LOS ANGELES — A wave of excited fans cascaded down Sunset Blvd., cresting and breaking with anticipation as they flowed into the historic Hollywood Palladium, where the A-list echelon of the adult world stood ready to greet them, pose with them, chat them up and showcase the latest in spicy entertainment, as the 2025 X3 Expo popped off.
Day 1 kicked off with the highly anticipated ribbon-cutting ceremony, featuring a carefully curated lineup of top performers ready to kick X3 off with a bang. XBIZ’s 2025 X3 All-Stars — Nicole Kitt, Maitland Ward, Elly Clutch, Kazumi, Riley Reid, Vanna Bardot, Melissa Stratton and Emma Rose — held the customary larger-than-life scissors, cutting through the ribbon and signifying to the eager crowd that X3 had officially begun.
Over at the Chaturbate booth, fans watched admiringly as creators broadcast live shows, performing for their cameras and passing fans alike. Chaturbate event coordinator Emely Zuniga described the vibe in the booth as “electric” and enthused over how much she loves seeing everyone enjoy themselves there.
“They’re here to have fun,” she beamed, surrounded by bright props, games and photos.
At the popular Ricky’s Room booth, one performer who was constantly in demand was the hardworking, multitalented Kylie Rocket. Rocket could be seen hyping up the massively popular booth from the moment fans were finally allowed into the Palladium until literally closing time — no shift duty for the vivacious brunette, who is also a gifted hair stylist.
“My expectation is to always meet as many fans as I can,” she told XBIZ during a brief break from nonstop autograph duty. “I love seeing the ones that I get to see every single year and catching up with them. What I also love about X3 Expo is all the little mini-shows that happen up on stage, and the music. Honestly, it’s just so much fun!”
Rocket a “gold star” performer, having attended every single edition of X3 Expo since it premiered.
“The energy and the vibe is always the same — and we performers really appreciate it,” she offered. “And I’m thrilled to represent Ricky’s Room because Ricky is just a legend. I mean, how can you not love Ricky? He just started this company two or three years ago, and look around: It’s just popping off!”
Meanwhile, studio boss Ricky Johnson raved about the turnout for his massive booth.
“We have like 16 models and everyone’s having a great time,” he said. “I love seeing them in their lines, meeting their fans and just having a blast.”
This was shortly before Johnson took to the main stage to announce that Ricky’s Room had signed its first-ever male contract star: frequent collaborator Mazee the Goat.
“He’s my first contract guy, and he’s amazing,” Johnson enthused.
As has been the case with every installment of X3 Expo, the Brazzers booth was a hectic hub of bustling activity. With its immediately recognizable yellow and black signage and seemingly endless lines of fans hoping to meet the brand’s top talent, Brazzers confirmed its status as one of the industry’s most solid, well-oiled blue-chip brands.
Overseeing Brazzers’ presence on the show floor with minute care through a headset microphone was all-terrain company stalwart and multi-hyphenate Lea Lexis, who has served as director, producer, team leader, staff wrangler and talent. Lexis made sure that fans could have their time with the much in-demand Brazzers contract and affiliated talent, and also that the booth served as a safe space for the performers to enjoy their much-deserved breaks.
Lexis removed the omnipresent headset for a few minutes to share some highlights of the 2025 Brazzers booth experience.
“For the first time, we have our favorite Brazzers Twins, Litty Britty and Badassbrannn, and we absolutely love them, and I think they’re going to be superstars,” Lexis shared. “This is their first time at X3 Expo and also their first time at an adult convention, and the fans were definitely wowed.”
“And of course, there’s this,” Lexis added, indicating the impressively snaking line of fans waiting to meet the unquestionable MVP draw for the Friday crowd: unmistakable fan favorite Violet Myers. “Absolutely fantastic.”
Lexis also marveled at the fan response to Kayley Gunner, Abigaiil Morris and Jasmine Sherni.
“It was so much fun to see Jasmine’s popularity grow like that!” she said. “I love to see the girls who are beautiful inside and out getting good momentum. Hailey Rose also had a beautiful turnout. She’s super sweet. It was hard to pull her from her fans trying to do group pictures!”
Lexis noted that, given the fires still raging in the Los Angeles area right now, her team was a little bit hesitant to go on with the show, but ultimately decided that it would be helpful to bring everyone together.
