so-called “behind-the-scenes” footage of the entire episode to demonstrate these points.
The video is completely unedited; the only modifications that have been made are: a mosaic video effect to blur out details contained on the performers’ personal identification documents, and a “bleeping” of all audio where a performer’s identity or private details were spoken aloud.
What really happened
On March 6, the scheduled female talent for a shoot at Just Dave’s studio flaked on us. The male talent booked for the scene, 14-year veteran performer Rico Strong had driven in from Las Vegas for the shoot, and, seeking to salvage the day, offered to contact a young female performer he had met a few weeks earlier, Leigh Raven.
After they met, Strong, Raven and her wife Nikki Hearts fast became what he calls “flirty friends”. The three had “hung out” together not long before the shoot — in Hollywood at a room in the Roosevelt Hotel paid for by one of Hearts’ clients — and Hearts had acknowledged having a “crush” on Strong.
Although we had previously passed on Raven, and the scenario to be filmed that day had been conceived for a performer with a different look, based on Strong’s recommendation he was given permission to contact Raven as a possible substitute.
Strong reached out to Leigh Raven at around 1:30 pm to check her interest and availability. She was interested, so he then called to explain that it was a “rough sex” / “race play” scene, and described the scenario in detail.
There was no bait-and-switch as has been alleged; Strong did not tell her that the shoot was for Facial Abuse because in fact it wasn’t — the scene was created for a different website not yet online. In any case, Facial Abuse does not produce interracial “black on white” race play scenes, so the point is moot.
After Raven accepted the gig, Just Dave’s production assistant Tofu called her and again described the scene, clearly identifying it as a race play scene. Much of the content Dave and Tofu produce parodies social issues, and this scene was no different. Raven explained that she did not want to spew racial epithets on camera, and we explained that this would not be a problem. Many female performers shy away from such scenes, for fear of being painted as racist on social media by people who don’t fully grasp the difference between play-acting and reality.
This is a theme that, unfortunately, re-emerges in this saga.
Once Raven arrived on set just before 6:00 pm, Just Dave described the requirements of scene to her for a third time, and — with a camera rolling — obtained Raven’s knowing, affirmative consent. The video shows Tofu and Just Dave painstakingly determining Raven’s ‘do’s and don’ts’ and explaining that the procedure for having filming stop whenever Raven felt uncomfortable for any reason was merely to say “stop”, “don’t” or “cut”. This is a point that the director emphasizes to Leigh.
Raven and Strong performed the scene, and per Just Dave’s protocol, a stationary secondary camera captured every moment, even when Dave had called ‘cut’. Contrary to Raven’s contention in her wife’s YouTube video, this procedure is not all that unusual.
As the video clearly shows, at no time did Raven ever complain of inappropriate behavior, ask for the scene to stop or the cameras to cut despite having been invited to do so should any problem arise.
The video also illustrates the effort Just Dave makes to maintain physical distance from the performers. He never touches them — he doesn’t even hand them lubricant. In essence, Tofu is placed between Dave and the performers so there is never a misunderstanding or a question about inappropriate touching.
Later that evening, Hearts arrived at the studio, and sat in her car outside for an estimated 20 to 30 minutes, waiting for the scene to wrap, the performers to wash up, the routine exit interviews to be filmed, and Raven to be issued her paycheck.
It was only after Raven learned that Hearts had arrived and was waiting outside that she became slightly agitated and “antsy”.
Raven was paid the agreed-upon $900 fee, and because she had booked the scene without the aid of a talent agent, she was given an additional $100, representing the “agent’s fee” that he did not have to pay to a talent representative.
After Raven signed her paperwork and received her paycheck, Rico carried her bags out to Hearts’ car. They all hugged, chatted and kissed goodbye.
Consistent with Hearts’ stated crush on Strong, before she and Raven drove off she gave him a gift of Gummy Worm candies that she had purchased for him.
