Above, photography by Keith Munyan. See more in the October issue of AVN magazine. Click here for the digital edition.
Even though she’s becoming one of the top adult performers in the world, Gina Valentina manages to keep everything in perspective.
“When I was first started, a lot of companies hesitated to book me,” Valentina recalls. “Now I’m Gina Valentina. So it’s crazy how people see me so different now that I’ve made this name for myself.”
Indeed, the gorgeous 21-year-old has achieved major star status in her third year in adult entertainment, racking up high-profile credits along the way. In the past year alone, some of her highlights include being crowned Vixen Angel by Greg Lansky in August, landing the 2018 Penthouse Pet of the Year title and starring in “The Gift,” an original production that was written and directed by platinum rapper Young M.A. for Pornhub’s Visionaries Director’s Club. That girl/girl feature at press time already had exceeded 11.7 million views on the platform.
“That like blew up,” Valentina admits. “And I just shot a scene with Bonnie Rotten—somebody I admired so much when I was younger.
“My whole year—it’s just been crazy. I know it’s because I’m with [agent Mark Spiegler], too. He’s a big part of it.”
Spiegler agrees that the Brazilian beauty is on quite a hot streak.
“She’s had a great year,” Spiegler tells AVN. “She’s shot a lot—features, gonzo and everything else. And she’s done anal and DP.”
The porn super agent, who has repped five of the past six AVN Female Performer of the Year winners, notes that Lansky flew Valentina to Brazil for her exclusive Vixen Angel photo shoot with Laurent Sky. It was fitting because she was raised in Miami and Brazil.
“She’s really pretty and she’s got personality,” Spiegler adds. “She’s got ‘it.’ She’s got charisma.”
No arguments here.
Valentina, who was a 2017 AVN Awards Official Trophy Girl and then a 2018 nominee for AVN Female Performer of the Year, admits everything “happened so fast.”
“I just remember when I first got in that I didn’t want to be like another porn chick who just did a couple scenes and left. I wanted to do it right,” she tells AVN. “I wanted to create this brand and this image that’s she’s not just a regular porn chick; she’s an entertainer who is very vocal with her fans.”
Valentina got over the shyness she had during her first year by pushing herself to engage with her fellow industry members and the fans.
“I wanted to be out there,” Valentina says. “I really had to push myself to be more out there and I found out that I love to be the clown of the group, making jokes and doing funny dances.”
“I’m so lucky I got into porn because I got to experience sex like no other person would—in different types of ways. I do have a dark side, and I think everybody has a dark side. I think it’s more normal than anything.”
Valentina continues, “Comparing myself from when I first started to right now are two completely different types of people.
“Today I go on set and I’m hugging everybody. Honestly, this is my family when I get on set. I feel so comfortable in my own skin—being able to act or give a really hardcore performance and let go and let me do what I can do. What I’m good at.
“To be honest it’s kind of like whenever the camera turns on I just let go of everything I’ve been thinking about all day. Anything that I’ve been stressed about that’s on my mind I let go.
“I have so much fun on set, laughing and just having a good time.”
That attitude shows in Valentina’s scenes—at press time she had more than 370 on her résumé, including a 14-guy blowbang for Hard X.
“It was intense,” she says. “I haven’t really done everything I can do yet. I’m still going to experiment and try new things. That was one of the things I haven’t done yet. I had to push myself. All the guys were so loving, so into it. And I got into it. I let myself go. It was a crazy accomplishment.”
Meanwhile, Valentina is also finding success with her tongue-in-cheek “Damn Gina” T-shirts that are available at her online store, DamnGinaValentina.com. She says the “Damn Gina” saying has different connotations but it’s all about being able to “laugh at life.”
“You can’t take it so seriously,” Valentina says.
She says she’s also working on a documentary about the “amazing females” of the industry that has a working title of Valley Girls.
Valentina, who also appeared in the Yung Gravy music video this year, says she’s in the industry for the long haul.
“I don’t have any plans to go anywhere right now. I’m working on this brand and while I’m in this industry I want to do something and not just be another girl in this industry. Hopefully with my platform I can bring awareness. I want the industry to come up together,” she says.
“I have young fans. I have young girls that watch my porn and they admire me. Not just because I have sex on camera. They see how confident I am. I’m liberated and I’m free.”
