Biography
Who is Stoya?
Early life and background
Born in Wilmington, North Carolina, Stoya is the daughter of a Scottish father and a Serbian mother. Her mother chose the name Jessica for her after the television news anchor Jessica Savitch. During her childhood, she began taking dance lessons at the age of three. She was home-schooled and managed to earn her high-school diploma before she turned sixteen.
Because her father worked in the information technology field, Stoya gained early access to gaming equipment and electronics. She credits this environment for helping her develop a lifelong interest in technology. By the time she was three years old, she was already handling the DOS operating system. Later, she moved to Philadelphia, where she attended a summer program at UArts and held various jobs, including working as a secretary and a go-go dancer.
Adult film career
Stoya entered the adult film industry in the mid-2000s after she began posing for photographs for a friend. This work led to modeling opportunities and her involvement in the alternative porn scene. In 2009, she trademarked her stage name, which she created based on a shortened version of her grandmother's Serbian maiden name.
In 2007, she signed an exclusive three-year contract with Digital Playground, becoming the company's first alternative porn contract performer. Her debut scene for the studio appeared in Stoya Video Nasty, though her first released movie was Jack's POV 9. She eventually left the company in 2014 to focus on directing. In March of that same year, she launched the pay-per-scene website TRENCHCOATx alongside Kayden Kross. Later, in 2018, she started the website zerospaces.com with her business partner, comedian Mitcz Marzoni.
Mainstream acting and writing
Stoya expanded her career into non-erotic projects, appearing in the 2009 short film The Kingpin of Pain. She later secured a main role in the 2016 lesbian fantasy television series Dagger Kiss. In 2018, she starred as the android character Nimani in the Serbian science fiction film A.I. Rising, also known as Ederlezi Rising. Her stage work includes acting in two Off Broadway plays written by Dean Haspiel, specifically Harakiri Kane in 2017 and The Last Bar at the End of the World in 2018.
As a writer, she has contributed sex advice columns to publications like Slate, Vice, The Verge, and Refinery29. She uses the byline Jessica Stoya for her Slate column titled How To Do It. Her writing has also appeared in The New York Times, Esquire, and The Guardian. In 2018, she published her first book, Philosophy, Pussycats, and Porn, which compiles a variety of her personal and critical essays.
Personal life and controversies
Stoya has been involved in several public relationships. In 2009, she was reported to be dating Marilyn Manson, though the pair eventually separated. She also dated actor James Deen for several years. In 2015, Stoya publicly accused Deen of raping her. Deen denied the allegations, characterizing them as false and defamatory. Following her statement, other women also made assault allegations against Deen, and Stoya faced significant online harassment as a result of coming forward.
Birthday and age
Stoya was born on June 15, 1986, which makes Stoya 40 years old today. That birthday falls under the Gemini sign. Stoya shares the date with 29 other famous people.
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