Raven then deposited her paycheck and never attempted to contact anyone associated with the shoot to express distress, displeasure or dissatisfaction of any kind.
However, something happened after the fact that led Nikki Hearts to put Raven, and for some reason, herself, on video to attack and defame us so viciously.
Why
Hearts’ YouTube video is filled with inaccuracies and misrepresentations. These misstatements of fact all lean toward portraying our film set as a dangerous, oppressive environment from which Raven felt she needed to “escape”. Rico, who stands five-foot-nine, is described as a six-foot hulk. Just Dave is portrayed an aggressive and irritated dictator who needs to be appeased, and so on.
The women have said they were not motivated by money or attention to make these charges. However, most people who make public accusations are willing to repeat them to, and withstand scrutiny from, interviewers. Hearts has tweeted that she’s not interested in being contacted unless you want to pay her, or you’re celebrity attorney Gloria Allred (famous for her coordinated media events).
We suspect a dark motive for several reasons.
These women have gone out of their way to blur the difference between the portrayal of abuse and actual abuse; of race play and racism; of consensual rough sex and criminal interpersonal violence. They have referred to a film set where a scene that portrays abuse was filmed as an “abusive film set.”
These two women are sexual performers experienced in fetish and rough play. They know better.
In addition, by (incorrectly) linking the shoot to the controversial website FacialAbuse.com, they made a transparent attempt to hit an easy, high-profile target.
And let us not forget that public accusations like these do not simply represent an airing of “dirty laundry”; they provide ammunition for those that would say pornography and the people who produce it are savage and immoral “patriarchal” oppressors.
There is a high price attached to a Trial by Twitter. Just Dave’s shoots have ground to a standstill, and Rico hasn’t worked in more than a month. A leading talent agency’s response to the accusations was to ban both from ever working with its roster.
As we have seen, public accusations are not always what they seem.
Less than a week after Hearts and Raven posted their YouTube video, another starlet, Ana Rose, accused the Exploited College Girls website and its male talent of disregarding her boundaries, “preying” upon her naiveté, and placing her in a situation where she “feared” that would happen if she did not go along with what they demanded of her.
Rose too found widespread support on social media and in the adult press, and some of her supporters exaggerated her complaints to make their own extremely serious and entirely unsupported allegations of misconduct. And then, last week, Rose acknowledged, through her attorney that “the dispute arose from miscommunication, misunderstanding and a failure to completely and fully communicate,” and that there was “at least some mutual fault.”
Rose and the producers announced they had reached “a private, mutually satisfactory” settlement.
Did Raven and Hearts concoct these lies for ‘likes’ and ‘retweets’? Or for some reason about which we dare not speculate?
* * * *
The video evidence
The falsehoods and contradictions in Hearts’ YouTube video are so numerous, reference to them must necessarily be summary.
Leigh claims that having a camera hanging in the corner of the room was “bizarre for a porn set.” In fact it is not, and the fear of false accusations is the reason many producers feel that they must take such precautions.
She claims that after having difficulty vomiting for camera, “the men” present were “irritated”, and an “aggravated” Just Dave had someone “throw” her a bag of apples, saying, “Well, I hope you like apples.” She claims she felt “afraid” and that she then began quietly eating apples, “covered in saliva [and] snot . . . sitting on the edge of the couch wanting this to really be over.”
This scenario is a complete fabrication.
Raven can be seen holding, and happily eating, an apple beginning at 04:50 on the tape, during the section of the tape where the performers show each other their STI/HIV testing clearance and discuss their ‘do’s and don’ts’. That was more than 23 minutes before Rico even stepped into frame during the filming of the sex scene.
Raven also complains that the face slap that opens the scene was too aggressive, “very painful”, made her “see stars” and “stunned” her. However, the video shows, at 28:26, that her reaction to the slap was a long hearty laugh. Not for one instant does she behave “stunned”. She expresses no displeasure or discomfort, physically, verbally, or in any other way. Instead, she repositions herself on her knees before him to start the scene.
