Page 46 - AVN July 2018

FEATURE
A STORMY DAY IN WEHO
Daniels gets Key to the City at Chi Chi LaRue’s
“She is fighting back for herself, and she is fighting for the Resistance and she is fighting
back for all of us to get our country back,” Duran said before the crowd erupted into applause
and cheers.
Avenatti, who is Daniels’ legal counsel for her lawsuits against Donald Trump, told those
gathered, “Stormy Daniels is one of the most intelligent, self-aware and courageous people
you will ever come to know in your life. We are very, very happy and very, very blessed that
she is at the forefront … She is not backing down and she is in this for the long fight.”
While it was a festive scene to begin with, D’Amico couldn’t resist adding a little more
levity to the ceremony.
“What did the Mayor Pro Team say to the porn star?” he asked before handing over the key.
“Congratulations!”
“I would like to thank the mayor and the city council for this honor,” Daniels said. “And I
want to thank the one and only Chi Chi LaRue for hosting this!
SHE IS FIGHTING BACK FOR HERSELF, AND SHE
IS FIGHTING FOR THE RESISTANCE AND SHE IS
FIGHTING BACK FOR ALL OF US TO GET OUR
COUNTRY BACK.
— WEST HOLLYWOOD MAYOR JOHN DURAN
“Everyone in this community has a history of treating people with dignity and fairness,”
she added. “This community has a history of standing up for people, so I am incredibly
honored by all of this.”
Rob Novinger, CEO of Channel 1 Releasing, said the entire store event and key ceremony
were a whirlwind to plan, but that it was well worth it.
“The mayor and Chi Chi are close fiends, so when the mayor saw Chi Chi’s tweet about
the store event, he called,” Novinger said. “We had some talks and we got it done. It all came
together within the last week. We knew it was going to be insane, but we didn’t know it was
going to be this insane. There are people from all over the world here covering this, and for
the City of West Hollywood, this is probably the biggest press event they’ve ever had.”
But it wasn’t just reporters in attendance. Several fans were on hand to show their support.
Saying that admiration for Stormy led to the trip, supporter Sham Ibrahim drove all the
way from Palm Springs, California, and dressed in drag—a short blue dress with gold sequins,
black fishnets and matching metallic gold go-go boots.
FEATURE | By Sherri L. Shaulis
Above, Daniels gets the Key to the City from Major John Duran. Below, a fan in the #TeamStormy shirt.
I
n a back office at Chi Chi LaRue’s adult boutique in the
Southern California municipality of West Hollywood,
Stormy Daniels freshened up her hair and makeup before
heading back out onto the floor to pose for press and meet
her fans. May 23 had already been a big day for her, marking
Stormy Daniels Day in West Hollywood by receiving the
Key to the City.
Long before she made her way to the store on Santa Monica
Boulevard, news crews and paparazzi crowded the sidewalk in front of
the adult boutique. After all, it’s not every day a porn star gets a Key to
the City.
Daniels, who dressed for the occasion in a fashionable little black
dress, had showed no nervousness as she accepted the honors.
Daniels started making mainstream headlines at the beginning of
2018 when news broke of an alleged affair she had with Donald Trump
in 2006. Attention on the alleged affair grew when it was determined
that Trump’s personal attorney and “fixer” Michael Cohen paid
$130,000 in hush money to Daniels just days before the 2016 general
election. At the story has just gotten wilder since then.
With her attorney, Michael Avenatti, and close friends by her side,
Daniels was all smiles as Mayor John Duran and Mayor Pro Tem John
D’Amico made their announcements and presented her with the shiny
gold key.
46 | AVN.com | 7.18
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