Culture

Gay porn star dead in apparent suicide two weeks after his husband’s death

Mar 12 2013
Written by Dom Sansalone

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a pink background.

A French gay porn star has been found dead two weeks after the suicide of his American husband.

Wilfried Knight, the star of gay porn films by Lucas Entertainment and Falcon Studios was found dead on 5 March in an apparent suicide, reports Queerty.

The adult entertainer’s death happened just two weeks after the suicide of his husband, Jerry Enriquez.

But a close friend of the couple, Michael Mew claimed: “They would both be alive today if America had gay marriage.”

In a statement, Mr Mew explained that Mr Knight was not another porn-star cliché and that he didn’t drink much or abuse drugs or steroids.

He wrote: “If you did see him at a bar or club, he was usually off on the side somewhere drinking a dry glass of white wine with his husband, Jerry.”

The couple were married in Vancouver, Canada seven years ago but due to American immigration laws, their Canadian marriage was not recognised in the United States and they were forced to move to Vancouver to be together about a year and a half ago.

Mr Enriquez had managed to secure a job that permitted the couple to live in Canada on visas, however after a year he was let go by his employers.

Mr Mew explained: “Without a job or work visa in Canada, Jerry and Wilfried would not be able to stay in Canada and they could not return to the US together.”

After five months of Mr Enriquez looking for another job in Canada, he took his own life on 21 February. Two weeks later, Mr Knight took his own life in same hotel in Vancouver where the couple was married.

Mr Mew continued: “Death can come suddenly and people forget to take care of final matters. There was no will. Anything that Wilfried and Jerry had build together, including their home in Portland, now went to Jerry’s family.

“Their relationship was never formally recognised by the US Government, even though they were legally married in Canada and had over seven years of memories and photos together.

“Up to the end, he expressed how he wished that no couple would have to endure what he and Jerry had to in trying to stay together. They would both be alive today if America had gay marriage.”

Lucas Entertainment director Marc MacNamara said: “He was so incredibly caring and genuine and we, as an industry and as a community are all at a great loss without Wilfried’s presence.”

The news of Wilfried Knight’s passing comes just weeks after Hungarian-born porn star Arpad Miklos was found dead in his New York City apartment, after an apparent suicide.