In the glimmering world of adult entertainment, it’s not just the lights and cameras that sometimes steal the show—sometimes, it’s the personal choices of its stars that capture our attention in unexpected ways. Enter Riley Reid, or as her friends call her, Ashley Matthews. This talented and award-winning performer, who launched her career at just 19, has recently decided to step off the cinematic stage, at least when it comes to her male co-stars. Now aged 32, she’s done quite a bit, including racking up accolades like being named Female Performer of the Year in 2014 and even being inducted into the XRCO Hall of Fame in 2021. But fame and fortune don’t always come with harmony in the dating department! Reid has candidly shared her struggles and the reasons behind her shift away from heterosexual scenes, touching upon the loneliness that crept into her life and the need for genuine affection. So, what led to this dramatic pivot in the adult film star’s career? Grab your popcorn and stay tuned as we delve into her journey of self-discovery and love. LEARN MORE.
Adult film star Riley Reid has opened up about why she’s stopped filming scenes with male co-stars.
Reid, whose real name is Ashley Matthews, started performing in adult films when she was 19, and it didn’t take long for her to become popular within the industry.
Now aged 32, she has accumulated a ton of awards over the years.
As recently as 2021, she was inducted into the XRCO Hall of Fame and was making six figures a month on OnlyFans. This was on top of her other accolades, including Female Performer of the Year at the 2014 XBIZ Awards.
Riley Reid has gotten candid about her line of work (Instagram/letrileylivertt)
However, she has made a big change to her line of work – no men.
She opened up about the shift in a 2021 episode of Jordyn Jones’ What They Don’t Tell You podcast. In particular, she got candid about how her career choices had affected her dating life.
She said: “Dating was really hard.
“Especially as I grew a name for myself, it was hard to meet someone who [didn’t] know who I was.
“And so there was always that, like, fandom. They met me first in their mind as Riley, so it was really hard to like reverse and teach them that I’m Ashley.”
Riley Reid has stopped working with male co-stars (Instagram/letrileylivertt)
On another podcast, she revealed that a previous boyfriend had made her feel ‘disgusting’ for her job.
She said: “He made me feel like maybe I should quit and stuff… He didn’t want to kiss me when I came home from work. So it made me feel like a disgusting person.”
While she didn’t give up her career altogether, she did put a stop to shooting heterosexual porn.
Reid said: “It was a choice I made on my own.
“But I made that choice because I was lonely and I wanted love and affection and stuff and I was like, ‘I’m not gonna be able to find this while I’m performing.'”
Since 2021, Reid has been hitched to Latvian free-runner Pasha Petkuns. They tied the knot in a private ceremony in Los Angeles, and have since had a daughter together.
Riley Reid has gotten candid about her career choices (Instagram/letrileylivertt)
On Instagram, she sang her husband’s praises: “You’re so present in every moment with both of us and I am so happy to spend everyday with you.”
Speaking on how her family responded to her profession, she said that things got complicated.
“I wasn’t close with any of my family once I got into porn, they kind of all disowned me and I disowned them and there was just, like, [there] wasn’t a relationship and nobody could quite understand why I made the decision, nor could they understand that I was like happy and thriving,” she said.
“They just decided for me that I was miserable and unsuccessful.”