egafd.com

I first saw this info here

and hoped it was just another hoax, but this more reliable source unfortunately confirms


FL

It's on several other French news sites too.

This is very sad news, Karen was a top star from France & I think she gained a lot of respect and more interest after making Baise-moi. She was all ready popular before that as most will know and its shocking news indeed that she died only aged 31, She was born 19th January 1973 - and has died the same month of her birthday January 2005.
Like Lea De Mae who passed away last month, Karen will be remembered by fans for sure.

R.I.P. Karen.

Sad news indeed...
If you liked Karen, read what Virginie Despentes, close friend of Karen, co-director of "Baise-moi" (the film) and author of the book, has written on her blog (in French)

The Newspaper Liberation had also published a short hommage today (also in French)


FL

She was one of my all-time favourite, but I don't like people who spit in the dish from which they eat. I don't pretend that one must like the work she has decided to do, but if she didn't like porn she didn't have to do it and find, instead, another job, f.e. as a secretary or washdisher. I know this is not the best moment to say such things, but I have seen already newspapers talking about the "hellish world of porn" from which she had "evaded" thanks to a "serious" movie (in which, by the way, she did some of the things that she was payed to do in porn and no "normal" actress would ever have accepted to do). We still don't know about her motivations, but I know very well that she will be presented, by the so-called media, as an heroine who immolated herself for the pleasure of a bunch of perverts. And this must be firmly denied at once: there are countless other actresses who had fame and fortune from porn and never reneged their "chosen" profession. If porn (assuming it was porn: I also read about a group rape she fell victim to) created for her existential problems she shouldn't have done it in the first place. Her life was her own and the decision to put an end to it too. I don't have to feel responsible for all the evils of this world.

I think it should be noted on her page that she is French, as she was born & died there...

May be mark U are somewhere right, but U cannot maintain that the
world of porn is wonderfull and without problems.
As far I recall Karen is not the only one to suicide herself remember
Savanah, the wonderful Arkadia Lake, Megan leigh etc...
Moreover the souvenirs from Tracy Lord, Ginger Lynn, Linda Lovelace
were not shinning.
The best three actresses in the history of porn critize porn-biz.
I know that all porn biz is not ugly, however ....
Karen is not the only one victim, how much wish to witness against porn but there are no media in the porn.
This is the true reality.

newsbibi2 wrote:

> As far I recall Karen is not the only one to suicide herself
> remember
> Savanah, the wonderful Arkadia Lake, Megan leigh etc...

And Shauna Grant, Mary Millington.

But this is not a proper scientific comparison of the suicide rates of porn performers compared with other occupations. Such a study would have to use proper statisitical methods and should also consider whether or not the suicides were related to the occupation and, if so, in what way.

For example, Mary Millington committed suicide in 1979, long after she had retired from appearing in hard core loops, and she did it because she was being hounded by the police and the Inland Revenue over her sex shops. That is by the police for selling hard core videos and loops and by the Inland Revenue for not paying her taxes.

Savanah committed suicide out of depression after a car accident, worrying about having lost her looks and being unable to pay for the plastic surgery required. In other words one could argue that she wanted to continue her career but thought she couldn't. This is something that could have affected non-hardcore actresses and models.

This is not to say that some have not committed suicide for reasons directly related to their porn career, of course, essentially out of shame. So a further thought - if society did not disapprove so strongly, would they feel so much shame over their careers?

It is a very complex question, but we can expect only crude simplification from the media.

Next update. Thanks for the reminder.

You have a strong point here Alec. Comparing suicides rates could give an indication, but only if the samples are large enough and unbiased...You really sound like you have a strong scientific background !
Linking Karen's suicide to her carrier in the porn biz like some people do is pure speculation and I have not seen this kind of speculation in the Liberation paper or in the Virginie Despentes blog. The explanation, if there is one, could be in the note she has left for her parents.
My sympathy goes to them and to her friends.

FL