PARIS — France 24, the public news network funded by the French government to report on international news, released a report today about the legal and political challenges against MindGeek.

Titled “Online Porn: An Empire Under Scrutiny,” the report was broadcast in both French and English language versions.

“In North America, the online porn industry is booming,” reads the show’s description. “Many low-budget shoots are now taking place in Canada. The videos then end up on streaming platforms that are among the world’s most-visited websites. But not all pornographic films are produced legally: Some content is posted without the consent of those involved. In certain cases, this can even amount to child porn or rape. Our reporters François Rihouay, Fanny Chauvin and Loubna Anaki investigate.”

France’s public network also explained that “in a legal first, 50 women filed a lawsuit against MindGeek, the parent company of several online porn platforms, including Pornhub. The case was recently settled out of court, but it could pave the way for more legal action from other victims of online abuse.”

A Sensationalizing Anchor

The English-language version features anchor Mark Owen editorializing with several sensational remarks about how the “sex industry” supposedly “hides stories of shocking sadness and exploitation.”

After mentioning the settled civil case, Owen dramatically gazes at the camera before introducing the report and delivers a rhetorical query, “Will the exploitation end there?”

Owen also refers to the “sex industry” as “a closed world,” despite seemingly endless mainstream news stories.

His reporter, François Rihouay, then confirms to the anchor that it was difficult for him to get adult industry people to respond to his queries, without mentioning that perhaps these people may have a reason to mistrust agenda-driven state-sponsored journalists.

The segment prominently features salacious BTS footage within this supposedly “closed” world, gathered by France 24 during a standard Jessy Jones content shoot to which they had been invited.

To watch the France 24 show, click here.

Dec 10, 2021 2:46 PM PST

LOS ANGELES — Nikki Delano recently landed the cover spotlight for both Playboy South Africa and FHM India.

Delano’s Playboy South Africa cover shows her in a white bra and panty set. Inside, she is highlighted in a multi-page feature which includes glamour photos exclusively shot for the publication and an interview in which Delano talks about a variety topics, including her dream date.

More about Playboy South Africa can be found at Playboy.co.za, while the specific digital issue with Delano can be purchased here.

FHM India also has Delano covering its latest issue. The cover shows her in a bikini set and sunglasses with an ice cream cone under a palm tree in the sun. More photos inside accompany an interview where Delano reveals her excitement about shooting for the magazine as well as intimate details about her life and work.

Find the FHM India pictorial here and on Twitter.

“It’s an honor to be on both Playboy South Africa and FHM India covers and featured inside. It’s always been my dream to be in both, and now it’s a reality. I know my fans are super-excited. And if they buy a printed copy and bring it to any show that I’m at in 2022, I will sign it for free and take a selfie with them. Get your copies now before they sell out,” Delano said.

Follow Nikki Delano on Twitter and find her premium social media links here.

Dec 10, 2021 2:36 PM PST

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Aria Carson’s latest release is a VR fantasy that marks her debut with Naughty America opposite Melody Marks and Sam Shock.

Carson recently snagged a 2022 XBIZ Awards nomination for “Best Virtual Reality Sex Scene,” shared with Mia Kay and Chad Alva, for “Between Friends” from WankzVR.

The two women “put on a very sexy show for you,” a rep teased. “First, they suck on a double-ended dildo and then play with themselves and each other. Then Sam Shock slides in his cock and you feel like you’re fucking both girls. It’s a wild threesome that you don’t want to miss.”

Carson praised her VR experience with Naughty America.

“I really love shooting VR — it’s totally different, but so much fun,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to work for Naughty America, so it was a win-win. My fans love my previous VR scene for WankzVR, and I think they will like this one even more.”

A trailer and extra information can be found here.

Follow Aria Carson on Twitter and find her premium social media links here.

BROOMFIELD, Colo. — Eldorado Trading Company is touting the success of its 13th annual Thanksgiving fundraising campaign to collect food and money donations for the Community Food Share, a local Colorado nonprofit. 

Eldorado employees contributed $1,680, which was matched by Eldorado CEO Wanda Garland for a total donation of $3,360.

Every dollar donated to the Community Food Share provides three meals. Eldorado’s donation will help provide more than 10,000 meals to families, students and seniors in Boulder and Broomfield Counties. 

“Thanksgiving is a wonderful opportunity to give back, and the Food Share drive is one of my favorite Eldorado traditions,” Garland shared. “I am so very proud of our employee’s generosity and the considerable impact our donation will have on the local community.” 

Learn about Community Food Share here.

Follow Eldorado online.

PARIS — Exsens has announced the launch of its new Appletini water-based personal lube, described as “bursting with sweet candy apple flavor.”

“The Exsens product line features a variety of specialty products promoting sexual wellness and body care as well as cosmetics,” a rep said. “The new FDA-cleared Appletini lubricant is like all our other products in that it is 100% vegan and paraben-free.”

“Perfect for couples looking to heat things up in the bedroom, the entire Exsens sexual wellness line encourages intimacy, foreplay and fun,” added the rep.

