Rocco Siffredi has been called the “Italian Stallion” of porn, known for his rough and intense pornographic films. But in recent months, several disturbing allegations have emerged against the legendary adult performer, accusing him of punching, slapping, and engaging in nonconsensual and abusive acts with female costars.
These allegations, discussed in a recent viral YouTube video, shed light on larger issues around consent, ethics, and performer welfare in the porn industry. They also highlight the normalization of nonconsensual content in porn and its impacts on viewers.
Disturbing Firsthand Accounts of Abuse by Rocco Siffredi
In the “Porn Predator – Exposing the REAL Rocco Siffredi” video released in December 2022, the hosts summarize several troubling firsthand allegations.
Adult performer Nelly Kent described incidents where Siffredi punched and slapped her. She claims he grabbed her hair and forced his penis so deep in her mouth that she vomited, refusing to stop.
Teresa, another European porn performer, recalled Siffredi attempting unwanted anal penetration despite her repeatedly saying no. She described him trying to “force himself” while she was crying and pushing him away (1:01:30).
The hosts examined Siffredi’s porn videos and discovered deeply disturbing corroboration. In one scene, Siffredi ignores a visibly distressed costar’s pleas of “no, no” while slapping and manhandling her.
“She is being abused and raped…this is a crime,” the host asserts (43:05). The woman’s body language clearly conveys lack of consent and trauma.
Performer signals lack of consent through covering her mouth and distressed expressions. Screenshot from video.
This appears to be hard evidence validating performer testimony of Siffredi’s coercive and abusive behavior.
Threats Against Performers Speaking Out
Despite serious consent violations alleged against Siffredi, there have been no meaningful investigations within the adult industry.
Siffredi himself allegedly sent threatening legal letters to reporters and a woman making allegations in an attempt to censor and intimidate them. Rather than substantively address detailed allegations, he resorted to legal threats.
Adult performer Esther Blue tried pressuring models to delete online complaints against porn director Paul Woodcrest for sexual harassment. This pattern of institutional silence and retaliation creates barriers for victims speaking out in the industry.
Without robust, impartial mechanisms for performers to safely report consent violations they experience on set, an enabling environment persists.
The Shadowy Reality of Performer Coercion
The allegations prompt wider examinations around issues of consent, coercion, and performer welfare in the mainstream porn industry.
While performers do sign consent documentation before filming, the on-set reality is far more complex. Performers face immense pressures to comply with demands to perform more extreme, painful, or degrading acts springed on them in the moment.
- In one survey, over two-thirds of performers reported experiencing unwanted sexual demands on set, with threats implicit or explicit if they refuse (Grudzen et al., 2009)
- 68% of performers reported being pressured into doing something they were not comfortable with (Grudzen et al., 2009)Young, economically vulnerable performers new to the industry are especially at risk of coercion from powerful male stars or directors. Refusing demands risks being labeled "difficult" which can destroy women’s careers.
There is an inherent power imbalance between world-famous male performers and young hopeful starlets. This enables more established men like Siffredi to take advantage of less powerful people on set.
The opacity around reporting mechanisms, entrenched incentive structures that protect profitable abusers, and frequent victim-blaming demonstrate that the mainstream porn industry enables consent violations to flourish unchecked.
Advocacy, education, formalized regulations, and transparency around performer protections are badly needed to balance these unchecked power dynamics.
Pornography and Rape Culture
The video hosts also highlight how pornography that eroticizes non-consent can indirectly contribute to rape culture and influence viewer behavior.
Frequent exposure to depictions of nonconsensual sex can lead viewers to see this as normal and acceptable, shaping their attitudes around consent and empathy in real world contexts.
- Men who consume porn depicting rape and sexual violence are more likely to report willingness to rape if they wouldn’t be caught (Boeringer, 1994)
- College-aged men shown mainstream porn were more likely to report they would rape or sexually harass if they could avoid consequences, compared to the control group (Foubert et al., 2011) As the market pushes demand for ever more extreme material, genres like simulated rape pornography and abuse-themed porn explicitly intend to arouse consumers via nonconsensual themes.
Popular sites like Pornhub feature categories like “forced,” “painal,” (coerced anal), crying teen,” and even “sleeping” – depicting unconscious women being violated.
The mainstream normalization of eroticizing lack of consent permeates consumer expectations, indirectly contributing to cultures where objectification, sexual aggression, and disregard for women’s pleasure are normalized.
Anti-women communities like Incels frequently use terms like “femoids” for women and reference abusive porn scenes in their misogynistic rhetoric, reflecting internalization of these unhealthy attitudes.
While empirically measuring the harms of this is complex, the overwhelming expert consensus is that porn which eroticizes lack of consent can negatively impact viewer attitudes and beliefs around consent. This demands urgent evaluation of production ethics and industry accountability.
Reforms Needed to Empower Performers
The disturbing allegations presented demand substantive accountability within the porn industry. Rocco Siffredi himself should publicly address the specific consent violation claims rather than threaten reporters or alleged victims.
MindGeek, Dorcel, Evil Angel and other major production studios and distribution channels still platforming and profiting from Siffredi’s work should launch independent third-party investigations into on-set practices around consent and performer welfare.
Distributors need to consider pulling abusive content eroticizing lack of consent rather than normalizing it. Consumers can help by boycotting studios who fail to address performer consent issues.
Performers should have access to trained advocates as a confidential first point of reporting coercion or violations experienced on professional sets. Clear policies around upholding consent agreements, and protections for performers from retaliation for reporting abuse, must be implemented.
Independent, regular audits measuring and uplifting performer working conditions are overdue. Given the shadowy reality of abuse and coercion enabled by the current system, more oversight and formalized accountability mechanisms balancing industry power structures are needed to protect vulnerable workers.
The Bottom Line
There are complex challenges around regulating intimacy and consent in porn. But common-sense approaches upholding basic ethical standards around consent and human dignity must be enacted.
Rocco Siffredi’s horrifying case presents an opportunity to confront the dark underbelly of unwanted demands, coercion, and abuse still occurring unchecked on professional porn sets.
By beginning to implement basic performer protections, ensure reporting pathways beyond direct agents, dismantle retalition against whistleblowers, and confront the way non-consensual themes may negatively impact viewer attitudes – we take the first step.
Porn, like any industry, must evolve safety and ethical standards matching its real risks. Performers placing bodily safety on the line deserve basic rights to workplace protections, dignity and consent. It is incumbent on producers and consumers to demand these changes until the industry transforms to empower rather than endanger porn’s vulnerable work force.
This article was compiled from the YouTube testimonial video along with performer surveys and studies on factors enabling unethical practices in parts of the porn industry. All performers shown have consented to publication of images illustrating examples of apparent consent violations.