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Adult film star Maitland Ward has accused Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton of hypocrisy for launching their careers with sex tapes and later feeling "ashamed" about it.
The Boy Meets World actress, who later transitioned into hardcore pornography, spoke to Newsweek ahead of the launch of her new memoir, Rated X: How Porn Liberated Me from Hollywood, in which she opens up about her unique career path.
Ward started out on the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful before becoming a regular on the Disney show Boy Meets World in the late '90s. She later appeared in movies Dish Dogs and White Chicks before stepping away from Hollywood as she started participating in professional cosplay and taking adult pictures. In 2019, she started her new career as a porn star.
As well as detailing her personal journey, in her book Ward explains why she's calling out Kardashian and Hilton for acting "ashamed" over the release of their sex tapes.
"It's ridiculous," Ward told Newsweek. "Celebrities like to come out with sex tapes and act like they're ashamed, so they remove themselves from the stigma of it, but they still get the fame from it. That actually really harms the sex industry and adult stars.
"It's saying like 'Oh my god. They found my sex tape. I'm so ashamed of this.' [But] they get so much money and fame off of it. But they don't have to stand by the tape. That makes me really upset." Ward said.
In 2004, Paris Hilton appeared in the pornographic video 1 Night in Paris, which featured the hotel heiress having sex with Rick Salomon. As recently as 2021 Hilton told Vanity Fair she found her sex tape ordeal "humiliating" and stated it was something that would hurt her for the rest of her life.
Kardashian's sex tape Kim Kardashian, Superstar was released in 2007, featuring the reality star engaged in sexual activity with singer Ray J. In 2018 Kardashian said on E!'s Busy Tonight that she was on ecstasy when the tape was shot.
In both instances, legal proceedings followed the release of the respective tapes. Hilton reportedly settled for $400,000 and gave the money to charity, while Newsweek found that a distribution deal was made between Kardashian, Ray J and Kris Jenner for her tape. Kardashian sued distributors Vivid Entertainment for invasion of privacy and for the profits from and ownership of the tape. However, she dropped the suit in April and settled for $5 million.
"Before every porn scene we do, we have to show our little IDs by our head, and then you have to like sign paperwork, and you have to be on video saying, 'I approve that I'm going to have sex on tape,' 'I approve that I'm going to do everything that I'm going to do.' Ward said.
"So that's absolute bull**** that Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian, like, had no knowledge of this happening," she said.
The porn star and author said that the release of Pamela Anderson's sex tape with Tommy Lee, which was recently dramatized in the miniseries Pam & Tommy, was different.
"Pam Anderson, I do believe that one, because that was early days and there wasn't the rules in place, that have been put in place. But the other ones, I call them out. It's total bull****. And they have gained so much fame and notoriety. The 'scandal of it all' has made them so known."
In the past decade, the internet has seen a rise in revenge porn and leaked nude images of celebrities, and Ward points out there is a distinction to be made between that, and what Kardashian and Hilton went through.
"People who're leaked online, that's terrible. Usually those things will be taken down, hopefully, because it's illegal to put you up there. That's in place to protects us." Ward said. "If it's leaked and it goes online, that's totally different. But [Kardashian and Hilton] were selling copies of it. Like, you cannot sell copies of your sex tape without your consent."
Newsweek have reached out to Kardashian and Hilton's representatives for comment.
Ward's memoir, Rated X: How Porn Liberated Me from Hollywood, will be available to purchase from Tuesday September 6.
Newsweek will have more from our interview with Ward next week.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jamie Burton is a Newsweek Senior TV and Film Reporter (Interviews) based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
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