Yesterday, multiple news outlets reported that adult film actress Amber Rayne collapsed and died in her Los Angeles home this past weekend. In addition to being an accomplished adult performer, she also worked as a director, producer, and editor. Unfortunately, in recent news it wasn’t her own work—or even her name—that was mentioned with her passing; it was the fact that she was among the many women who recently accused fellow performer James Deen of sexual assault.
Several press outlets reported on her death, with at least one headline that read, “Porn star who accused adult actor James Deen of rape is found dead aged 31 following a ‘possible overdose.’ “ Ignoring the “possible overdose” part (the cause of Rayne’s death is still undetermined), many protested the absence of Amber’s name in the headline. The Daily Mail wasn’t the only outlet to announce the news without Rayne’s name in the headline. The UK’s Independent originally announced “Porn star who accused James Deen of rape found dead at age of 31,” but changed the headline to later read, “Amber Rayne: Adult film actor who accused porn star James Deen of rape dies at age 31,” presumably after online backlash—complete with updated URL.
#SheHasAName trended briefly on Twitter, and Paper magazine wrote about the “Sexist Coverage of Amber Rayne’s Passing,” noting, “#SheHasAName is a powerful statement that refuses to let Rayne be reduced to a ‘porn star’ primarily defined by her assault.”
