Former adult film star Mia Khalifa has candidly discussed the lasting effects her brief career in the industry had on her mental health and personal autonomy. Speaking to British journalist Louis Theroux on The Louis Theroux Podcast on Spotify, Khalifa revealed how her time in the adult industry continues to affect her nearly a decade later.
Khalifa shared that her stint in the adult film industry left her feeling overwhelmed by shame, making it difficult for her to even hear her own name. “The reason I used to have a lot of trouble talking about it is because I was extremely clouded by shame,” she told Theroux. “I used to have a visceral reaction to even hearing the name Mia and knowing that if someone is calling me by that name, they are seeing me in a way that I don’t want to be seen in.”
The 30-year-old, who spent only a few months in the industry, emphasized that it took her nine years of therapy to reach a place where she felt capable of making healthy decisions for herself. “It’s not because of what I went through in the industry,” she explained. “It’s what I had to go through to get to a point in my life where I feel like I am of a healthy state of mind to make decisions in my life.”
Khalifa, who has been outspoken about the need for reform in the adult entertainment industry, reiterated that young people should not be making life-altering choices without fully understanding their long-term impact. “When you’re 19, 20, 21 years old,18 most of the time that’s what they’re hoping for,” she said. “You don’t know what you’re going to want for your life or what you want out of your life. You don’t even know yourself that young. You should not make life-changing decisions when you’re that young.”
