R.I.P. Erik Rhodes: 1982-2012


Following the news this morning of Erik Rhodes’ death, I’ve been going through all his photos and remembering just how incredibly gorgeous he was (a fact that was sometimes overshadowed by the antics and turmoil surrounding his public persona). I think this one (above) is one of my favorites. There will never be anyone else like him.

One of my favorite videos of Erik:

Sister Roma said it best: It would be so boring without stars like Erik Rhodes.
 

 

37 thoughts on “R.I.P. Erik Rhodes: 1982-2012”

  1. A huge spirit has passed through my life. I consider myself lucky he touched it. I am deeply saddened but I am also reminded you have to fill your life with meaning. Even though most of us are just plugging along surviving, life is a precious gift. This moment is all we have. We can waste it on hate, we can invest it in love. I am very lucky and so are you. Live, love and embrace this finite time we have, fill it with words and connections that actually matter. You get one life- so LIVE BITCHES!!!

    1. Joey Stefano from Brick NJ? Yup hes fucked up but only because he lost just about everything when he was caught being involved in a insider traders scam. Such is life.

  2. As soon as I heard the news about Erik last night I was devastated. I came straight here and was dismayed to see the Internet Trolls already trashing the man. It bothered me all night and still does this morning. I knew Erik. Not the Erik that got into fights and got loaded and blah blah blah but I met him through director John Bruno when Erik was getting ready to direct his first Falcon movie.
    I’d read his blogs and we’d exchanged comments through it but I was surprised to find he was whip-smart, totally aware of who he was and his own foibles and really, really nice.
    He was a great character. I’d so hoped he’d quit trying to die. Beyond his physical beauty was unfathomable pain that nothing could touch. Nothing eased it and he is finally at peace – I hope. I think it’s sad that a man who had so many gifts and the tools couldn’t reach beyond despair to work with them.
    I feel sorriest for his twin brother of course, and his family. But I know the people he worked with genuinely cared about him. His insecurities were his own. I won’t forget this unique guy. He wrote some of the most intriguing blogs ever. I’d reached out to him to get him to write a book. I’d hoped it would help.
    That’s all I can say. Many tried and failed. The darkness was too alluring.
    What he doesn’t deserve is being hated for leaving a party he didn’t want to be at. He doesn’t deserve the name calling, the crap people think it’s okay to say about him, hunched over their laptops in the privacy of their anonymity, one hand picking out letters on keyboard, the other hand flicking the remote control to their favorite Erik Rhodes sex scenes…

  3. I have no qualms with Erik/James, at least he was a fellow gay man. I see no reason to tarnish and tear someone down, certainly when they are dead.
    Gay men are degraded enough by christian bigots and gay 4 payers; So the fact that James had a troubled life due to self-abuse does not warrant him
    a bad person, but rather someone who should have been loved with support from fellow gay men and fans. It’s ironic to me that we rather praise a Cody
    Cummings or James Jameson personality but destroy our own, that really sucks to know.

  4. Wow, I was rubbing one out to a scene of his just last night. Still, I guess he would’ve wanted it that way….

    RIP, big guy.

  5. I was waiting for all the bitchy queens to come out yelling “Steroids!!” and I’m not disappointed. What hypocrisy behind such a stance. Most of your heads spin when you see a huge dude who’s obviously not natural like Erik, but still try and shame people for using roids??

    So you like the eye candy, reap the benefits, but shame how they got there?

  6. So sad the bitch is dead, may he rot in hell where he belongs. The fucking steroid drug addict pretty much killed himself. Not sad at all, but definitely hilarious. What a filthy self centered, lunatic, steroid freak, meth addict and a douche bag. Hooray the dog face bitch is dead.

  7. I’ve known James before Erik Rhodes back in Long Island when he was 20 years old “dancing” at a private club for men, he was already hugely muscled, with a fat uncut cock and an ass that was always ready for any and all action. He liked to act dumb (his email for a time was Bigdumbjames) but he was actually quite bright and had an excellent memory. I got along well with him as we were roughly the same age, he would ask me “why would a young guy like you come here?” I would answer, “To meet guys like you who work here and especially guys like you you big lug!” and he would laugh. I was always too shy to go up to the straight guido guys that were my fantasy out in the “real world” but here was one right in front of me who loved ass play and bottoming, how could I NOT want to be there.

    So sad to see what happened after many years. I moved away to NYC and he pursued his life in porn. We kept in touch sparingly and I would see him at events here and there and was always interested and enjoyed his crazy stories of life in porn but fairly recently I asked about his steroid and GHB usage and he lashed out at me using his blog feed. I wasn’t particularly bothered as I knew he was not doing well but I always wished the best for him. He said that he would die before 30 and that he wondered how painful it would be. There is so much more to my memories of James but one was he always beat his own expectations so I’m not surprised he made it past 30 and also he passed in his sleep (most likely painlessly) which may mean that I got my wish for “the best” in an ultimately sad situation.

    R.I.P. James, you big lug!

  8. “Jay” exactly…i’m sure Falcon enabled this behavior as well as set up lots of his clients to escort..as he blogged many times he could only service clients if he was totally high…now they are so saddened…vultures!

