TORONTO — Canadian TS performer Tasha Jones has passed away, Grooby.com disclosed today.
Jones, who passed away on Saturday, was 35 years old. The adult star’s cause of death was not disclosed at post time.
Jones shot for numerous studios, including Kennston Productions, Canada-TGirl.com, Pure-TS.com, Mayhem North Productions, Third World Media and Grooby, among others. She also offered clips on Clips4Sale.com, had a presence on the OnlyFans platform and had a website, ClubTasha.xxx.
Grooby’s Kristel Penn called Jones “a beacon of light and kindness in our industry” in a letter posted on Grooby.com today.
“She offered her insight and resources without qualification to girls just starting out in the industry,” Penn said of the performer, whose death was reported to Penn by her husband.
“Seeing her at the TEAs each year was always a bright spot of my weekend,” Penn said. “She always had a warm hug waiting for me whenever I saw her. We’re so lucky that Tasha’s path crossed with ours and are so grateful for her friendship throughout the years. I’m so thankful for the time we spent together in Toronto, at the TEAs, at Drag Con, and at the AIDS Walk in 100-degree heat in West Hollywood.”
Grooby founder, Steven Grooby, said, “I’m shocked. I knew Tasha had medical issues, but I didn’t appreciate that it became this serious. She’d always been one of the coolest, most genuine and hospitable models I’ve known and despite having first appeared with us in 1999, I’d only gotten to know her within the last few years.”
“She came out to Los Angeles to participate in the AIDS walk with us a couple of years back and she was just a very open and honest individual. My condolences go to her husband and family,” Grooby said.
Penn said that one topic Jones did speak about sometimes was health.
“I can’t remember exactly how it came up in conversation, but we talked about the difficulty with having an invisible disease (where you are sick, but people can’t necessarily tell you’re sick by the way you look),” Penn said. “We joked about our situations and lamented together about health, and despite the heaviness of the topic, she was still so positive about it.”
Read the complete remembrance, including photos of Jones, on Grooby.com here.
Meantime, APAC, the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee, released a statement about Jones and resources for talent.
APAC said Jones was remembered for her "kind, open, and genuine personality."
"APAC extends our deepest condolences to Jones’s family and community," the group said. "We kindly remind our community that mourning, coping, and healing is seldom a linear process. We ask you to be gentle with yourselves, to take space and time as needed, and to lean into the communities to which you belong.
"In this difficult time, APAC urges performers to make space for self-care and reach out for professional counseling if needed. For sex worker friendly mental health resources, visit APAC-usa.com/professionals-therapists."