Straight Single Dad Becomes Gay Porn Star to Support His Kids, Says First Scene Was "Utterly Humiliating"

Imagine being a straight man but having to do gay porn to support your family?

That is the reality for Taiwanese adult film star Yan Jiayou, who is a mechanical engineer by profession. He also ran a claw machine business as a side hustle.

But when the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to shutter his business, he found himself desperately searching online for jobs that offered quick cash.

“I needed the extra income, and I am divorced with two kids, and my full-time job doesn’t bring in enough to support the family,” he told Taiwanese media ETToday in a recent interview.

Jiayou then landed an audition with an adult entertainment company doing straight porn.

Since his debut, Jiayou has appeared in over 150 films in the past three and a half years.

At his peak, he was shooting up to 15 films a month.

But as demand dropped, he was offered just one project a month, and his earnings plummeted to around NT10K (S$420).

On top of that, the agency he was signed to started shifting its focus to gay porn and asked if he was willing to make the switch.

In the interview, Jiayou says he wrestled with the decision for a year.

“Work was drying up, and male actors already make less than females,” he reasoned.

It wasn’t until he spoke to a straight Japanese actor who also did gay porn that Jiayou saw things a little differently.

"Whether it is gay or straight porn, it is still acting. If I can adjust my mindset, I could give it a try,” he explained in the interview.

But the transition wasn’t easy. His first gay porn scene had him involved in a sex act that he said was “deeply humiliating”. The scene, he said, was a "press conference apology".

Jiayou said he finally understood how women felt on set and that he was ashamed the entire time.

“There were also many extras on set, some playing cameramen, while others were my friends. It felt like I was losing my virginity in front of people that I knew,” he said.

Despite doing gay porn for more than a year now, and earning more than he did previously, Jiayou admits he still struggles with pain, fear, and discomfort.

“It is just so painful. It overwhelms every other feeling,” he said.

It is not known how much more he is earning today.

However, Jiayou addressed the misconception that being in the porn industry is easy money that allows one to lead a glamourous lifestyle.

“There was a period of time that I was not performing well, and I fell into a dark place [mentally]. I stopped filming for eight months before pulling myself together,” he says.

Wait... how did he manage to support his family during those eight months?

To Jiayou, this is nothing more than just a job to make ends meet.

“I am constantly thinking about lines, choreography, reacting to everything happening on set. My brain never stops, and I can’t just ‘enjoy’ the process,” he says.

The single dad also shared a more personal motivation in the interview.

“When my kids ask if they can take up a hobby, or learn something new, I can’t bring myself to say “I can’t afford it”. So I need another income to cover the gaps,” he says.

It remains unclear if he still holds his mechanical engineering job.

Jiayou says his family has no idea about his adult film career.

“My parents are older and they wouldn’t know how to find my content. I sometimes take on roles as an extra in mainstream productions just so I can tell them I am an actor,” he says.

Photos: ETtoday, jiayo94.2/IG