“We internally discussed if we should show up or not, talking with everybody, asking how they were feeling, just trying to do the right thing,” she recalled. “And everybody expressed that they needed a distraction. They wanted to do something fun and not to live in stress. We do these types of conventions for the models. The models wanted to be here, so we decided to come. I guess everybody needed to feel good about something, feel excited, feel happy. And we provided that, both for the models and the fans.”
Over at the Fleshlight booth, Chief Marketing Officer Trent Doney looked on as creators lounged on white leather couches and showed off the brand’s custom products.
“I’m excited to be here and meet all the content creators,” he said. “Fleshlight loves to show up at these events and support the girls as much as we can.”
Reigning and twice-crowned XMAs Female Performer of the Year Vanna Bardot was also on hand at the Fleshlight booth, greeting fans with a special edition of her popular signature sex toy.
“The show has had a great turnout this year,” noted Bardot, now a veteran of several X3 Expos. “We’re having a great time. It’s great that the show is in LA. It’s nice to not have to fly out!”
Bardot added that this was her first time signing for Fleshlight.
“It’s incredibly exciting, especially because this year, for the first time, they are doing limited-edition sleeves for every single person buying the product at this signing, so you can only get that here at X3, with a special-edition box, and even the Fleshlight itself is unique to the show. This is definitely an attractive collector’s item, and the company put so much thought and care into this, to give fans a special experience.”
Looking ahead to 2025, Bardot told XBIZ that she is now focusing on her own content.
“I’ve shot so much for practically every studio for my whole career,” she shared. “Now I’m getting really excited trying to produce my own stuff — and I love this process.”
In the rotunda room, a crowd of excited fans was treated to an intimate screening of Adult Time’s “Spun,” with writer/director Casey Calvert introducing the film as an exploration of “reconnecting with a past love” during a sleepover party.
“I hope you enjoy it!” she exclaimed.
Fans lined up to meet multitalented performer, YouTuber, creator, cosplayer and all-around beloved industry veteran Britney Amber, always a welcome ray of sunshine at industry and fan events.
“I love meeting my fans, first and foremost,” Amber shared. “Oh my gosh! My face hurts from smiling so much all day. Everybody comes with so much love and gifts and smiles and hugs. I really like this show because I feel it’s a more intimate experience with the fans, it’s really up close and personal. There’s not a lot of barriers, so it’s easy to hug and communicate.”
She added that X3 Expo doubles as a great networking and hangout opportunity with fellow performers who travel in especially for the event.
“Right when I got here, I saw Nicolette Shea outside the bathroom — and we scheduled a collab!” she laughed. “She’s like, ‘Tomorrow, come over. We’re gonna do a collaboration. Let’s go!’ So yes, I love that about this show. Just as special as seeing the fans is getting to see the girls that you only engage with on social media most of the time.”
Amber teased the imminent release of a very special “Handmaid’s Tale” scene with fellow longtime star Cherie DeVille.
“The first part’s already out,” she explained. “Part 2 is coming January 20th — to ‘celebrate’ the inauguration. It looks beautiful and the scenes are incredible. I am so proud of this project and I really hope you guys can see it.”
Meanwhile, MILF mainstays Ryan Keely and Penny Barber were camped out on the main floor in a church-themed booth, both garbed head-to-toe in nun’s habits — a tribute to their recent clip collaboration, “Unholy See.”
“She wouldn’t let me call it ‘Blastphemy,’” Keely jokingly complained. “So I think the sequel might be called ‘Blastphemy.’ Maybe we’ll do a James Bond, iterative type thing.”
She went on to praise the expo’s energy and excitement.
“This has been one of the more wild Fridays I have had in… possibly years!” she said.
Elsewhere on the signing floor was everyone’s favorite redhead stunner, the one and only Lacy Lennon, with a long and winding queue of admirers — many of whom traveled especially to see her, drawn in by her famously intimate in-person connections with her fans at the show.
“I love traveling here to do this show,” Lennon enthused. “I get to hang out with all of my friends, and as content creators, this is the space and the moment when we actually get to connect. We also have time to reflect and grow because we’re in a comfortable, safe space where we want to uplift each other and we want each other to excel. I look at every single person around me, and if there’s anything that I can provide for them to be better, I will, and they do the same thing for me. I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Lennon also teased some upcoming announcements this year.
“All my NDAs allow me to say for now is ‘big toy deal’ and ‘big company deal,’” she smiled mysteriously. “But I probably can also add, without getting in trouble, that you’re all going to be very, very excited about both of them!”
This year also saw the introduction of a special collector’s edition of X3 Magazine, featuring profiles of all of XBIZ’s X3 All-Stars. Members of that stellar lineup spoke with XBIZ following the X3 All-Stars panel, moderated by reigning XBIZ Performer of the Year Seth Gamble.