Appletini joins the company’s Pure Aqua, Aloe Vera and raspberry-flavored varieties of lube.

Visit the Exsens website here.

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Emmy-nominated documentarian Rachel Mason has joined industry notables Buck Angel and Chi Chi LaRue in calling for leads in the cold case involving Billy Newton, aka Billy London, a gay adult performer whose 1990 murder remains unsolved.

Mason, who directed the critically acclaimed 2019 documentary “Circus of Books,” reached out to XBIZ to amplify an industry call for any associates of Newton who may have also worked on his last shoot featuring performer Mark Sage and anyone who worked with In-Hand Video, or has knowledge of the catalogue of videos featuring Sage.

Over the past year, novelists Christopher Rice and Eric Shaw Quinn have devoted five episodes of their podcast “TDPS Presents: Christopher & Eric” to the case. Their efforts uncovered a potential bombshell of a lead involving Jeffrey Dahmer, or a lookalike, which drew the interest of LAPD Homicide.

In the course of his initial research, Rice spoke to this reporter, who first looked into the case more than a decade ago.

Mason herself appeared on an episode of “Christopher & Eric” to discuss the case; she told XBIZ she hopes to greatly amplify their public call for leads.

In late October 1990, shortly before Halloween, William Arnold “Billy” Newton completed what would be his final film and was last seen alive socializing in West Hollywood on Oct. 28, according to available evidence. On Oct. 29, his head and feet were discovered in a dumpster. Despite several attempts over the years to generate new tips or leads, until recently the case remained cold. Billy Newton would have been 56 years old this year. 

Mason felt a deeply personal connection to Newton’s story. “Circus of Books” tells the story of her parents, Karen and Barry Mason, and their legendary West Hollywood retail outlet, which holds a seminal position in the history of adult entertainment in Los Angeles. The Masons elected to close Circus of Books and retire in early 2019, but their daughter helped ensure its legacy with her film; mega-producer Ryan Murphy is among its executive producers.

Today, the original location houses Chi Chi LaRue’s Circus, the second West Hollywood location for the boutique retailer.

“My parents’ store, Circus of Books, existed at a time when being gay was illegal in the state of California, and it provided gay erotic material to specifically gay men, when doing so was very much an underground activity,” Rachel Mason told XBIZ.

“As their clientele were mostly gay men, I grew up meeting lots of guys just like Billy. Beautiful, funny, witty guys, many of whom died very young of AIDS,” she continued. “I was too young to understand just how sad and painful this was for everyone until I got older. And when I heard of Billy’s death, it hit me very, very hard, because it was such a nightmarish thought to imagine not just a disease, but also a serial killer, ravaging an already victimized community. There have been efforts to figure this crime out over the years, and each and every one is deeply meaningful, but I just hope the crime gets solved.” 

Mason asks that anyone reach out “who may have heard or known or seen anything about Billy and anyone who has photos and video footage of West Hollywood, street parties, festivals, gay pride events in the late 1980s through 1990.”

She is also seeking anyone who might have seen Jeffrey Dahmer, or someone who looked like him, in Los Angeles in 1990.

Click here for Mason’s public appeal on Facebook, which also features Angel and LaRue; find Angel’s Instagram video here, which includes a direct appeal to industry members and those who were residents of West Hollywood in 1990.

Mason has also established a tip line at billylondondoc@gmail.com; a support website for the documentary can be found here.

Follow Rachel Mason, Buck Angel, Chi Chi LaRue and this reporter on Twitter.

Click here for XBIZ’s ongoing coverage of the Billy London cold case investigation.

LOS ANGELES — Free Speech Coalition (FSC) is one of several national organizations which signed onto a campaign by the National Center Against Censorship (NCAC) to protest a campaign by right-wing activists targeting school libraries nationwide.

LOS ANGELES — Joanna Angel is the subject of an interview published today by Mel Magazine as part of a new holiday series highlighting “sex workers you should absolutely know about.”

“Whether they’re becoming literary superstars, breaking the ‘stunt cock’ mold or literally embodying gay Jesus himself, they’re the real gifts we need this Christmas,” wrote the Mel editors.

The piece, by Mel’s star scribe and popular Twitter influencer, Miles Klee, also promotes “Club 42,” a choose-your-own-erotic-fantasy novel by Angel. The book was published this year by Cleis Press and is a followup to 2018’s “Night Shift.”

“An acclaimed porn performer and producer, Angel has brought her strong personal brand, signature wit and raunchiness to bear on this minor literary genre — and introduced it to a whole new audience,” wrote Klee.

Klee also remarked on the “intrepid spirit that has defined 40-year-old Angel’s illustrious career, from her days pioneering the ‘alt-porn’ genre in the aughts — a punk aesthetic replete with tattoos, colorful hair and piercings to counteract the generic blondes popular at the time — to her relatively new TikTok account, where she keeps up with the hottest Gen Z dance trends.”

Angel also told Klee about her background as a college poet.

