“Pornography, in a lot of ways, it really, really messed up my life.”
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Recently a new documentary revealing the harmful effects of pornography was released. Addicted to Porn: Chasing the Cardboard Butterfly is narrated by a surprising celebrity: Metallica’s James Hetfield. The active participation of the lead guitarist and singer of an extremely popular heavy metal rock band is certainly not something you would expect, but Hetfield is not alone.
Hetfield joins a wide array of well-known figures in pop culture who, after being enticed by the lures of pornography, are now warning others about the dangers of the ever growing industry. These celebrities speak from personal experience and know first-hand the harm porn addiction can have on a person’s life. They do not want others to make the same life-changing mistake.
Read more: When your husband is a porn addict
To highlight these popular men and women whose stance against porn is certainly not popular, here are quotes from 6 celebrities who have broken the silence and are trying to encourage others to avoid the many pitfalls of porn.
“A healthy, loving sexual experience demands both intimacy and respect, both of which pornography addiction destroys.”
– Pamela Anderson, former Playboy bunny
Read more: Pamela Anderson speaks out against porn, says it is “for losers”
“Pornography, in a lot of ways, it really, really messed up my life… My wife was literally like, ‘I don’t know you anymore. I’m out of here’… By not telling people, it becomes more powerful. But, when you tell and when you put it out there in the open… it loses its power.”
– Terry Crews, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Read more: WATCH: Terry Crews Confesses Past Porn Addiction
[When asked when was the last time he watched pornography] “Ah, I’m rather proud of this, about three years ago. I went cold turkey.” [When asked if quitting porn changed his life] “I now have three children. I think there is a correlation.”
– Hugh Grant, Notting Hill, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
“I think there’s not a substantial difference between a lot of mainstream culture and pornography… whether it’s rated X or approved by the FCC for general viewing audiences, the message is the same. We have a tendency in our culture to take people and treat them like things.”
– Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Inception, Don Jon, 500 Days of Summer
“In a society where we want young women to be equal – accepting porn undermines the equality and independence of these young women… [in reference to women who perform pornography] The ‘female empowerment’ thing makes it tricky to have that conversation, because you’re making money and therefore you’re ’empowered,’ but what is the real cost to your soul, to your psyche?”
– Rashida Jones, Parks and Recreation, The Office, Inside Out
“Our attitudes toward sex have warped and perverted and have deviated from its true function as an expression of love and a means of procreation. I heard a quote from a priest who said: ‘Pornography is not a problem because it shows us too much. It’s a problem because it shows us too little.'”
– Russell Brand, Trolls, Despicable Me 2