The first bit of vomit comes at 1:19:57, with no further apple intake required, or demanded.
Similarly, she neither registers nor expresses any discomfort with the over-the-top race play dialogue at any time. To the contrary, after the first cut, Strong dons Raven’s persona and jokes about leaving because the scene is “real aggressive” and “not what I signed up for.” Raven’s response is another robust laugh at his suggestion.
Hearts’ YouTube video seemingly anticipates and seeks to preemptively dismiss all argument to the contrary by asserting that Raven was too cowed and intimidated by the angry “irritated” men on set to speak up, and thus went along with their demands. But the video shows that none of the production crew ever appear angry, threatening or less than professional in their interactions with Raven.
In light of the many misstatements and misrepresentations in Raven’s account, this explanation of why she never objected, never called cut, and instead laughed and joked with the crew, is far too convenient.
Not only does Raven never treat Strong with any coolness or animus in the video, she behaves tenderly towards him throughout, dropping character in between cuts to make out with him, lick his nipple, caress him, perform fellatio, and otherwise help him achieve erection.
In Hearts’ YouTube video, Raven categorizes the scene as “a very very very rough blowjob.”
No one who’s ever watched rough sex scenes would consider the March 6 scene among the roughest scenes out there. Not even close.
By way of example, readers are invited to compare the sex captured in the behind-the-scenes video with the scene Raven filmed in January (for the as-yet-unlaunched NikkiAndLeigh.com) entitled Hooked: The Blowbang of Leigh Raven (the scene she mentions during the pre-interview, in which she was hung upside-down from hooks in her knees for 45 minutes while performing a “blowbang”.)
Mentioning the scene on Twitter, Raven enthused: “I popped all blood vessels in my face & have blood covering the whites of my eyes, but it was all so worth it.”
In our considered opinion, the trailer for that scene (available here) is harder than the entire scene she filmed with us on March 6.
* * * * *
Raven’s wife, Nikki Hearts, has led the charge against us on social media, and one of the most troubling aspects of this incident is that Ms. Hearts has expressed the view that the actual video evidence should be ignored in favor of her and Raven’s construction of the incident made after the fact.
The professionalism with which the production staff lead both performers through the various consent protocols on display in the video was only a facade, according to this narrative.
Referencing the unedited “behind-the-scenes” video recording of the entire March 6 shoot, Hearts wrote:
“My wife would never ‘cry rape’ & has a great reputation in this industry. Any reputable company/Director will know/see that.”
Since Hearts raises the issue of reputation, allow us to state that we have never had a criminal investigation into any of our shoots. Just Dave has been shooting for 15 years, and Rico has been performing for 14 years. Tofu has worked with dave for over three years. Between us, we have worked with pretty much everyone in this business at one time or another.
Hearts also claims that Raven’s positive deportment shown in the behind-the-scenes video — smiling and laughing between set-ups, etc… — Hearts wrote, was actually evidence of Raven using a “survival technique” to “GET OUT OF THERE.”
Our response to this all-too convenient claim is to ask: if behaving as though one consents, having a positive, cheerful demeanor, and refusing to take a director up on his offer to call for a ”cut” in the action if a boundary is overstepped, constitutes behavior that is not to be trusted or believed, then how could anyone on the set have known that she was (allegedly) distraught or experiencing intolerable discomfort?
And moreover, we ask: by the standard Hearts and Raven propose, what behavior would EVER constitute proof of “real” consent? What Hearts and Raven propound doesn’t merely attempt to rescind or invalidate consent, it un-defines consent as a concept.
Furthermore, the notion that the value of hard evidence should be subject to the sole interpretation of an alleged victim who has no evidence but his or her word is also an insidious concept.
A post published on Raven’s Twitter account on March 12 suggests that 1) anyone who knows Raven, or 2) anyone who’s ever seen finished content published by “the company”, [incorrectly referring to Facial Abuse], would “know” that she is not a liar. The former claim is a logical fallacy, and the latter is something worse, with dark implications; it is an assertion that porn content reliably captures and represents the reality of a given situation.
