The Duke University freshman who turned to a career in porn to fund her education identified herself Tuesday in an online column in which she revealed a photo of herself under her stage name, Belle Knox.
Knox - previously identified by her college newspaper as 'Lauren' - was the subject of an article that appeared in the Duke Chronicle last month about the male classmate who outed her as a porn star to fraternities and sororities at the university.
In her column, Knox describes the bullying she's received since word of her porn career spread across her college campus - and the Internet.
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![Revealed: The Duke University freshman revealed this photo of herself in a column for XOJane.com as well as her stage name, Belle Knox]()
![Bullied: Knox says people have set up fake Twitter accounts and used them to harass her]()
![Threats: Knox says both she and her family have received threats since her identity was revealed]()
'My decision to do porn to pay for college was a private one I made, and then I was outed to my university classmates by another Duke student who had seen me on the Internet a few months ago,' Knox wrote in the column, which appeared on the website XOJane.com. 'He proceeded to reveal who I was to the entire Greek system . . . I started to be harassed. He started to be applauded.'
Some of the harassment Knox describes include calls for her to leave Duke because of the humiliation she has caused the university, and some even saying that she killer herself.
'Most recently, I have been told that I am “an embarrassment to Duke,” I bring nothing but bad publicity to my school, and I need to be silent,' she writes. 'Do I want to behave and be a good girl? Then "no more media," I am told. The message repeated to me seems clear: "You are not a human being. You have no rights or feelings. You are simply a nuisance. You have to stay silent. No matter what, just stay silent."'
Knox ends her column with'today, I am choosing to reveal my porn identity to the world. My name is Belle Knox, and I wear my Scarlet Letter with pride.'
Knox's story came to light last month after the Duke Chronicle ran an article about how the trouble started for 'Lauren' when fellow college freshman Thomas Bagley came up to her and asked her if she was the same girl as the adult film star he'd been watching.
Knox admitted that she acted in pornographic films under a stage name, but swore him to secrecy.
Knox - previously identified by her college newspaper as 'Lauren' - was the subject of an article that appeared in the Duke Chronicle last month about the male classmate who outed her as a porn star to fraternities and sororities at the university.
In her column, Knox describes the bullying she's received since word of her porn career spread across her college campus - and the Internet.
Scroll down for video
Revealed: The Duke University freshman revealed this photo of herself in a column for XOJane.com as well as her stage name, Belle Knox
Bullied: Knox says people have set up fake Twitter accounts and used them to harass her
Threats: Knox says both she and her family have received threats since her identity was revealed
'My decision to do porn to pay for college was a private one I made, and then I was outed to my university classmates by another Duke student who had seen me on the Internet a few months ago,' Knox wrote in the column, which appeared on the website XOJane.com. 'He proceeded to reveal who I was to the entire Greek system . . . I started to be harassed. He started to be applauded.'
Some of the harassment Knox describes include calls for her to leave Duke because of the humiliation she has caused the university, and some even saying that she killer herself.
'Most recently, I have been told that I am “an embarrassment to Duke,” I bring nothing but bad publicity to my school, and I need to be silent,' she writes. 'Do I want to behave and be a good girl? Then "no more media," I am told. The message repeated to me seems clear: "You are not a human being. You have no rights or feelings. You are simply a nuisance. You have to stay silent. No matter what, just stay silent."'
Knox ends her column with'today, I am choosing to reveal my porn identity to the world. My name is Belle Knox, and I wear my Scarlet Letter with pride.'
Knox's story came to light last month after the Duke Chronicle ran an article about how the trouble started for 'Lauren' when fellow college freshman Thomas Bagley came up to her and asked her if she was the same girl as the adult film star he'd been watching.
Knox admitted that she acted in pornographic films under a stage name, but swore him to secrecy.