Mercedes Carrera | |
---|---|
Born | Melinda Smith Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Other names | Mercedes Carrera |
Melinda Smith, known professionally as Mercedes Carrera,[1][2][3] is a former American pornographic actress. She was a frequent commentator in support of the antifeminist Gamergate campaign and collaborated with the pro-Gamergate group The Fine Young Capitalists in 2015 on a fundraiser for students in STEM fields. In 2019, Carrera and her husband Jason Whitney were arrested on suspicion of child sexual abuse.
Carrera was an engineer before transitioning into the adult industry.[citation needed]
Carrera has appeared in more than 200 films. She is known for her performances in films which focused on the MILF subgenres, especially "Cougar" and "Latin". She has worked in film productions for Brazzers, Reality Kings, Wicked Pictures, Digital Playground and Evil Angel, among others.[citation needed]
In 2015, the pro-Gamergate group The Fine Young Capitalists worked with Carrera to create a scholarship for students studying in STEM fields. Fundraising included a live webcam show featuring Carrera; $11,280 was raised.[4][5]
Carrera has stated that she was inducted into the masonic Order of the Eastern Star.[6][third-party source needed] She has said her family has an extensive history with Freemasonry.[7][third-party source needed] Carrera has been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome,[8] which she describes as "a blessing that was originally disguised as a curse".[9][third-party source needed]
Carrera was a frequent commentator in support of the antifeminist online campaign known as Gamergate and a vocal critic of its detractors, including feminist media critic Anita Sarkeesian. She discussed rape culture with Infowars host Paul Joseph Watson and debated Gamergate opponent Chris Kluwe; The Daily Caller described Carrera as "Gamergate’s Porn Star Patron".[2] In October 2015, she was removed from a panel at the media festival South by Southwest following allegations that Carrera had cyberbullied the activist Randi Lee Harper.[2][10]
In February 2019, Carrera was arrested along with her husband Jason Whitney (aka Daemon Cins) at their home in Rancho Cucamonga on suspicion of child sexual abuse.[1][2] The pair were accused of sexually abusing a girl under the age of 10 multiple times over a four-month period; they were also charged with possessing a controlled substance (methamphetamine) while armed with a handgun. They were denied bail.[1][3][11] As of January 2023[update], both remain in jail awaiting trial.[12]