“I did a lot of open mic nights at coffee shops,” she said. “The poetry turned into ‘prose,’ and the prose turned into short stories. I suppose college was the time I was really exploring myself sexually, and, well, I wrote about the awkwardness of it all — the heartbreak, the humor and the eroticism that came with it.”

But when it came to her latest literary ventures, she noted, Angel opted for fiction.

“The most obvious thing for me to write about was the porn industry,” she told Klee “However, I chose to write fiction and not an autobiography. Fictionalizing my own job felt weird.” 

To read “Joanna Angel Has Always Written Her Own Story,” visit MelMagazine.com.

LOS ANGELES — Maia Toys has released four new bullet-style vibes and a flexible, silicone wand vibe with cannabis-themed details.

“At Maia, we are focused on integrating the world to work together and be a better place,” said brand ambassador Zach Smith. “Our mission is to spread love and equality throughout our industry and beyond.”

The collection includes a three-piece collection of “long, slender bullets and an addition to the Maia cannabis collection, a mini bullet. Each vibrator is outfitted with a different color and exterior art print to fit the company’s free-spirited brand image,” a rep explained.

The Abbie, Monarch and Unity bullets are equal in size and shape, measuring 6.5″ and equipped with “a super-strength motor.” All are USB-rechargeable, coated with silicone and waterproof with 10 vibration functions.

“They’re the perfect size for internal or external use,” added Smith. “We decided to make the three larger bullets to help with gripping issues when it comes to super-strong vibrating products, as well as having multiple [additional] uses.”

The Abbie vibrator is “a solid, aggressive shade of red, representing love, success and sexuality,” noted the rep, while the Unity vibe is light purple with a 1970s theme, featuring “a repeating design of hearts, peace signs and cannabis plants alongside the words ‘peace, love, weed.’ The Monarch vibe is light blue and features a print pattern of realistically-detailed butterflies.”

Maia has also added the Julia mini bullet to its existing cannabis-themed collection, described as a petite 3″ and featuring 10 pulsating vibration modes with USB rechargeability and a waterproof design. The mini bullet’s silicone-coated exterior is “decorated in teal blue with tiny, light pink butterflies, making it an approachable, comfortable and familiar design for beginners,” noted the rep.

The Marlie is a 15-function wand measuring 8.1″ with an ultra-flexible neck and soft, silky silicone exterior in pastel yellow. The wand is waterproof and USB-rechargeable.

“Bend Marlie’s neck during play and the wand’s head will hold any position you choose, making it the perfect sex toy for those who enjoy maximum pressure during stimulation,” the rep said. “The wand’s starring feature is its cannabis-themed design. Marlie’s function button lights up when in use, illuminating a large, raised cannabis leaf. The wand’s silicone head is peppered with tiny cannabis leaves, which add texture to clitoral stimulation.”

Smith added the Marlie has “a full coating of medical grade silicone covering the entire toy, which allows the person to be really creative when using it. The pastel yellow color is unique and will definitely stick out on the shelves.”

All Maia products are available for wholesale shipping and backed by a one-year replacement warranty.

Visit MaiaToys.com and direct sales inquiries to lisa@maiatoys.com.

Follow the company on Instagram.

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — XR Brands has announced an expansion of two air-powered toy lines, Inmi Bloomgasm and Curve Toys’ Gossip.

“Inmi Bloomgasm set the industry on fire in 2021 with the viral sensation Wild Rose 10X silicone clit stimulator, aka ‘the rose toy,'” said a rep. “And the Gossip line from Curve Toys is known for their bright, affordable and high-quality U.S.-made products.”

In time for the gift-giving season, XR Brands has expanded these two lines with more than 10 new products, with a wide selection of new styles, shapes, colors and features.

The newest additions to the Inmi Bloomgasm line include brand-new pink and purple colors for the Wild Rose 10X, the rose-shaped toy featuring three levels and seven patterns of intense suction.

Bloomgasm also now features a Wild Violet licking silicone stimulator, the double-duty Rose Duet Sucking & Vibrating Silicone Duo, the Sweetheart Rose, the Rose Buzz 7X silicone clit stimulator and vibrator, the Bloomgasm Sucking Rose & Vibrating Butterfly and the Royalty Rose, the line’s newest addition.

Joining the Gossip line is the Gossip 10X silicone suction clit stimulator, with 10 suction patterns and available in five colors — magenta, violet, burgundy, coral and “swirl.”

“The buzz around air-powered toys has been building for years and truly exploded this year,” said XR Brands president Rebecca Weinberg. “Savvy shoppers have known these toys could make for next-level pleasure and in 2021, the mainstream audience caught on, too.”

Weiberg noted that “demand for these toys is higher than ever now, and we are thrilled to be able to meet that demand with this huge addition of toys from two of the industry’s most popular lines.”

Bloomgasm toys are rechargeable, waterproof, made with body safe-silicone and ABS plastic, and covered by a one-year warranty. Gossip toys are rechargeable and made with body-safe silicone and ABS plastic.

To place an order or learn more, email info@xrbrands.com, visit XRBrands.com and follow the company on Twitter.