Miriam Weeks, professionally known as Belle Knox, is an American former pornographic film actress who rose to prominence in 2013 while attending Duke University. Born to Canadian and Punjabi Indian parents, she entered the adult industry to finance her expensive tuition, earning around $1,300 per scene compared to her previous low-paying jobs. Knox adopted the stage name inspired by Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Amanda Knox.
Her career became public knowledge in early 2014, leading to severe harassment and slut-shaming on campus and online. Using the pseudonym Lauren A. in an initial interview, she later embraced her identity publicly to advocate for sex workers' rights and sex-positive feminism.
A libertarian and College Republican, she has spoken at universities and received awards like the 2014 Fanny Award for New Girl on the Block. Knox appeared in media, including a Lifetime docudrama, and identifies as bisexual. She has since stepped away from performing but remains a vocal activist on education costs and sex work issues.