Page 30 - AVN May 2013

Who's Who.05.13 4/18/13 5:17 PM Page 30
IN MEMORIAM
Wilfried Knight, 1977-2013 In wake of his husband’s death, gay adult performer took his own life
Wilfried Knight, a gay adult star since 2004, passed away
March 5. Knight was a major star in the industry, and he
had been a contract performer with both Raging Stallion
and Lucas Entertainment.
The popular performer took his own life, apparently
despondent over the death of his husband, Jerry Enriquez.
Knight’s partner had committed suicide in February, an act
that Knight said was the result of losing his position at a
Canadian company, which was a major setback for the cou-
ple’s dream of a legal union. Knight made the details of
their plight public in a blog post on his site Wilfried-
and a caring disposition. His charm and humor did not go
unnoticed. All of these traits are what made him a superstar
of the industry. …
“Chris Ward, Falcon/Raging Stallion Studios president,
offered these sentiments about his friend: ‘Wilfried’s death
is a blow to our studio and to our industry. There was no
nicer man. We have all lost someone very special. I can
only say that personally I am devastated. Wilfried was a
friend and I shall miss him. All of us at Falcon and Raging
Stallion Studios hope he is at peace, and our thoughts are
with his family and friends. I know that his good friend
Knight.net after Enriquez’s death.
“After realizing we were right for each other and wanted
to be together, well, we also realized for two gay men from
different countries it is hard to find a way to settle down as
a couple,” Knight wrote, describing Enriquez’s plan to relo-
cate to Canada.
“We basically had to leave the USA like if we were some
kind of criminals looking for asylum when in fact we only
were a happy couple with a dog just trying to be happy,”
the blog post explained.
Knight also commented bluntly on the problems for gay
spouses in other posts after Enriquez’s death. “My partner
of 8 years owned a house in Atlanta, and we together
owned a condo in Portland, Oregon. In his nervous break-
down, the poor guy did not think forward about a will,”
Knight wrote. He went on to say, “Ultimately after nine
years, I get nothing. His family packs away whatever is in
the USA, and won’t offer at any stage to share with the
man who loved their brother for nine years.”
In the wake of his passing, many adult industry col-
leagues remembered the performer fondly. The San
Francisco-based studios Falcon and Raging Stallion sent out
the following release about Knight’s life and death:
“Born in 1977 and growing up in Champagne, France,
the 35-year-old actor appeared in over 10 Raging Stallion
productions in the last four years. Originally an exclusive
for Lucas Entertainment, Wilfried became the first-ever
and director, Tony Dimarco, is also greatly saddened by this
tragic loss.’”
The studio also issued a collective expression of loss:
“We grieve deeply at the passing of Wilfried Knight. We
offer our most genuine thoughts of sympathy and warm
wishes to Wilfried’s family, friends and loved ones. He was
an extraordinary talent and a special man who brought joy
to our hearts. Wilfried, we celebrate your life and your
accomplishments, and hope that you rest in peace.”
Topco Sales also issued a statement mourning the loss of
Knight, who was one of several Lucas Entertainment mod-
els to be molded by the novelty company. CEO Scott
Tucker reflected, “He was a really nice guy, and always a
pleasure to work with. He will be greatly missed. Our
thoughts go out to Knight’s friends and family.
“Artisans in our molding department who worked with
Wilfried fondly remember him as having a great sense of
humor with a charming and genuine personality. Our
joint Lucas/ Raging Stallion exclusive. He was a consum-
mate performer and a joy to have on set, which was why he
was chosen to appear in the studio’s major releases. He con-
tributed to the success of the biggest industry hits from
Raging Stallion, including Cowboys, Giants, Tales of the
Arabian Nights and Focus/Refocus.
“His skills and talent didn’t go unrecognized; he won the
2010 GayVN Award for Performer of the Year, and he took
home the 2011 Grabby for Best Versatile Performer. A
man of stature, standing 6’2” and weighing in at nearly
200 pounds, Knight had a huge presence, a gracious air,
deepest condolences go out to the entire Lucas
Entertainment family as well as the families of both
Wilfried and Jerry.”
Knight’s suicide also follows the recent deaths of several
other well-known figures from gay porn, including Arpad
Miklos last month, director John Bruno and Colt Studios’
Karim in January, plus Josh Weston, Roman Ragazzi,
Adam Faust, Corbin Fisher’s Sean, Tanner Hayes, and Erik
Rhodes in 2012.
Michael Lucas, founder and CEO of Lucas Entertainment, commented on this tragic trend in a letter that he circulated to his colleagues in the industry.
It is reprinted here with his permission:
“Like so many others, I am heartbroken by the news that our beautiful friend and colleague Wilfried Knight
has committed suicide. I was lucky enough to work with him many times.
“But porn actors are among the highest-profile casualties of gay suicide, and are especially vulnerable in
some ways. We do not have good support systems in place for people in our industry. We need to talk more
about this as a community. We need to be there for each other.
“Beneath his tough exterior Wilfried was, like many guys in the adult film industry, a sensitive and intelli-
gent man. And like many guys in the adult-film industry, he struggled to maintain his external image and
“To anyone in the porn world who is reading this: If you are feeling depressed, or despairing about the
his sense of self-worth.
future, please know that you’re not alone. If you’re in trouble, contact me. My e-mail is Michael@lucasen-
tertainment.com. I will do whatever I can.
ADUL T WHO’S WHO
“Coming so soon after the suicides of Roman Ragazzi last year and of Arpad Miklos just last month,
Wilfried’s death is deeply troubling. I am scared at what this trend suggests about the gay world. It’s not
just porn stars who are killing themselves; about ten guys in my gym alone have recently committed sui-
cide. …
“Life can be rough but it’s a gift and you only get it once. Your pain will pass. We have to remember that
and help each other.
“This pattern can’t go on. Please, let’s break it.”
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