CHATSWORTH, Calif.—An individual purporting to be director Axel Braun has been contacting adult talent via email about casting them in a fictitious triple-X parody of Breaking Bad. Braun learned of the impostor's activities at around 4 p.m. Monday, and tells AVN that upwards of 150 performers have been targeted so far, with the number continuing to grow.
Braun said he learned from several girls contacted by the hoaxer that he or she acquired the performers' email addresses from their Twitter pages or websites, and that most who this person emailed—using the address [email protected]—supplied their personal phone numbers in their replies. Furthermore, Braun said that several girls have apparently been asked by the impostor to submit solo masturbation videos.
"I found it alarming, and frankly quite disturbing, that an individual posing as an adult director would go to these lengths in order to acquire personal information from performers," Braun stated. "Aside from the obvious confusion he generated, and the damage to my reputation, there is a high risk of identity theft and possible coercion into submitting nude videos and/or pictures."
The email many received read as follows:
This is Axel Braun, Award-winning porn director - Wicked pictures. Just checking with you if you'd be interested to join my cast for my upcoming movie, namely breaking bad XXX. How could I contact you for more details?
Awaiting your reply,
Braun noted for the record, "Not only am I NOT shooting a Breaking Bad parody, but when I do cast for a project, I always send out a press release through official channels, while my production team contacts all the licensed talent agents. If you have received a message from [email protected] DO NOT reply, as that is not my email address. My attorney promptly filed a false impersonation lawsuit this morning, in hopes to prevent any criminal activities this person might be planning to engage in."
UPDATE: Director Will Ryder reports that he, too, learned of somebody contacting talent under his own identity about one month ago. The perpetrator "created the Gmail name [email protected] and sent it to hundreds of girls," Ryder told AVN. "I was pounded with phone calls and texts asking to audition. I didn't know whether to kill the guy or thank him."
