MOORE, Okla. — Iconic 2000s adult star Jesse Jane has passed away, according to close industry friends and national media reports, some of which indicate that Jane was found dead on Wednesday at her home in Moore, Oklahoma.
Moore police later confirmed the bodies of Jane and boyfriend Brett Hasenmueller were found during a welfare check, and the incident was being investigated as a suspected overdose.
A classic blonde beauty who became a ubiquitous pinup from her start in 2000 until her retirement two decades later, Jane was inextricably linked, as a contract performer, to one of the most prominent studios and brands of the era, Digital Playground.
The company shaped her image and career from her 2002 start in the business and guided her into the kind of superstardom that was only possible before the explosion of internet porn later in the decade. Jane’s partnership with the company resulted in multiple credits, both for scenes and for high-budget feature movies.
Jane’s IAFD entry lists over 230 credits — such as “Pirates 2: Stagnetti’s Revenge,” “Island Fever 4” and “Jesse Jane Heat” — almost all of them as the cover star, either by herself or alongside other top Digital Playground performers of the era.
Jane was also one of the main draws for Digital Playground’s unprecedentedly pricy “Pirates” franchise (2005, 2008), acknowledged as the very height of big-budget, multimillion-dollar porn production for home video, before the advent of tube sites, smartphones and easy-to-find, cheaper digital video scenes ended the viability of those projects.
Jane won a 2015 XBIZ Award for Best Gonzo Scene, for Jules Jordan’s “Jesse: Alpha Female.”
“It’s a job, and you have to treat it like a job,” Jane told CNBC in 2009, when she was featured in the docuseries “Porn: The Business of Pleasure.”
“I’m a mom,” she explained. “I have a family. You know, I bought a house. It’s the way you pay your bills. And, there’s a lot more that goes into it than just having sex on film.”
From the very beginning of her career, Jane also branched out into the mainstream, becoming a household name through Showtime’s “Family Business,” a 2003-2006 reality series focused on director Seymour Butts and his circle. Several mainstream film and TV appearances include “Starsky & Hutch,” “Entourage” and “Bad Girls Club.”
Jane also hosted Playboy’s “Night Calls” and “Naughty Amateur Home Videos,” and served as host for the 2008 and 2011 XBIZ Awards shows.
Jesse Jane hosting the 2011 XBIZ Awards (Photo: XBIZ)
Digital Playground 'Contract Sisters' Remember Jane
Her perennial co-star and longtime close friend Riley Steele told XBIZ, “I’ll always remember how infectious her smile and laugh was. She was such a bright light in our world and I’ll never forget her. I’m still in shock. She was an amazing woman.”
Another longtime friend and co-star was Kayden Kross, a fellow member of the legendary trio of blonde Digital Playground contract stars who, alongside brunette Stoya, helped define that era in the industry.
Kross told XBIZ, “No one could match Jesse Jane in her combination of charm, energy, generosity, and raw natural beauty. She set a bar so high that she made my goals feel more aspirational than concrete, and she was intimidating but did everything she could to make the people around her forget it. Digital Playground was Jesse Jane, and when she left, it ceased to be the company she had made it.
“Jesse, Riley and Stoya were my contract sisters,” Kross added. “There really was a family element at play that I still value to this day. We all wanted to be the favorite but we all had each other’s backs. We worried about each other and celebrated each other. I feel like I’ve lost a big sister from a time in my life that is one of my fondest memories.
“To this day no one has matched her, and I’m confident that no one ever will,” Kross concluded.
"Jesse’s megawatt smile was powered by a genuine love for her work and the people she worked with," Stoya told XBIZ. "She immediately made me feel accepted and a part of the team when I joined Digital Playground. Her energy and joy will be missed."
Digital Playground Remembers Jane
Digital Playground founder and director Joone said, “I am heartbroken by the loss of my friend, Jesse Jane, who was a remarkable person and a phenomenal artist. She had a passion for life and a love for adventure that was unmatched. She touched so many lives with her grace and beauty, her infectious laugh and a smile that lit up the world. I’m honored to have known her and to have been her friend. She will be missed.”
Former DP co-owner Samantha Lewis also shared her memories of Jane.
