Everyone’s favourite porn daddy, Arpad Miklos, committed suicide on Sunday, Feb 3 at age 45.
Born in Hungary, Miklos, whose birth name was Peter Kozma, took his life in his New York apartment. No suicide note was found, but it’s been reported that he was battling depression.
News of his death was announced by New York writer Randal Lynch on Howard Bragman’s YouTube show, Gwissues.
“He was a great guy on top of [being a pornstar]. There was a lot more to him than just that surface persona,” Lynch said. “He was a very active person in the gay community. He wasn’t happy, I would say, but he wasn’t going into crying fits. He was a hard nut to crack.”
Pornstar Colby Keller has written a blog post in memory of his former scene-partner, and his words speak a poignant truth for not only Miklos, but all sex workers:
While I don’t pretend to fully know the rationale behind his decision, I can say that I’ve struggled myself with depression and suicide. Like any physically-demanding, socially-vexed form of labor, sex work isn’t easy work — not least because of the stigma and meager income. You give a lot of yourself for what can seem like very little in return. It can take its toll emotionally. The naked body is a vulnerable body after-all. We should remember to celebrate Arpad, the sexy man behind the scenes and in front of the camera who gave so much of himself for our desire and not condemn a choice privately considered and personally significant enough to result in such extreme measures.
RIP, you gorgeous man!