    1. i mean its sad when people die, but the man blogged about using inject-able tanning, steroids, hard drugs, barebacking, and not caring about living or dying. I mean is it still sad when they intentionally throw their life away? Especially in the public eye, even if its the public eye of the gay porn world. And i jerked off to some of his videos today in remembrance of him. One was of austin wilde in a group scene the other was matthew rush, both of those guys and many more will be seen fucking a dead junkie because they didn’t care to say “hey maybe i shouldn’t be helping this guy make money to continue fucking up his life.”

      1. You think it’s sad when someone dies, yet you hope I die. What insanity. Your rage is not really appropriate here. You do recognize that people are in mourning? Just save the irrational ire for a day or two

        1. ya claim people are in mourning..hate to be the one that says it str8, but here it goes…he was a self destructive drug addict…sure it sucks he died…but as many of ya state..it was no shocker. Find it just a little shallow of what some of ya posted. Starting off with (olaf)..who posted ” the gay community strives for equality, yet so many are willing to throw their own under the bus” Olaf, what the fuck does that mean..its out of content..relates in no way to this story..dude, ya clearly need to get a grip…what ya wrote is called..”I think Im a writer and love to read what I post”…Now the post from “JJ” pretty much says it like it is…”find it strange Im mourning the death of a porn star I never knew”..couldnt be a more honest post..we all hate seeing others die. Sure there are some fucked up post here..but the truth is the dude was a total mess…he never represented the gay community in a positive way..”olaf” think the gay community would have done him a favor if they did throw him under a bus. Olaf, have read all your replies to others who posted comments about the dudes death..read all the comments folks left. Sure,some where a bit harsh..but damn, none were more fake then yours..or more insulting to the gay community than yours..if want to be a writer..learn to write. Just saying it like it is, Mike

      2. it’s not sad. He threw his life away AND made a huge production about it. How bad can you feel for a guy when he spends a year blogging about how much he wanted to die while he tells you what drugs he’s abusing…the guy was a tool.

        Mourn for the people who deserve it.

          1. Again, hear, hear! I feel sorry for his family, to a point. But where were all these porn “stars” now crawling all over themselves to see who can wax poetically the most about their “friend” James/Erik, who needed a serious intervention. I’m glad Chi Chi went silent on Twitter yesterday for her “sweet Erik”, but did he/she/it ever try to get him into rehab and therapy?

            Chances are, probably not at all.

            James/Erik spent the better part of two years or more blogging about his drug use, and the last year or so, as a previous poster said, essentially bragging about how many drugs he was taking and what a pathetic human being he was. He essentially committed a slow suicide in front of the world, and all these gay porn stars and fans now crying as they’re jacking off, didn’t give a good damn. Now they do?

            Please.

  9. I’m confused everyone saw he was self destructive and all these people are now mourning him when they should of helped him when he was alive. Sometimes disowning an addict is the only way to get them help, otherwise ur just enabling their behavior. It’s pretty obvious the porn personalities are trying to get in some of their own face time during this event and couldn’t give a shit about erik when he was alive. It doesn’t matter how well u speak of the dead if u talked shit about them when they were alive.

  10. I remember seeing Erik Rhodes in Dallas once. I was so star struck at the time that I was too chicken shit to go over . A lot of my first gay films I purchased were with Erik. I remember having my mine blown when he bottomed for the first time. Despite his antics and turmoil, I always believed him to be a genuine and nice guy; and it always appeared to be so. He seemed to have a great sense of humor and a rare ability to truly laugh at himself. This is a day that it sucks to be fan. I’m not going to go negative and start attacking those who have left inappropriate or just plain vile comments about a young man who has passed away today. There’s been enough negativity to last quite a while already. I’m not much of a believer in the afterlife; but if there is, I truly hope “Erik” is in a peaceful and joyous place. R.I.P. Mr. Rhodes.

  11. Just has he had predicted..nonetheless still sad…a tormented soul..with a industry that made it all possible for his destruction RIP

    1. Congratulations. No matter how horrible you mistakenly believe he is…you win the prize as the most horrible

  12. You’re right all the drama and turmoil that surrounded him overshadowed what a great performer(pre kink IMHO) that he was. He was physically beautiful and a true porn star, now an Icon. RIP. Erik/James

  13. I read his blog a few times. He said how much he always loved the finale from Six Feet Under, and wondered if his final moments would be like this. I hope it was for him. This show was absolutely amazing. The final minutes were life changing.

    1. I hope so too… I was shocked by sadly not surprised by his death… Even more I’m saddened by the fact that he couldn’t or wouldn’t accept the help he needed. Whenever I saw a video clip of him he always seemed to make me laugh or give me a cheeky smile. I read his blog on occasion and could identify with him on some levels. I have never been as destructive as he was but I’ve had my own battles with self-image, love, depression, drugs and alcohol.

      I do find it kinda strange that I’m morning the death of a porn star that I never knew though…

    2. People have joked about his problems, as they have regarding myriad performers. But his death, coupled with other issues he had, have prompted unimaginable comments. The gay community strives for equality, yet so many are willing to throw their own under a bus. I love Erik’s work, I love men who make gay porn, I love men, and I will miss him

  14. Wow so sad! You were such a bully to him too….but he was a bit distructive…but it’s still really sad! What did he die of?

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