The “New” Sex Scene of an Abusive Gay Pornstar Couple. Um, Awkward!

Do the folks over at Next Door Studios not read the much publicized news of the horrible domestic violence between former real life lovers Spencer Reed and Phillip Aubrey? Guess not, because the scene just released on NextDoorBuddies.com is scorching hot, but is it appropriate?

In July, gay porn blogs, including us, were abuzz when Reed accused Aubrey of stabbing him in the arm, down to the muscle. Aubrey was charged with assault and possession of a deadly weapon and ordered to steer clear from Reed. Reed was immediately accusatory, saying on his blog, "Phillip has been both verbally and physically abusive pretty much from the start. Each time has gotten progressively worse."

Now, Aubrey has come out with a heartbreaking interview about his ordeal with Reed, displaying how Reed slowly began to control aspects of Aubrey's life, and inflicted him with constant violence. Ultimately, in a bizarre reenactment of what was happening behind-the-scene, Reed coerced a reluctant Aubrey to do BDSM porn—with Aubrey as the submissive partner. Obviously, these set-ups hit a little too close too home.

Aubrey was scheduled to appear in court yesterday, September 8th, which is, ironically, the same day that Next Door Studios released this scene, called "I Wanna Be Your Dog."

Ummm... really, Next Door Studios?

Watching the scene, and looking at the photos, is undeniably arousing. Granted, it was obviously filmed prior to all the drama—but after listening to Aubrey's interview, the scene becomes uncomfortable, almost unwatchable. Having Aubrey chained up as Reed orders, "Come here, puppy," no longer titillates when we realize the division between fantasy and reality is uncomfortably blurred.

Readers may wonder why we're covering this story, since we like to keep things fun. First off, Aubrey's story is an important tale of the rarely discussed topic of gay domestic abuse, involving two highly popular porn performers. And many gay blogs have covered the story without yet giving Aubrey a chance to coherently tell his side, forcing him to deal with incorrect negative judgements from fans and the industry.

We've posted a couple photos here to illustrate yesterday's released scene. But we feel that studios who still have unreleased footage in their vaults featuring Aubrey and Reed together would be wise to keep the footage locked away. Scenes such as "I Wanna Be Your Dog" now appear disrespectful and tasteless. Allow these performers, particularly Aubrey, to move on with their lives as separate individuals.

· I Wanna Be Your Dog (nextdoorbuddies.com)
· Two sides of the story of violence in a gay relationship (menofporn.typepad.com)
· Violence in Gay Relationships: Phillip's Story (queermagazineonline.com)