Which adult-film performers have publicly discussed or confirmed their Jewish heritage in interviews or biographies?

1. Ron Jeremy — a long‑reported Jewish background and on‑record comments

Ron Jeremy’s Jewish background is repeatedly noted in profiles and collections about Jews in adult film, and Jeremy himself has commented on attending synagogue for family events and feeling proud of his heritage in interviews referenced by coverage of Jewish performers ^{[1] [3]}.

2. James Deen — openly discussed upbringing and cultural identity

James Deen (born Bryan Matthew Sevilla) is described in profiles as having been open about his Jewish upbringing — including anecdotes such as losing his virginity at a Jewish summer camp — and he is quoted as saying he is “definitely the loudest one about my Jewish heritage,” according to recent interviews reported in Vice ^{[1] [2]}.

3. Nina Hartley — identified by multiple profiles as Jewish

Nina Hartley is named among Jewish performers in surveys and feature pieces about Jewish figures in porn and is listed in compilations of notable Jewish adult‑film stars; profiles cite her long career and her presence on lists of Jewish porn legends ^{[1] [4]}.

4. Joanna Angel, Howie Gordon (Richard Pacheco) and other first‑person accounts

Vice’s recent feature explicitly documents first‑person material for Joanna Angel and Howie Gordon, noting that both grew up in Orthodox households and that Gordon later performed under the name Richard Pacheco, with biographical details recounted in the piece ^[2]. That same article situates other performers, such as Seymore Butts (Adam Glasser) and Howie Gordon, in on‑record conversations about Jewish upbringing and family influence ^[2].

5. Producers and creators who foreground Jewish identity — Michael Lucas and others

Profiles that discuss Jewish contributions to the industry highlight producers such as Michael Lucas and his work (for example, Lucas Entertainment’s Men of Israel) as explicitly engaging Jewish identity and themes; such reporting ties heritage to both on‑screen casting and production choices ^[1].

6. Historical surveys, databases and caution about attribution

Longer surveys and commentary traces a disproportionate Jewish presence among some historical figures in the industry and catalogues of Jewish performers ^{[5] [4] [6]}, and the Internet Adult Film Database provides a searchable heritage index though its entries are not primary interviews ^[7]. These sources are useful but vary between first‑person confirmation, family or public records, and editorial aggregation; not every performer appearing on compilations is quoted directly about their Jewish identity in the provided reporting ^{[7] [5]}.

7. Alternate viewpoints, implicit agendas and limits of the record

Some pieces approach the subject as cultural history or commentary about Jewish participation in an often stigmatized industry and may emphasize communal patterns or founders’ roles ^{[5] [6]}; that framing can reflect an intellectual or cultural agenda to “humanize sexuality” or to highlight entrepreneurial narratives, and compilations can unintentionally conflate ancestry, cultural identification, and religious practice ^{[5] [4]}. The provided sources do not include comprehensive, vetted biographies for every named performer nor a single definitive list, so claims that a performer is Jewish should be read as supported by the cited profiles or interviews rather than an exhaustive genealogical verification ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

8. Takeaway: who has confirmed or discussed Jewish heritage on record in these sources

Based on the supplied reporting, performers who have publicly discussed or been documented as Jewish in interviews or profiles include Ron Jeremy, James Deen, Nina Hartley, Joanna Angel, Howie Gordon (Richard Pacheco), Seymore Butts (Adam Glasser), and figures tied to Jewish‑themed productions like Michael Lucas; each of these names appears in the provided articles or compilations as having Jewish background or having spoken about Jewishness ^{[1] [2] [3]}. Where sources are aggregations or databases, the reporting sometimes relies on secondary sourcing rather than contemporaneous first‑person statements, so readers pursuing confirmation should consult the primary interviews cited in those profiles ^{[7] [5]}.