As TRPWL reported last month, former adult film star Cytherea and her family were victims of a horrific home invasion Jan. 19th in Las Vegas. The house was robbed by five armed men and Cytherea was raped repeatedly while its other residents, including two children, were held at gunpoint.
Adult performer Mercedes Carrera, along with TRPWL and others, have endeavored to raise awareness about this awful event and the online fundraiser established to benefit Cytherea and her family.
Saturday, actress, comedian, writer, television host and former presidential candidate Roseanne Barr spoke up in sympathy, calling the home invasion “a terrible crime!” and adding “I’m so sorry this happened to U & ur family!”
https://twitter.com/therealroseanne/status/576823243677396992
Amazingly, Barr’s simple act of compassion and human decency was the first known instance of a celebrity (let alone a celebrity feminist) acknowledging the crime which has reportedly left Cytherea (who subsequently appeared in a short video addressing the events) afraid to venture outside.
Last month, Carrera rallied fans and supporters to come to the adult entertainer’s aid. As Carrera told The Daily Dot, she was inspired to help Cytherea after reading about her story and her YouCaring fundraiser page on TRPWL, and decided to spearhead a campaign in support of the ex-performer.
Carrera began lining up adult performers for benefit shows on adult cam site Streamate (NSFW). She also took to Twitter and her YouTube channel to rally donors and, as The Daily Dot reports, talk about “the many frustrations she had with the media, particularly how the media covers the abuse of sex workers.” Carrera was outraged at the lack of interest in Cytherea’s story from mainstream media.
Following Carrera’s appeals, donations to Cytherea’s online fundraiser tripled in under 24 hours, topping its original $10,000 USD goal with 43 days to spare. (The current total is over $20,500 USD.)
Modern feminist icon Anita Sarkeesian did not respond to a request to donate to the Cytherea fundraiser. “Here you have a woman who’s a real victim of a real rape and a real assault and those same women who claim they care about women’s rights have done nothing,” said Mercedes Carrera.
On Feb. 15 Carrera took to YouTube for what The Daily Caller described as an “intensely angry, but nonetheless heartfelt video” in which she called out feminists for their indifference to Cytherea’s case. ”This is why I’m so pissed at modern feminists,” Carrera said in the video. “They claim to care about women, but when there are actually women in need — radio fucking silence.”
“When real world traumatic events occur, good people from all walks of life come forward to offer support, and we saw this in the case of Cytherea,” said Carrera. “It was the support of people in the adult industry as well as fans, gamers, you-tubers and other internet friends that have made [her] fundraiser a smashing success thus far. People from multiple communities have come together to support a woman in her time of need. Good people never allow politics to trump empathy, but instead through trauma find opportunities to bond via commonalities.” We can add Roseanne Barr to that list.
On Jan. 19, Metro officers were dispatched to a home in a southwest Las Vegas, in response to a report of a home invasion, robbery and sexual assault.
Early the next morning, North Las Vegas police responded to a report of another home invasion. The victim said three men kicked in her door and ransacked the house, taking electronics, guns and the woman’s car.
Using the woman’s iPhone locater, they tracked the stolen car. After chasing two cars, police arrested Qumaire Rainey, 18; Edward London, 17; and Casey Franks, 16.
Metro detectives, working with North Las Vegas police on this case, identified the three as suspects in the brutal Martin Luther King Day home invasion at Cytherea’s home.
The three have criminal histories and authorities report that they knew each other from detention.
(left to right) Casey Franks, 16; Edward London, 17; and Qumaire Rainey, 18.
At a hearing on Feb. 23, Las Vegas Justice Court Judge Conrad Hafen continued the preliminary hearing in the prosecution of Rainey, London, and Franks to March 26. The district attorney stated that the case may be consolidated with the prosecution of two other suspects arrested subsequent to Rainey, London and Franks, and that a grand jury may be convened in the matter.
