CHATSWORTH, Calif.—Adult industry mental health provider Pineapple Support has announced that it is providing free therapy sessions to any adult performer who has been the victim of sexual abuse or assault.
“The stories of the survivors who have come forward in recent weeks have been heartbreaking,” stated Leya Tanit, founder of Pineapple Support. “While this is not a new issue, it made it an imperative to address head on.”
Pineapple Support will provide performers who have experienced sexual trauma with six completely free, one-on-one therapy sessions with specialized therapists, and has created a support page featuring myths and facts about rape and sexual assault.
“Rape and sexual abuse are extremely common,” Tanit noted. “One in five women in the U.S. experience some kind of sexual abuse in their lifetime, but it’s not limited to them, of course. Assault, abuse and trauma can happen no matter what your gender.”
The inspiration behind the initiative was performer Demi Sutra, who reached out to Pineapple Support with the idea, and created an online fundraiser for this project, which has amassed more than $10,000.
“I originally wanted to gather a group of people and fans to donate to Pineapple so that we could somehow provide an even easier path into therapy,” Sutra explained. “While this idea was good, Pineapple created an even better one after we spoke. When they messaged me, explaining their new program specifically catered to survivors of sexual assault, I wept. I am in deep gratitude and I have a lot of hope and faith in their new program, and I can't wait to find more ways to continue to be involved and help others.”
Pineapple Support was founded by Tanit in early 2018, in response to losses in the adult industry from depression, addiction and other mental illnesses. The organization, which is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit in the United States and a registered charity in the U.K., has so far connected more than one thousand adult performers to mental health services, including free and low-cost therapy, counseling and emotional support.
For more information and/or to request therapy as part of the initiative, click here. To donate to the online fundraiser organized by Demi Sutra, click here.
