BigBros Limited controversy

  

Logo of BigBros Ltd.

BigBros Limited, a Sierran pornographic production company, was subject to a series of allegations made in July 2018 by one of their former actresses, Christie Faye. In a ten-page document, Faye accused the company of facilitating human trafficking, rape, hiring of minors, violating federal and provincial labor laws, and threatening her and other stars with violence. The document has incited a controversy into the Sierran porn industry. In the days following her revelation, numerous other pornographic stars joined Faye, three female and one male, whose names have not been released.

In response to the controversy, the Royal Bureau of Investigation (RBI) announced it was looking into Faye's claims. BigBros Limited issued a statement that said "We go to extreme lengths to ensure the safety of our stars. The allegations Ms. Faye has made are utterly false. BigBros Limited has always, in our twelve year history, followed and obeyed the laws of the Kingdom of Sierra in all of our activities".

In April 2019, seven individuals involved with production on BigBros were charged with several counts of sex trafficking by force, coercion, and fraud, as well as sexual assault and rape. The main website was seized by the RBI and the company filed for bankruptcy in June 2019. A separate civil lawsuit representing over twenty plaintiffs resulted in the plaintiffs receiving over $12 million in damages. The defendants were later found guilty on several counts of sex crimes and were variously sentenced between 2 to 10 years in federal prison.

Background

Christie Faye joined BigBrothers Limited in 2014 when she turned 18 years old. She starred in several "barely legal" genre pornographic films before moving on to more 'hardcore' material such as orgy and anal scenes. For much of her career she was relatively unknown and not in high-demand for roles. Her low-popularity led to her departing the adult film industry in early 2018.

Allegations

Since her departure from the industry, Faye has spoken about various incidences of abuse she claimed to have witnessed first hand, including "rough sex" scenes that were in fact rape, solicitation of minors into adult films, rampant drug abuse and forced drug use, and threats of violence being made against former stars. Her claims went unnoticed until July 24, 2018, when she released a ten-page document detailing her accusations and included evidence of her claims, including text messages and emails. This revelation was first reported by The Guardian and has since created a controversy in regards to ethics in the pornographic industry. Sierran Families First, an anti-pornography and family values pressure group, has been leading the campaign to start formal investigations into BigBros Limited and other production companies. In response, the Adult Filmmakers Association, which represents almost all pornographic producers and stars in Sierra, dismissed the allegations, calling them "Baseless" and going on to state "Our industry stresses safety above all else. No star has ever been made film any scene they were not comfortable with and all adult filmmakers are diligent in obeying the laws of the Kingdom when producing content for viewers." Their statement was echoed by BigBros in which they said Faye's claims were "Utterly false."

Nevertheless, four more stars, who have only been identified with aliases, have come forth and corroborated Faye's claims which has further fueled the controversy. Three female stars said they filmed several "rough sex" scenes that were actually non-consensual and suffered bruising and other injuries as a result. One star, who identifies herself as only "Jane", said she was forcibly given sedation medication in order to film a "gangbang" scene which she had hesitations about. "Jane" claimed she was also threatened with violence if she ever spoke about the incident. Another female star, called "Anne," said she filmed a scene with another female star who privately revealed to her that she was 16 years old (Sierran law requires all adult actors be 18 years of age) and that she was tricked into coming to Porciúncula by BigBros who told her it was a softcore photo shoot. "Anne" said this girl was forced to lie about her age to and was given false identification. The male star, identified as "Dan", was a gay porn actor who claimed he was promised a far more lucrative deal than was received. He also made a similar accusation as "Jane": that he was pressured to take pain killers in order to film a scene he was not prepared for.

On July 26, 2018, the Royal Bureau of Investigation (RBI) stated it was looking into these claims, specifically regarding the solicitation of minors.

Reactions

The reaction to Faye's claims have been very polarized. Her supporters say she is exposing a corrupt industry responsible for rampant abuse of women while her detractors say she is a jilted film star attempting to extort or exact revenge on her former employers. Many have criticized the lack of solid evidence and consider it to be a matter of word. The controversy has entered the Sierran political climate as a wedge issue.

Tahoe Chief Justice Benny Marchesi expressed his support for Faye and other former adult film stars. He condemned the adult film industry as a "manipulative, predatory, and immoral industry" that humiliated and exploited men and women alike. Marchesi is a prominent anti-pornography activist who has suggested banning all pornographic material altogether because of its "destructive, destabilizing effect on society, especially on our children".

Social Democrats Leader Susan Kwon and a number of other female MPs wore solid white ribbons on the Parliament floor to stand in solidarity with women involved in the pornographic and sex industries. The Parliamentary Conference of Women organized a demonstration outside Parliament Building on July 27 to protest violence and abuse against women. Legislators from across party lines voiced their support on increasing protections for women against sexual violence, as well as tougher restrictions and regulations on the Sierran sex industry.

See also

• Pornography in Sierra