James Deen, born Bryan Matthew Sevilla in 1985 or 1986 in Los Angeles County, California, grew up in Pasadena with parents who were a mechanical engineer and a computer electronic engineer, one at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He aspired to perform in porn since kindergarten, left high school at 15, was homeless for two years, graduated from La Cañada High School in 2004, worked at Starbucks, and attended Pasadena City College. Entering the adult industry at 18 in 2004, he gained fame for his slender build, lack of tattoos, and everyman appeal, appealing to teenage girls dubbed "Deenagers." Highlights include winning the AVN Male Performer of the Year in 2009 at age 22, the youngest recipient; co-starring in the 2013 mainstream film *The Canyons* with Lindsay Lohan; producing the steampunk Western *Cowboys & Engines* via Kickstarter in 2013; and hosting *James Deen Loves Food*. He served as treasurer and chairperson of the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee until December 2015. Controversies arose in late 2015 when nine women, including ex-girlfriend Joanna Angel (2005–2011) and Stoya (2012–2014), accused him of sexual misconduct, including rape; he denied the claims as "false and defamatory." Studios like Kink.com severed ties, and in 2016, his company faced a $77,875 fine for condom law violations. As of the content, he remains active in the industry.
