Former adult film actress Lana Rhoades has made a powerful plea to erase her past from the internet, telling fans she wants every trace of her old videos gone for good. Once one of the most searched names in the adult industry, Rhoades — now a mother and entrepreneur — says the weight of her past work has become “unbearable.”
“If I could press one button and make it all disappear, I would,” Rhoades said during an emotional appearance on the “The Skinny Confidential” podcast. “I wish I could delete every video, every photo — all of it. I don’t even recognize that girl anymore.”
Her raw confession immediately sent waves across X and Reddit, where fans and critics alike reignited debates about the long-term toll of fame in the adult industry. “She was at the top — and still wants it all gone,” one viral post read. “That says everything about what the industry really does to people.”
Lana Rhoades says she wants “every single adult video deleted” and wishes she could “erase that part” of her life entirely. @PopBase
Rhoades, whose real name is Amara Maple, entered the adult entertainment world at just 19 years old and quickly rose to fame, becoming a household name on platforms like Pornhub and OnlyFans. But she has repeatedly spoken about how the experience left her with deep emotional scars. “I was young, naïve, and thought it was empowerment,” she said. “But it wasn’t. It was exploitation disguised as opportunity.”
Now 28, Rhoades has shifted her life completely — focusing on raising her son and building her lifestyle brand. Yet, she says her past follows her everywhere. “People think they know me because of those videos,” she told Daily Mail. “But they don’t. They know a character that was created for men to consume.”
Experts in digital ethics have weighed in, saying Rhoades’s demand reflects a growing problem in the age of permanent online content. “Once explicit material is uploaded and distributed, it’s virtually impossible to erase,” said professor Dr. Susan Leary of Harvard’s Cyber Law Center. “Even with legal takedowns, pirated copies continue to resurface on mirrors and dark web sites.”
“It’s haunting,” Lana Rhoades said. “I can delete my accounts, but I can’t delete the internet.” @itvnews
During the interview, Rhoades broke down while describing the shame she feels knowing her videos are still online. “I’ll never get to live a normal life,” she said. “No matter what I do, someone will always pull up my past. It’s like being in a prison with invisible walls.”
Her comments struck a chord with other former adult performers, including Mia Khalifa, who famously called the adult industry “a death sentence for women’s dignity.” Khalifa shared Rhoades’s clip on social media, writing, “We warned them years ago — this system eats women alive.”
Fans flooded Lana’s Instagram with messages of support, calling her “brave” and “human.” But others criticized her for “regretting the same videos that made her rich.” One fan wrote on TikTok, “It’s hard to feel sorry when she made millions, but you can still see the pain in her eyes.”
Industry insiders, however, say Rhoades’s experience is far from unique. “A lot of former performers want their content removed, but that’s not how digital ownership works,” explained media lawyer Mark Latham. “Studios own the footage, and under U.S. law, it’s almost impossible for an individual to reclaim the rights.”
“Studios own the footage. The performer can’t erase it, even if they beg to.” — Entertainment lawyer on Lana Rhoades’s plea. @guardian
In the same interview, Rhoades reflected on her younger self with both compassion and regret. “I wasn’t a bad person — I was lost. I thought being famous would fill a void. Instead, it created one I can’t escape.”
When asked whether she’d ever return to the industry, her response was immediate. “Never. I wouldn’t wish that life on anyone,” she said. “If I could speak to every girl thinking about joining, I’d tell her: You’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”
Despite her pain, Rhoades has become a symbol of resilience. She now advocates for stricter online consent laws and supports campaigns to help women exit adult work safely. “I want my son to grow up proud of me,” she said in a tearful moment. “Not haunted by who I used to be.”
“I’m not Lana anymore,” she said. “I’m Amara. And I’m finally free.” @BBCWorld
But for millions who still search her name daily, her wish for erasure might never come true. Digital traces of her past persist across thousands of mirror sites and archives — a cruel reminder that, in the age of the internet, some mistakes can’t be undone.
Still, her message resonates far beyond adult entertainment. “We live in a world where your worst moment can live forever,” she told NBC News. “All I want is peace. I just want to start over.”
As her words spread across social media, one comment seemed to capture the collective sentiment: “She doesn’t owe anyone forgiveness for surviving her past.”
