13 | Tasha Reign: From Princess to P*rn Star

When you envision a fraternity house full of hormonal college dudes having a conversation about sexual consent, who do you imagine they’d be more likely to listen attentively to: a sterile, scripted lecture delivered by a poor graduate intern from Campus Health, or… one of the most successful adult film stars in the business?Uh, yeah, that’s what I thought.And that’s exactly what Tasha Reign did, in fraternities and in lecture halls at numerous university campuses. She’s also an activist within her industry fighting for the rights, safety, and dignity for sex workers, having published articles and served as chairperson of the Adult Performers Advocacy Committee. And did I mention she has not only a Bachelors in Women’s Studies from UCLA, but also a Masters in Journalism from USC’s renowned Annenberg School?This woman is a fucking POWERHOUSE, y’all. It was such an honor to receive an early copy of her book, From Princess to Porn Star, which releases on June 13 (the same day as this podcast episode airs!)<br /><br />I enjoyed this book so much that I was literally reading it on my Kindle while on a boat recently, because I was so eager to hear what happened next. (Don’t @ me, I enjoyed the boat too— but y’all know how it goes when you’re enraptured by a book! 😂)In this episode of Bad Bitch Therapist Podcast, Tasha and I talk about the necessity of updating society’s archaic view of women and sexuality, and stop shaming and judging women who choose to monetize their body or sexuality. Tasha also shares about the most fulfilling job she’s had so far: becoming a Mom.Don’t miss this episode with the only and only TASHA freaking REIGN! About Tasha ReignTasha Reign is one of the most legendary and popular adult performers in the nation, with over 1 million Instagram followers. She graduated from UCLA in 2014 with a degree in Women’s Studies and a Masters in Journalism from USC’s Annenberg School in 2019. From the very beginning of her career, Reign has been outspoken about her support for women’s rights and women’s sexual freedom, and as an advocate for normalizing sexuality and advancing the rights and respect of sex workers.Reign has been featured in and praised by outlets such as CNN, The Guardian, The Daily Beast, The Independent, New York Daily News, Huffington Post, The Washington Post,  Al Jazeera, OC Weekly, Nightline, The Daily Bruin, Complex Magazine, Metro US, and Vice. Her writing has been published in the Huffington Post and Al Jazeera America. She also penned a column for MEL Magazine. Reign has spoken at numerous fraternities and on college campuses to bring her message of consent and respecting women’s sexual boundaries to students.  This episode covers:[1:20] Reading, watching, loving[7:15] The process of naming her book and why she called it From Princess to Porn Star[8:55] Did family issues and a hard upbringing lead her into porn?[11:05] Reframing porn and the language we use around it, and looking at it from a creative lens[17:15] Women’s sexual freedom and being able to co-exist in sex work[21:40] Fairytale Dystopia excerpt from her book[25:55] The healing power in writing her book[29:05] Advancing the rights and dignity of sex workers[34:10] Educating about the industry and on consent[37:15] What does achievement mean to Tasha[41:40] Becoming a mom<br />Resources mentioned in this episode:Watching: Ted LassoReading: Flawless: Lessons in Looks & Culture from the K-Beauty Capital by Elise HuLoving: imPRESS press-on nails