Jewel De'Nyle says she is leaving Platinum X to pursue other interests.
De'Nyle’s departure leaves Platinum X with just one of its original four founders still on board, David Joseph, who also owns Red Light District. The others were Michael Stefano and Dion Giarrusso.
“(I) am happy for the opportunity that David has given me and to all directors and talent that have contributed to my work,” De’Nyle said in an e-mail to AVN.
“There are no hard feelings between us and I wish them the best with the company.”
De'Nyle, whose parents still work for the label, said she was looking for distribution deals for a number of her yet unreleased titles.
“I have several movies to still put out that are on the shelf and a nice catalog to work with so I feel the future looks better than ever.”
Joseph said he was pleased to have worked with the one-time starlet-turned director-producer.
“I enjoyed Jewel very much. I liked her as person and as a friend, but as time goes by people grow apart and I wish her the best,” he said.
“It was one of those things that it was time for her to move on, but she’s a friend and in and out of the business. I would do anything for her so I hope we can work together again.”
De'Nyle joined the industry after working at strip clubs in Colorado. She made her hardcore debut in 1998 at age 20, in New Sensations’ Electric Sex, and went on to star in the company's North Pole series by Peter North.
In 2001 she won the AVN Award for Performer of the Year and in 2003 she won AVN Awards for Best All-Girl Sex scene with Sydnee Steele in New Sensations' Dark Angels and for Best Anal Sex Scene in a video in Puritan Video’s Babes in Pornland: Interracial Babes.
She went on to direct for Jill Kelly Productions before forming Platinum X in January 2003 with Joseph, Stefano and Giarrusso.
She performed her last scene in Platinum X’s appropriately titled Jewel De'Nyle's Last Movie, issued in September 2004. She had been directing and producing ever since.
Her latest Platinum X title was Lick Between the Lines 2, released on May 31. Her next scheduled release through the label is On Your Knees Bitch 2, scheduled for July 5.
