LOS ANGELES—Robert "Payaso" Mora, a beloved adult industry figure who worked behind the scenes in various production and security roles for more than two decades, passed away Friday from cancer.
He was 54.
Mora was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2022, when he underwent emergency surgery to remove a tumor and was hospitalized for over two months.
He overcame that bout with the disease and got back to work for the past year-and-a-half before the cancer returned in July, when he received a stage 4 diagnosis. A couple weeks ago Payaso went back to the hospital.
Payaso’s close friend, adult star Jada Stevens, told AVN Friday that Mora had just completed another round of chemotherapy Thursday night and had been in good spirits.
“It just sucks because he fought until the end,” Stevens said. “Just last night he said, ‘I got this. I beat it once and I’m gonna beat it again.’”
Stevens first met Payaso when he was a production assistant on a set for Jules Jordan Video almost 15 years ago. Soon after that he began working with Jada as her roadie as she traveled around the country feature dancing.
“He just loved me unconditionally,” Stevens said. “My good side, my dark side ... he protected me. He was like my bodyguard, my brother I never had. He always believed in me, whatever I was doing."
Born in New York and raised in L.A., Payaso worked extensively as a production manager and PA for Jordan, GirlGirl.com and Stevens in addition to doing personal security for numerous adult stars at dance bookings and industry events. In the early 2000s he collaborated with Tera Patrick on her studio Teravision, helping her launch the company and then managing her day-to-day operations. He also co-produced a series of movies for Nautica Thorn Productions that were distributed by LFP over a two-year period.
When Mora wasn't on sets, he often was immersed in the Los Angeles and New York punk music scenes.
“He’s always been a great guy,” agent Mark Spiegler told AVN. “He was always at the Jules Jordan booth [at the AVN Show] in Vegas and I would always see him at Jules’ parties.
“He was a big, scary-looking dude but a teddy bear kind of guy. I’m sure that especially the girls that had him as their roadie felt protected having him around. And I guess he was good at details, he was always getting them everywhere. He was just an all-around good guy.”
Spiegler’s right-hand man, George Jiries, who knew Payaso since 2004, agreed.
“He always made the girls feel safe and protected, he never made the girls feel uncomfortable,” Jiries said. “A lot of girls liked him because they felt like they could trust him.”
Jiries told AVN he just talked with Payaso on Wednesday—and he had expressed optimism.
“His spirits were fantastic on Wednesday evening when I spoke to him,” George continued. “I actually planned to visit him. Spiegler and I were going to visit him today and take him some food and we were asking him about his dietary restrictions.”
Jules Jordan and Payaso became like brothers on and off the set.
"As many of you in the adult industry know, Payaso was a mainstay fixture of our company at trade shows and on numerous film sets," Jordan told AVN. "I first met Robert during his employment to Tera Patrick, whom he would accompany on appearances and help with production. We both shared the love for the hardcore punk music scene which helped to bond our relationship.
"He went on to start his own production company Nautica Thorn Productions, Nautica being his girlfriend at the time. Over the course of years he began to look for other opportunities and he came on board to help us. Payaso was a valuable, trusted asset for many years—his loyalty and dedication were admirable."
Adult star Nikki Benz told AVN Friday that Mora was one of her oldest friends in the industry.
“I met him when I used to work for Tera Patrick’s company Teravision and we had become very close," Benz said. “He was my roadie, my security when I was at [the AVN Expo] and at all the other events. He was such a loving person who got along with everybody. He became like the big brother to so many of us in the industry, myself included."
Benz continued, “I found out Robert had cancer a little while ago and we all tried to help him however we could and he beat it. And I was so ecstatic for him. Then about a month ago I found out it had returned. And honestly you never want to believe a person is gonna pass away, you just want to be their champion. But this took such a quick turn and this was so unexpected that I think I’m still in shock right now myself.
“... I’m so grateful to have known such a fun, charismatic and caring person. He’s definitely a big brother I think a lot of us are going to miss.”
Tera Patrick told AVN, "Robert was such an integral part of my life."
"He started Teravision with me and handled every aspect of the business," Patrick said. "Protective, loyal and kind—he always had my back and stayed by my side no matter what. He made me laugh and kept it real. I will always be grateful for his time in my life and how much better be made it."
Stevens said Payaso helped her get her production company up and running; they worked closely together on it in 2019 before she launched in early 2020 right before the pandemic.
She said Payaso did just about everything except perform in the scenes.
“He was my project manager, he did everything,” Jada added. “He was my PA on set but he was so much more than that to me.”
Payaso also was a proud member of the Dirty Money Syndicate (DMS) brotherhood and took care of Kaya, his German Shepherd.
“That was his baby,” Stevens said. “He was my family more than anything.
“He was a great person.”
