Chapter 30 - Louis Theroux and the Missed Opportunity

The day I walked into LA Direct and saw Louis Theroux standing in the spot I usually occupied, I nearly tripped over my own disbelief. There he was, in his unmistakable unassuming manner, quietly observing the chaos that surrounded Derek Hay’s world. Louis was clearly making one of his documentaries, likely delving into the controversial, fascinating lives connected to Derek's agency.
For a split second, my heart raced. This is it, I thought. My chance to tell my side of the story, to explain how I had ended up here, living among the very girls he was likely interviewing, navigating the strange and often surreal world of the adult industry. My story had layers—betrayal, resilience, and that constant, gnawing battle to carve out a space for myself in a world that often felt hostile. Surely, Louis Theroux, of all people, would find it interesting.
But when I approached him, nerves barely kept in check, and tried to float the idea, I could see the rejection forming before I even finished my pitch. He was polite but firm, shutting me down with a quick, measured response. I wasn’t offended, not really. Looking back, I don’t blame him—I come across terribly on camera.
It’s not that I lack conviction or a compelling narrative. It’s that I can’t seem to get my body language, tone, and expression to cooperate when there’s a lens pointed at me. I either look too intense, too awkward, or, worse, like someone trying too hard. I’m sure Louis could sense that in seconds, and I get it. He was there for a specific story, and I wasn’t part of it.
"Sorry, mate, not the direction we’re going with this one.”
I wanted to tell him about how I ended up in the belly of the beast, not as a player, but as someone clawing their way back from erasure.
Still, walking away from that brief encounter stung. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—not just for exposure but for validation. Having someone like Louis Theroux take an interest in my journey would have felt like a win in a battle that seemed increasingly uphill.
But in hindsight, maybe it wasn’t my time. Maybe the story I wanted to tell wasn’t ready yet, or maybe it needed to be told in a way that didn’t involve the glare of studio lights and the pressure of being camera-ready. One thing was certain: that moment, like so many others in my life, would become part of the ever-growing patchwork of near-misses and lessons learned.