LOS ANGELES — Veteran adult performer Kai Taylor, who co-starred as a boxing trainer in two volumes of Rocco Siffredi Films' eight-movie series The Spanish Stallion, has passed away.
Siffredi, who knew the U.K.-born performer since the beginning of his career more than 12 years ago, told AVN that Taylor took his own life. He was 37.
Taylor’s passing led to an outpouring of grief on social media, where friends and colleagues expressed their shock and paid tribute to the charismatic performer.
“Most of the people who are close friend to him which have been talked to, they all feel huge angry because he was such a talent, such a funny human being,” Siffredi said Monday. “Big heart, funny, a very, very giving person and a lot of talent in front of the camera—and in life.”
Siffredi was still reeling from hearing about the tragedy.
“What the fuck he has done this for, why he decide to do this?” Siffredi remarked from his home in Budapest, Hungary. “Everyone is so angry. Probably angry is the first emotion. Of course you have sadness which will turn this angry to. But everyone felt the same, why, why, why?”
A former seasoned amateur boxer of Turkish/English descent, Taylor had more than 640 credits since 2010, amassing dozens of scenes for European studios such as Marc Dorcel, DDF Network, Killergram, 21 Sextury, Evil Angel and Siffredi’s Budapest-based production company.
Siffredi said he had a complex relationship with Taylor that had many ups and downs, but despite that he said Kai was “like a son” to him.
“I met this guy back at his first professional scene back in 2010—his first time he came to Budapest. He tell me, ‘I am in this business because of you,’” the AVN Hall of Fame director/performer said.
“So imagine this. He couldn’t really perform in front of me because he was always stressed and we decide we don’t work together any more.”
But even though they went years without collaborating, they shared the same passion for the sweet science.
“We said man, we love the same thing. We love boxing,” Siffredi said.
He worked closely with Taylor last year on one of the biggest projects of both their careers, the boxing-themed episodic series The Spanish Stallion, which features an ensemble cast that also includes Maximo Garcia, Sybil, Cherry Kiss, Zaawaadi and Erik Everhard.
Siffredi knew he wanted Taylor involved in the project from the get-go.
“I call him … I say, ‘Man, I need you. You are the only person who can make this movie look like professional on the boxing side. I need your help,’” Siffredi explained. “So he was so happy. Finally, he could put out something which was all his knowledge.
“Finally, he was so happy to work for me. I told him, ‘You fuck who you want, you do what you want.’ I told him, ‘You are the director of your scenes.’ Just don’t put him in stress; I know he was so afraid of my presence.
“After this he said, ‘I need to tell you thanks, let’s work again.’ So he called me and he say, ‘Why you don’t book me for other works?' So months ago I try to book him and as soon as I start to book him, problem came again. Troubles. Brain … I don’t know what is the problem. You could imagine what could be the problem, such complex mind.
“… And finally yesterday I get a call that he end himself. What’s the reason, don’t ask me. What’s the problem, don’t ask me.”
Siffredi continued, “What I know, he admire me. I was like his father somehow—in this business for sure—and maybe a little bit in life. I have suffered like hell today because I felt I lost a son.
“It’s crazy what I said, because we were not working together for a long time, but when we look at each other in the eyes I could see he wants to show to me that he can do it. Finally he understood how to do the business. Finally he can be there. So he need always an [approval] from me. He wants to show me how good it is and to me I could read on his eyes. That’s why I was so upset, I start to scream. I was driving my car when my wife told me this. I start to scream on the car. I knock the fucking windows, everything, I was crazy.
“I said, why, why, why he did it? On the other side I was trying to understand on me and put stress on me why I couldn’t understand how to help this guy, why I couldn’t read through his vision, how suffering he was, how bad he was.
“Last words he told me when I book him two scenes and I cancel those two scenes because I told him, ‘Man, you are hitting my brain. I don’t have any more energy to deal with you, Kai.’ He say, ‘sorry, sorry, sorry’ after 25 message bad. He say, ‘sorry, sorry, sorry, please, please Rocco, forgive me.’
"And what I did, I send him a big heart, like you know I love you, but we can’t work together. His last words [to me] were, ‘You push me down, you put me down, you don’t understand. You put me down.’ Months later, that’s the result. I don’t think it’s my fault but a little bit yes, because many of us wronged this man, didn’t understand that he needs help—many of us. And I have to tell you something, he had a big heart. Big heart.
“He was teaching boxing, how to box in Hungary three times a week for free. Just to spend time with normal things and things that makes him happy. I’m so sad about it, I’m so sad.”
Pictured: Kai Taylor (left) and Rocco Siffredi on the set of The Spanish Stallion in 2021.
