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She does porn to pay for school
FOR HER DEGREE: Student Miriam Weeks' screen name is Belle Knox
Law student acts in porn movies to pay $47,000-a-year fees
Just a few days ago, nobody would have paid her much attention. At least, not at Duke University in the US.
There, she was Miriam Weeks, and she was among the hundreds of students working hard for a degree. But the 18-year-old's secret identity was blown when a fellow student outed her as a porn star, the New York Daily News reported.
Then she became an overnight success story - "Belle Knox" had more hits on Google than Pope Francis and Justin Bieber.
The law student was struggling to pay her school fees and acting in porn movies was a way of paying her way through college, UK daily The Independent reported.
She told the New York Daily News: "I really enjoy sex, so it just seemed like I could pay my way through college doing something I really love doing."
The US$47,000-a-year tuition fees for the North Carolina school proved to be too much for her family to fork out. She said she could not risk taking out a loan and no amounts of shifts at fast food joints would have made up the amount.
"I didn't feel like I had a lot of options. I just Googled 'how to be a porn star', she said.
"It came up with all these modelling agencies, and I sent in my pictures and my height and weight. I was getting calls within days, with people saying they really wanted me."
She declined to tell the New York newspaper what her family made of her career - possibly because she hadn't yet told them. Her father is a doctor in Washington state.
But if they did not know then, they certainly do now - Knox revealed her true identity on American online magazine XOJane.
She also revealed her intention to complete her legal studies and to start a charity to help sex workers.
She broke no rules, says Duke
Duke University said on Friday that "Belle Knox" has broken no rules, and stressed that financial aid is available.
Student Miriam Weeks of Duke University, who has received threats, said she does porn because she needs money for her education.
The university, one of the best in the US, said federal law prohibited it from commenting on individual cases - but stressed that the student had not broken any of its rules.
"There is no restriction in the Duke Community Standard regarding off-campus employment," university spokesman Keith Lawrence told AFP. He added that financial help is available and that more than half of Duke students receive funding assistance.
He said: "Duke has one of the most comprehensive financial aid and scholarship programmes in the US."
Porn offer for fellow student
A Duke University freshman who outed Miriam Weeks as porn star Belle Knox now has an offer to appear in his own movie.
Mr Thomas Bagely was offered US$10,000 by Mr Mike Kulich, who owns adult entertainment company Monarchy Distribution. In an open letter to the student, Mr Kulich said Mr Bagely can appear in his porn movie with the woman of his choice, the New York Daily News reported.
"We will make you a celebrity because it is apparent how much you love porn and attention," Mr Kulich wrote in the letter, dripping with sarcasm, to Mr Bagley.
Mr Kulich wrote: "I love our fans and I love you! You are the type of guy that makes our business move."
FOR HER DEGREE: Student Miriam Weeks' screen name is Belle Knox
Law student acts in porn movies to pay $47,000-a-year fees
Just a few days ago, nobody would have paid her much attention. At least, not at Duke University in the US.
There, she was Miriam Weeks, and she was among the hundreds of students working hard for a degree. But the 18-year-old's secret identity was blown when a fellow student outed her as a porn star, the New York Daily News reported.
Then she became an overnight success story - "Belle Knox" had more hits on Google than Pope Francis and Justin Bieber.
The law student was struggling to pay her school fees and acting in porn movies was a way of paying her way through college, UK daily The Independent reported.
She told the New York Daily News: "I really enjoy sex, so it just seemed like I could pay my way through college doing something I really love doing."
The US$47,000-a-year tuition fees for the North Carolina school proved to be too much for her family to fork out. She said she could not risk taking out a loan and no amounts of shifts at fast food joints would have made up the amount.
"I didn't feel like I had a lot of options. I just Googled 'how to be a porn star', she said.
"It came up with all these modelling agencies, and I sent in my pictures and my height and weight. I was getting calls within days, with people saying they really wanted me."
She declined to tell the New York newspaper what her family made of her career - possibly because she hadn't yet told them. Her father is a doctor in Washington state.
But if they did not know then, they certainly do now - Knox revealed her true identity on American online magazine XOJane.
She also revealed her intention to complete her legal studies and to start a charity to help sex workers.
She broke no rules, says Duke
Duke University said on Friday that "Belle Knox" has broken no rules, and stressed that financial aid is available.
Student Miriam Weeks of Duke University, who has received threats, said she does porn because she needs money for her education.
The university, one of the best in the US, said federal law prohibited it from commenting on individual cases - but stressed that the student had not broken any of its rules.
"There is no restriction in the Duke Community Standard regarding off-campus employment," university spokesman Keith Lawrence told AFP. He added that financial help is available and that more than half of Duke students receive funding assistance.
He said: "Duke has one of the most comprehensive financial aid and scholarship programmes in the US."
Porn offer for fellow student
A Duke University freshman who outed Miriam Weeks as porn star Belle Knox now has an offer to appear in his own movie.
Mr Thomas Bagely was offered US$10,000 by Mr Mike Kulich, who owns adult entertainment company Monarchy Distribution. In an open letter to the student, Mr Kulich said Mr Bagely can appear in his porn movie with the woman of his choice, the New York Daily News reported.
"We will make you a celebrity because it is apparent how much you love porn and attention," Mr Kulich wrote in the letter, dripping with sarcasm, to Mr Bagley.
Mr Kulich wrote: "I love our fans and I love you! You are the type of guy that makes our business move."