Superstar Maitland Ward discussed the opportunity the expo provided for fans to temporarily get away from it all.
“I was worried, with what’s happening around LA with the fires, that turnout might be down this year,” she said. “But it’s been the opposite! I think people are up, they’re ready and they want to have this oasis to come to, to get away from all the stress and have some fun!
“I think that sums up porn in general,” she continued. “It lets you escape, enjoy and have this wonderful fantasy away from all the stresses of life.”
Fellow All-Star Nicole Kitt was having a hectic show, commuting from signing stations to ambassadorial duties to screenings of the features in which she excels as one of the industry’s most celebrated acting talents. However, she took a moment to share her joy at the strong first-day attendance in the face of adversity.
“There’s a lot going on outside,” Kitt said. “But I was so pleasantly surprised at the turnout, and I’m anticipating even more people tomorrow. Every year, it seems like X3 Expo is growing more and more.”
She also enthused about the fans and colleagues she got to meet.
“Today was amazing,” she gushed. “I have my screening with Ricky Greenwood’s ‘Dirty Cops’ and there will be more special screenings, watching the movies with a fan audience for the first time, tomorrow. I’m so happy X3 Expo offers this unique chance to both the actors and the fans.”
Kitt praised X3 Expo and events like it as antidotes to widespread negativity and anxiety.
“When you have things stacked against you in a climate that seems a little unstable, whether it’s politics or personal issues or whatever, things like this feel like they may fall by the wayside,” she shared. “But through all of the trauma and the trials, this fantastic expo has continued to show that it is a relevant and consistent brand, and I anticipate it will be here for years to come. I’m so thrilled to be part of this as an ambassador alongside my fellow X3 Expo All-Stars!”
Speaking of “Dirty Cops,” the action movie extravaganza did indeed screen for an eager audience, continuing the X3 Expo tradition of holding fan screenings for some of the industry’s most high-profile, acting-intensive, big-budget productions.
Bearded director-producer Ricky Greenwood was on hand to introduce a non-sex version of his feature, and also to moderate a Q&A with much of the star-studded cast in attendance, including protagonists Kitt, Alex Jones and Jennifer White, co-stars Scott Nails and Isiah Maxwell, and non-sex actor Daniel Shar. The cast also featured Penny Barber, Connie Perignon, Xwife Karen and J Mac.
A cheerful Greenwood was enthusiastic about experiencing his title on a big screen alongside his actors and fans.
“We made ‘Dirty Cops’ in March last year for Digital Playground,” the director told XBIZ. “The last 10 minutes is probably one of the best action scenes that I ever directed.”
Greenwood was referring to a fight scene between good-guy rookie cop Jones and dastardly mustachioed villain Nails, involving both guns and fists. Greenwood and his seasoned team took it so seriously that they engaged experienced fight coordinator and performer Nathan Bronson, and a mainstream Hollywood film gun expert to help choreograph the ultra-intense sequence.
“It’s everything: a good fight scene, good action, good acting,” Greenwood enthused.
The acting and the cinematography of the non-action scenes, particularly the work/romantic relationship between Jones and Kitt, were also executed at standards that put them squarely in the realm of mainstream series and film productions. At this point, few attentive viewers will be surprised at Kitt’s acting skills — she’s won multiple awards for it, both in the U.S. and in Europe — but Jones’ serious acting chops came as a revelation for many. Add “triple-threat” to his resume: He’s leading-man handsome, he’s porn-endowed and — watch “Dirty Cops” — yes, the man can act.
The other lead is comeback success story Jennifer White, who’s returned to the industry with a vengeance, ready to kick ass and take names these past few years.
“Alex and Nicole are two rookie cops,” Greenwood explained, synopsizing the Shawn Alff-penned script. “They want to catch a criminal played by Scott Nails who has kidnapped a cop and is asking for ransom. Jennifer is the titular dirty cop, who is involved with Scott and on his payroll and is fucking up the investigation.”
White attended the screening, thrilled to be part of what she told XBIZ was one of the coolest movies she has ever been a part of.
“It was the closest thing to a mainstream film that I’ve ever done,” she revealed. “They even had a gun safety guy on set to teach us how to use firearms! Being in this kind of production has always been a goal for me. I felt like it was right up my alley. I grew up doing theater, so any acting I get to do, I love.”
Was she inspired by any action movies in particular?
