Jill Kelly Productions announced earlier today that contract-performers Star E. Knight and Shyla Stylez have both separately suspended their working relationship with the company. rnrn
Knight has not been reachable for the past two months, while Stylez did not show up for her scheduled shoots on Tuesday or Thursday of this week. rnrn
Shyla Stylez, who received an AVN nomination for Best New Starlet this year, was married to JKP company chairman/CEO Bob Friedland in October of 2002. As of last week, the two have separated and Friedland is in the process of filing an annulment of the marriage on the basis of fraud. rnrn
"It is possible that Shyla's marriage to Bob was based out of a need for citizenship within the U.S., as she is a native of Canada. It's also possible that this is not the case, but since she has been out of contact with anyone at JKP, we can only make assumptions based on the evidence before us," Jason Sechrest, publicist for JKP, told AVN.com.rnrn
When Stylez and Friedland parted ways last week, it was agreed that Stylez would continue to honor her contract with JKP. However, JKP alleges that Stylez has attempted to breach her contract by booking outside work.rnrn
"When she declined to appear on set for her scheduled shoots this week or return our phone calls, we knew something had changed. We also heard from a few people that she was trying to book work outside JKP, which is in breach of her contract, and it was at that point that Bob and Jill decided on this morning's statement," said Sechrest. rnrn
Both Star E. Knight and Shyla Stylez are still under contract to Jill Kelly Productions and the company intends to hold the two stars to the full-terms of their contracts, which includes exclusivity over the next five-plus years. Any bookings with Knight or Stylez for still photography, film and video shoots, dancing - feature or otherwise, or Internet appearances, must first be approved through Jill Kelly Productions. rnrnrn
Star E. Knight has not been in touch with JKP or KSEXRadio.com, where she was a co-host on The Wanker Show for nearly two months. Sechrest admits that it is possible that Knight has left the adult industry. rnrn
"I'm not sure if she has any desire to continue being an active part of the industry, but if she does, it will have to be with JKP until her contract is up. We decided to kill two birds with one stone and remind the industry that both of them are exclusive to JKP," attests Sechrest. rnrn
According to Sechrest, the troubles with Knight and Stylez are not endemic within JKP. "In my five-plus years in adult entertainment, I've never worked for a company more 'family' oriented than Jill Kelly Productions. Like any family, there are the falling outs, the ups, and the downs," he said. "What we're going through with Shyla and Star is typical of any adult video production company... it just comes with the territory. We're simply doing our best to look out for our own best interests while staying as loyal to our 'family members' as humanly possible."rnrn
Sechrest points to an increased production schedule, the success of JKP contract-performer Jenna Haze who was named Best New Starlet at the 2003 AVN Awards, and a new contract-performer, Jezebelle Bond, as proof that things are "business as usual" at JKP.
