Porn Star Darren James was a relatively unknown b-level hardcore stud until an unfortunate twist of fate sent his name into the national headlines. He found himself at the center of a raging controversy, as well as the cause of a major industry-wide shutdown, after testing positive for HIV.

A muscular, well-sculpted African-American hunk with a ladykiller smile and a prodigiously large tool, Darren had everything it took to make it big in the business. He first hit the scene in 1998, appearing in a handful of low-budget grinders and gonzo romps. Among his most memorable early outings is ‘Freaks, Whoes and Flows 3,’ in which his buddy Jake Steed teaches him the ropes of being a porn stud during a steamy threesome with young Texas cutie Foxy.

Darren spent the first several years of his carnal career working his way into the scene, appearing in lots of black-themed flicks and wild gang bang scenes. He didn’t have any break-out flicks, but slowly built up a solid reputation as a performer who was reliable, hard-working, and always respectful to the women he worked with. His persistence paid off, and by 2003 Darren was starting to become one of the most sought-after black studs in the business.

Darren started working with the hottest starlets in the business, and consistently drove his partners wild with his amorous attentiveness and “she-first” approach to sex. Highlights of his career include ‘Snoop Dogg’s Hustlaz: Diary of a Pimp,’ in which he played a down-and-out clown who gets cheered up (quite a bit) by a threesome with India, Nikki Fairchild, and Shyla Styles.

Darren’s backdoor session with Lauren Phoenix in ‘Interracial Lust 1' ranks as another of his most passionate outings, as does his torrid tryst with Midori in ‘My Baby Got Back 16.’ Darren teamed up with Brandon Iron to treat Ashley Blue to a frenetic DP in a stand-out sequence from ‘Babes in Pornland: Bikini Babes.’

Darren James was well on his way to becoming one of the industry’s pre-eminent studs, and even signed a performance contract with Elusive Angles. With over 250 flicks to his name, Darren’s carnal career was beginning to really sizzle.

Everything came crashing down on Darren in early April of 2004. After traveling down to Brazil to shoot a series of scenes, Darren returned to Los Angeles and continued working. He went in for his tri-weekly HIV test as normal, but this time the results came back positive. Darren immediately went back to AIM, the porn health service, to confirm the results. On April 12, 2004, Darren James was confirmed as HIV positive.

The news sent the industry into a frenzy. Over 30 companies shut down production, some for as long as a month. AIM quickly compiled a list of Darren’s first-generation contacts – the people he had had direct sexual contact with, who were the most at-risk for infection.

The complete list of women that James had sex with while HIV-positive is: Jocelyn, Dynasty, Annie Cruz, Banesca, Persia, Miss Arroyo, Kayla Marie, Jessica Dee, Lara Roxx, Skyler Banks, Patrice Petite, Candy Ray, and Deserie Clark. Darren’s close friend and fellow performer Mark Anthony also found himself on the list, since he had participated in a double-anal scene with Darren and Lara Roxx.

When Roxx was confirmed as having also contracted HIV, focus began shifting to the list of second-generation exposures, or folks who had sex with someone who had sex with James. That list includes such hardcore heavyweights as Sean Michaels, Julian St. Jox, T.T. Boy, Mark Davis, Alex Sanders, Rhiannon Bray, Steven St. Croix, Brian Surewood, Sledge Hammer, Jay Ashley and Mark Ashley. Performers on the first or second-generation lists were quarantined from shooting for 30 days, until enough time had passed to verify their HIV-negative status.

Despite the industry’s self-imposed quarantine, L.A. health officials have also waded into the controversy, and have allegedly been considering whether to impose mandatory condom laws on the hardcore industry.

Darren James went into seclusion following the news, eventually turning up a week later down in San Diego. He’s understandably been shaken by the recent events, and the industry has rallied around him, offering their support and prayers to one of the nicest guys on the scene. We here at Excalibur do the same.

Porn Stars & AIDS