“Don’t make fun of me,” she cautioned. “But ‘Reno 911!’ I did watch a bunch of that. I love that show, even if the vibe was different and more serious here. And I must have done a good job because I just got told I’m going to be the lead in another feature! My theater background, plus my passion for porn on top of that — I think it’s what has promoted my longevity in the industry.”
During the Q&A, Jones and Nails shared on-set stories about the epic fight scene.
“Scott is a professional fighter,” Jones explained. “And even though we choreographed everything carefully, I stepped a little too close and he got me with a right hook on the cheek.”
“And then you got me back — twice!” Nails retorted.
Jones added, “Then he sent me a video the next day, where he’s walking into a convenience store and he’s limping. ‘Look what you did to me,’ he texted!”
This got a laugh from Jones and everyone else.
“We did have stunt guys to do a lot of the different things, but me and Scott really wanted to do our own stunts and our own choreography,” Jones explained. “But without Nathan’s help, we would have fucked each other up worse than we did.”
The actors discussed how the decision to use real guns with blank rounds added a measure of authenticity to their portrayal of law enforcement officers, both dirty and clean.
For Kitt, playing Officer Bishop offered a chance to fall into a different kind of character than her usual acting roles. She said she rose to the challenge by researching both fictitious and documentary portrayals of similar characters.
“Bishop is very focused and determined,” she observed. “Her goal is to make detective. The script gave me a personal mission, which enabled me to dive into my character. She became her own thing. I’m just the vessel!”
Multiple XMA nominee Ana Foxxx, dancing in front of a projection of herself posing sultrily with a Fleshlight toy, gushed over Sunday’s awards ceremony.
“The XMAs are the best awards show you could ever come to!” she said. “I swear.”
Nearby, fellow XMA nominee Nicole Doshi held a fan entranced, leading him by the hand toward the silky sheets accessorizing the Ricky’s Room booth.
“The best part of the expo for me is getting to interact with my fans,” she told XBIZ. “To talk to them, chat with them, take pictures with them. I’m so happy!”
Kayley Gunner echoed that sentiment, sharing her favorite part of the event so far: “Seeing so many people coming back to see me, who met me when I was brand new in the industry.”
She added that fans even brought pictures of her from when she had first started, expressing how proud they were of how far she’s come already.
In the screening room, Cherie DeVille hosted a murderer’s row of male talent for the “Top Studs” panel, including Mick Blue, Hollywood Cash, Dan Damage, Charles Dera, Max Fills, Ricky Johnson, Alex Jones, Isiah Maxwell, Scott Nails, Codey Steele and Zac Wild.
After introducing each panelist “in the order in which each of them first entered my vagina,” DeVille asked the group about their pre-scene routines. Every performer expressed the importance of taking a shower first.
“Also jiu-jitsu!” declared Dera. “If you don’t train in jiu-jitsu, you can’t fuck. All men who train in jiu-jitsu can fuck!”
Pondering this, Fills shared, “I don’t do jiu-jitsu. I can still fuck, though! I like to eat a lot of light things: a lot of fish, a lot of sushi.”
DeVille also asked the panel what someone looking to make the jump from independent content creation to studio shoots could expect.
Maxwell cited the ability to take direction.
“When you’re shooting at home, you can fuck in your own way,” he said. “When you’re on set, and the director says, ‘Hey, I need you to fuck left,’ maybe that goes against where you saw yourself going next in the scene. It can really throw you off. I’ve met a lot of independent creators who, after trying studio shoots, have gone back to shooting for themselves because they want to fuck their own way.”
Back on the show floor, the day’s final event was happening onstage: X3 All-Star Elly Clutch hosting the “Breakout Creators” panel.
After the customary introductions, Clutch got right to business, asking the performers what inspires them when shooting porn.
“Is it just dick, or is it something else?” she laughed.
She received a broad range of responses.
Dan Dangler offered, “Performing is putting on a show, and I just want to put on my best show.”
Gal Ritchie said that for her, simply “fucking on camera” is enough inspiration.
“Getting watched is the best thing ever!” she enthused.
Little Puck went in a different direction, stating, “I want to be able to masturbate to my own scene later,” which drew cheers from the crowd.
As X3 Day 1 came to its inevitable conclusion, the vibe as the building emptied was one of exhausted excitement. Everyone had big smiles on their faces as they discussed their favorite parts of the day. Meanwhile, inside, tired and happy porn stars packed up their booths, also sharing the day’s highlights with each other as everyone exclaimed how much they were looking forward to Day 2.