This is both false and diabolical. Rico Strong cites the example of Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in Django Unchained: should viewers of Quentin Tarantino’s film truly believe that Mr. DiCaprio is actually a sadistic racist because portrayed one so convincingly?
Whilst we’re pleased that Raven and Hearts’ video has also triggered a wave of mature discussion of boundaries in adult production, we hope that the conversation will not end there. What also needs exploration is the devising of fair methods for handling such claims that lead to fair and just results without the charade of an online warlock hunt.
Accusers and their followers, and the public at large, must understand that one-sided Twitter trials tend to lead to results not in line with the principles of fairness, due process and the dispassionate administration of justice. An online mob out for vigilante justice does not advance the causes of sex worker rights or fair treatment for sexual minorities.
We are certain viewers of the full March 6 video will reject Hearts’ and Raven’s fictionalized narrative, and that is why we have made the recording available today.
Finally, it’s our sincere hope that after watching the complete video, everyone familiar with this outrageous story will apprehend the all-too-real fear and dread shared by all adult content creators. False and defamatory accusations, even completely outlandish ones against long-time producers or directors offered with no hard evidence, can have devastating consequences. The potential of false charges to destroy hard-earned careers based on an accusation alone — on words — is very real indeed. To every adult producer we warn, ‘this could happen to you.’
Below, Raven's response to the preceding statement:
How I ended up in this mess:
I received a phone call at 1:30 pm on the day of March 6th 2018. I did not answer because I was buying a couch. I received this text following the missed call:
I called Rico back at 1:40 pm. He told me he had been canceled on and needed a replacement for the shoot. I asked several questions… “Who is this for?, You guys okay with my BG rate of $1000? He passed the phone to the “producer” Tofu De le Moore because he would give me all the information. I spoke with Tofu asking what company I would be shooting for and he could not truly answer my question.
A “new project” I was told, But being that I met Rico a few weeks prior and befriended him, I trusted the shoot would go smoothly. Both Rico and Tofu explained to me there would be LIGHT race play and they “parody social and political issues” in their scenes. I immediately told them I would NOT say ANYTHING racist including the “N” word, or any word that refers to Ricos skin tone. I don’t participate in these types of scenes because IT IS WRONG, not because of how it is viewed on social media. Both Rico and Tofu explained this was okay because it was “light” race play directed at ME. Rico telling me he, “might just call me his ‘lil’ cracker’ for example”. If I had ever in a million years known I would be shooting for what I later learned was called “Black Payback”, I would not have accepted this shoot. This is not a parody on a social issue, this is fetishizing racial abuse.
We texted back and forth trying to arrange a time (because I was couch shopping) and needed to get home, shower, do my make up and arrive to the shoot.
MIND YOU- I (unknowingly) was offered this same shoot weeks prior, by an agent in the industry whose own talent had backed out of the scene. Because I wasn’t very familiar with this agent, and was told it was for “someone overseas”, it all sounded very sketchy to me…. I turned it down.
Weeks prior to the March 6th shoot my wife, Nikki, had performed with Rico in a gang bang scene. It was during All Star Weekend, and we went out that night to The Roosevelt with friends, including other performers. My wife and I left Rico and his friends there that night around 11pm with nothing bad to say. He made no sexual advances towards us and was a gentleman, while we all engaged in playful flirting- nothing more. During the following weeks Rico texted us, we never got back to him until he began calling to offer last minute work on March 6th. (shown in texts above)
On Set:
Beyond the filthy location, everything seemed somewhat normal until I was handed a democratic party T-shirt as my wardrobe. I was told we would be parodying social issues, and since at least it was not a Republican shirt, I put it on without asking questions. Still in my mind, I had no idea that when cameras began rolling the “parodying” was not towards social issues. It was an unscripted and surprising browbeating towards me, that would soon turn flat out violent; not the same as “rough”. This is clearly visible in the BTS video, and is something I was not expecting.
