Miriam Weeks, known professionally as Belle Knox, is an American former pornographic film actress of Canadian and Punjabi Indian descent. Born in the United States, she entered the adult industry in November 2013 while studying at Duke University to fund her $60,000 annual tuition, as she was ineligible for government loans and sought better compensation than her previous waitress job. Her career became public in early 2014 after a fellow student outed her, leading to extensive campus and online harassment, including threats of violence. Knox took a sanctioned break from Duke, where she earned a BA in women's studies and sociology. She worked in pornography until early 2015, when she declined to confirm ongoing involvement. Notable achievements include winning a 2014 Fanny Award for New Girl on the Block and a 2015 XBIZ Award for Marketing Campaign of the Year. As of 2014, she was a bisexual women's rights activist and former College Republican involved with Students for Liberty and the Sex Workers Outreach Project.