Joshua Broome was once one of the top five male porn stars in the world. Now, he is a husband, father, and pastor who wants people to know the depth of God’s mercy and kindness.
“Your story is powerful and your blessing is not only for you,” Broome said in a recent Instagram post. “It is to proclaim God’s glory and to let someone who is hurting know that there is freedom in the name of Jesus.
During his five years in the porn industry, Joshua Broome made over 1,000 adult films, was named Top Adult Male Performer of the Year, and earned over one million dollars. In May, he appeared on the “Let’s Talk Purity” podcast and Fight the New Drug’s “Consider Before Consuming” podcast, where he shared how he got involved in the porn industry, the damage it wreaked on him, and how God truly brought him into a new life.
Joshua Broome Becomes Trapped
Joshua Broome’s first encounter with pornography occurred at age 13 or 14 and, as happens with any addiction, he started craving it more and more. At the time, however, he never envisioned himself actually working in the porn industry. Soon after that first exposure, he started modeling and continued to do so while attending college. Broome became so successful at modeling that he decided to drop out of college, move to Los Angeles, and become a professional model and actor.
While working at a restaurant in L.A., Broome met a group of girls who worked in porn and suggested that he consider doing so as well. He agreed to meet with an agent, who told him that because of Broome’s good looks and because there was a need for acting experience, he could likely have a successful career as a porn star.
Broome’s guilt and nerves gradually diminished throughout his first year working as a porn star. “The more numb I became to what it was, the less I felt conflicted about it,” he said. “It was just a transaction to me. A handshake was sometimes more personal than having sex.”
Broome explained that for men in the porn industry, “There’s so much pressure on you to perform.” And while what he was doing “was so not emotional in any regard,” at the same time, “there would always be repercussions from that because emotions are real. Intimacy is real.” He would feel the weight of his actions after he was done working when he went home.
As a way of coping, Broome became increasingly reclusive. He got to where he could not bear being around people when he was not working. “I exerted myself on an intimate level so much that the last thing I wanted to do was be around people.”
Broome also felt protected when alone because when there were no people around, that meant no one could reject him. “I’ve always kind of been a recluse in a certain degree,” he said, “and I think because I felt rejected in some regards growing up…I believed that when I was by myself…I felt safe.”
Broome’s isolation also stemmed from his sense of worthlessness. He thought being able to perform sexually on command “was why I was valuable.” He said, “The deeper I got into the industry, the more I isolated myself from people because I didn’t feel like I had anything genuinely to offer.” He felt used, useless, and dirty and believed that other people also saw him that way. “Every day I woke up and I was like, I better hide from the world because I’m not of any use. And that little voice grew inside my head and it got louder and louder and louder.”
During his last year as a porn star, Broome never left his apartment. He thinks he spent around $14,000 on takeout so he wouldn’t have to go to the grocery store and interact with people. He also felt completely trapped. He could not envision any future for himself outside of the porn industry and because he believed that lie, he remained where he was.
“If you believe a lie, it will become true to you,” said Broome. “If I believe that I’m a failure, it’s going to be impossible for me to succeed.” He didn’t believe in God at the time, but even so, “I was just asking out into thin air, can I please die?”
Joshua Broome’s Journey to Freedom
Joshua Broome’s decision to leave the porn industry was the result of something one could describe as a modern-day miracle. “I had gone maybe a year without hearing my real name because I had isolated myself to the point where I was only interacting with people on set,” he said.
One day, he went to the bank. After concluding his transaction and starting to walk away, the teller called after him, using his real name, “Joshua.” She wanted to know, was there something that he needed? Could she help him with anything?