“I find myself in shock and devastated by her loss,” Lewis told XBIZ. “Working alongside her was an immense honor, and I feel privileged to have shared those moments. Jesse was a true beauty, radiating both inner and outer grace. Her ability to make everyone feel special was contagious, and her kindness left a lasting impact on those around her.
“Jesse possessed a soul so kind and a spirit so wonderful — it’s hard to believe she’s gone,” Lewis added. “Her unstoppable work ethic and class-act demeanor set her apart. I can’t help but remember her infectious smile and laughter, etched in my mind. Rest in peace, Jesse Jane. Your absence is deeply felt, and you will be severely missed.”
Veteran Digital Playground publicist Adella Curry, who oversaw Jane’s rise as a contract star, told XBIZ, “I am so sad to learn Jesse is gone. From Australia to Alaska, Costa Rica to London, Miami to Seattle, I traveled all over the world with her. She was brilliant, beautiful and, most importantly, kind. I am so honored to have been able to work with her and to have been her publicist for eight years.”
Curry said that Jane made an impact on everyone she met, and on the world.
“I will never forget walking off of a plane, or into Times Square and having people go crazy,” Curry recalled. “Her beauty, Southern charm and unfortunate affection for partying made Jesse Jane the rock star of porn, and as such she played a huge role in the intersection of porn and pop culture. From Playboy and Hustler to Maxim and FHM, there wasn’t a magazine in the world she didn’t grace the cover of. I will love her, and remember her insatiable appetite for life forever. May she rest in deep and sweet peace.”
Veteran producer Jules Jordan offered, “Jesse was a true legend in adult, maybe one of the last superstars to achieve so much crossover appeal. She was the face of the industry for a decade and beyond, bringing her outgoing personality and fun spirit wherever she went. Few got the chance to work with her. Fortunately, we had a great working relationship in our collaborations and I value her friendship to this day. We will miss her greatly and send our condolences out to her family and friends.”
Historic Digital Playground producer Marc Kramer told XBIZ, “I produced the majority of Jesse’s movies. We have all been talking with each other after we heard about it, all the Digital Private family that were part of what we did — Riley, Kayden, Evan Stone, Tommy Gunn, the owners — we are all close-knit people. This woman was a real porn star, not someone here for just a cup of coffee or a day’s work. I was very, very sad when I heard about it and I’m devastated right now.”
"Taken from us was a beautiful unique individual inside and out," friend and co-star Stone told XBIZ. "She was truly the greatest pirate hunter of all time."
Industry Reminiscences
Co-star and longtime friend Keiran Lee said, “The industry has lost one the true legends of the business. But to me and my family, we’ve lost a truly amazing friend. Rest in peace Aunt C.”
“Jesse treated me like a somebody when I was a nobody, because that was the type of person she was,” Brett Rossi told XBIZ. “She was the light in every room she walked into and that’s how I want to remember her.”
Veteran industry insider James Bartholet, who was close with Jane, described her as “a wonderful friend to all of us.”
“She was a talented star and I’ll always remember the many projects we did together and her laughter and beautiful smile,” Bartholet noted. “We’re still in shock. I’m sending my thoughts and prayers to her family, and remind fans to please respect her family and friends’ need for time to grieve the loss of this beautiful angel.”
Several of Jane’s colleagues memorialized her through their social media accounts.
“I’m at a loss for words about the news of Jesse Jane’s passing,” Tommy Gunn posted on X. “She possessed an energy about herself that was just unmatchable. She was such a wonderful person and always made me smile and feel loved. You could always feel her presence the moment she walked in the room. We worked together numerous times and in fact made some of the biggest movies this business and the world will ever see.”
Gunn added that he feels “happy and grateful to have been part of a time where there was a feeling of family and camaraderie.”
“Rest in power, angel,” he concluded. “I’m grateful to have been graced by your presence.”
Nikki Benz, also on X, posted, “Yesterday I was hoping this isn’t true — today it’s hitting me hard. The world knew you as Jesse Jane. I knew you as Cindy. Fun, bubbly, good hearted, kind person. You were my travel buddy and you were always up for an adventure ... Rest in Peace.”
Joanna Angel posted, “Her energy was infectious and inspiring. She put the word ‘star’ in porn star. We lost a true icon.”