My defense mechanisms began to kick in at this point, I began feeling super uncomfortable. I was told this would be a rough scene repeatedly, and as everyone knows, I do a ton of rough scenes. Probably some of the roughest in the business as a matter of fact. I am able to do this because of the fact that I am not taken by surprise at any moment. The environment is controlled. Most importantly, physical roughness in porn is performed often similarly to the way wrestlers and mainstream actors make things look more intense than they really are. When I participate in extreme BDSM scenes for companies such as Kink, the people on set know how to look for true pain or discomfort that may not be recognized in a state where I myself may not be able to call cut. However, things have never even escalated to that point on another set.
When Rico said, “Shut the fuck up, stupid bitch”, is when I began laughing uncontrollably. It immediately all felt off. My personal defense mechanism was to laugh, because I was so taken aback by the sudden change of feeling in the room. Moments after, my first point of physical contact with Rico was a hard open hand whack to the side of the face. This did not feel like a “porn smack". I laughed even more, I felt dizzy. I couldn’t even believe this was where things were going. I thought that maybe it was a fluke, and things would become more normal once we got going.
I was wrong. Things only got worse, and I did my best to disassociate and get through it. I remained in a state of protection mode for the remainder of my time on set. I did my best to complete the scene and appease everyone, meanwhile in my mind I was doing everything I could do not burst into tears. During the scene, there were plenty of times I visibly cried, and pushed away at Rico, hoping that at some point Dave or Tofu would recognize my pain and cut. They were getting exactly what they wanted, and I gave it to them. That was my mistake and I will regret it for the rest of my life.
I usually let Nikki know how everything is going when I am on set, and vice versa, as I assume plenty of couples in porn do the same on set. She didn’t hear from me this night. She had no idea what was happening, but she texted Rico to make sure I was okay. Rico called her back and told her that these scenes just take a little while, and everything was great.
My wife had arrived to pick me up, she let me know via text, which I received after finally finishing the scene. Once I knew she was just outside I wanted nothing more than to get in her car and get the fuck away from what was happening. I did everything I could to just leave. I felt disgusting, violated, I was in pain. I needed to get away from them so that I could feel safe enough to breakdown after what had happened. I hadn’t even began to process what I had just experienced.
Rico carried my bags out to the car and said hello to Nikki through her drivers window, she gave him his requested gummy bears. They began to chat, but I was already in the car tapping Nikki’s leg, giving her a, “lets go.” look. She picked up on it and we left. It was dark, she couldn’t see the marks on my face, and I said “everything was fine, I just wanted a shower”. Nikki attempted to make normal conversation with me, asking excitedly, “how was Rico?”. I was quiet. I kept this up until we got on the highway, and at that point I burst into tears. Nikki remembers the first thing I said was, “Oh my god, what just happened!? That was THE WORST!” Before I became fully hysterical. Nikki was appalled, confused, and wanted to confront them. But she took me home so I could take a bath and go to bed like I wanted. The next morning I was able to recount what had taken place the night before. I didn’t know what to do. Nikki and I reached out to close friends who all agreed that I should file a police report, and so I did. My intentions by doing so were primarily to alert the police that this had happened to me, but more importantly— Rico had told me he had done “about 40” of these scenes! I wanted to make sure first and foremost that the production of this abuse would be shut down. I couldn’t stand the thought of a new girl being sent there and experiencing what I just had.
24 hours after everything had happened I was with detectives, having to recount my story again and again which made feel more sick every time I had to tell it. I went through the SART exam where severe vaginal bruising and tears were determined.
Already, 48 hours of my life had been consumed by this incredibly traumatizing situation. At that point I decided to cancel all of my upcoming scenes because I knew I could not handle being on set any time soon.
The next day, March 8th, I realized that filing a police report was not going to accomplish my goal. I don’t want money, I don’t seek revenge, I don’t even necessarily want anyone to be jailed!
I just knew that what happened to me was wrong. It was traumatizing, caused me physical and emotional pain. It was something I never willingly wanted to participate in; and foremost the people in charge do not have the integrity or knowledge they would need to produce such violent scenes in a proper manner.
For people who have not been sexually abused, or… don’t know what its like to be in this bizarre of a conundrum, calling me a liar, and victim blaming; its so easy to say:
- Why didn’t you just call cut? They gave you the chance plenty of times!
- You could have just called the cops in the bathroom!
- You can do a hook suspension scene, but you call this rape?
- You were laughing on set, theres no way you were being abused.
- You just want to be part of the Me Too movement, and get more followers!
My response is… Has this exact situation ever happened to you? Read my story, watch my YouTube video that I decided to record because my only goal was to get the word out to other women who might be put in the same situation, as quickly as possible. When this happened to me, I let it happen because I was in a state of disassociation as a defense mechanism.
*Dissociation is a disruption in the usually integrated functions of consciousness, identity, and general perception of self and the environment. Dissociation serves as a means of self-protection against the terror or horror of the abuse.
After doing over 100 scenes, this has never happened to me on another set, because this is just not how people treat you on other sets.
I decided to have Nikki film a youtube video, so that I could give a tell-all account, warning other performers. I asked Nikki before we started filming to remind me of certain points I shared with her, if I forgot to mention them on the spot.
Within hours of the video release I received lots of support, but the negative responses weighed in far heavier.
- I was incredibly disappointed by many performers who dared to call me a liar.
- I was suddenly dealing with a serious police report, and was unsurprised by the fact that this was going to be an extremely tricky case, seeing I had legally complied on set before processing how wrongly I had been abused.
- My wife and I began to receive death threats and other ominous warnings via text from someone who claimed to be involved in production.
- Nikki is being accused of “coaching” the video, when all she did was help exactly as requested by Riley and myself.
- I was flooded with insensitive and invasive media requests, police urged me to remain silent. I felt unable to defend myself, nor did I feel like I should have to in this state.
- More than 5 other girls who described a nearly identical experience were sending me condolences, as well as pictures of their injuries and battered faces endured on the same set. All of these women were unwilling to provide the images to police, because they feared backlash, understandably.
In the following days more evidence to back my case began to emerge, but here we are a month later. Everything is still under investigation. I can no longer remain quiet. This morning I was woken up at 6am by media requests seeking a response to the sickening Official Statement full of victim blaming and narcissistic assumptions about my supportive wife, by Just Dave, Rico, and Tofu— who spent Christ knows how long fabricating such, published by Mike South. No matter what comes of this investigation, I am looking at a very long, difficult legal road that I never wanted anything to do with. I am still getting voice recorded messages from Rico complaining to me that he hasn’t worked and can’t pay his bills. I am still getting threats. My work has not picked back up. I have not gained more of a following. I don’t enjoy talking about what happened to me that night. I am disappointed that this industry doesn't have measures to protect us performers from situations like this, instead just ways of legally covering their ass because they know they have to.
No matter what comes of all of this, I know that speaking up has kept this from happening to at least some people, and thats all I wanted in the beginning.
I want the people who were on set that night to hold themselves accountable instead of blame me for not being able to speak up in the moment.
I want to thank Riley Nixon for speaking up with me. Thank you to those who have given me support in every other way.
I was on set for over 6 hours with the BTS camera rolling the entire time. Its being released as a less than 3 hour, vengeful attempt to make me look like I am in the wrong. So far, although I’m happy to have helped others. I am brokenhearted by the fact that I am being punished by my peers for being the one to speak up. I prepared this as quickly as possible this morning to defend myself, I hope I am heard. These people don’t deserve to work here.
Leigh Raven. 3-12-18
Pictured in top image (l. to r.): Tofu, Just Dave, Rico Strong, Leigh Raven.
