Former porn star found living in underground tunnels beneath Las Vegas
A former adult film star has been found living in a dark labyrinth of underground tunnels under the city of Las Vegas.
Stephanie Saddora, who enjoyed tremendous success in the adult film industry under the alias Jenni Lee, is now homeless and was found by a Dutch TV crew filming a documentary about the underground tunnels, built to protect the desert city from flash floods.
In what appears to be a chance encounter, filmmakers happen upon Saddora, now in her late 30s, in a clip which has surfaced online.
Surprisingly, the former adult star is bashful about her difficult situation.
“(It’s) not as difficult as you might think. Everybody’s really respectful,” she said.
“People down here are really good to each other.”
It’s unclear whether the TV reporter understood the background of the woman but in the clip he earnestly asks what she used to do for work before living in the underground system.
“I used to be in pornography,” she explains, with an uncomfortable smile.
“Were you successful in pornography?” he asks.
“Yeah, a little too successful maybe ... I actually got very famous.”
The roughly 300km-long labyrinth runs beneath the city of sin and has long been home to hundreds of homeless people, many said to be battling drug addiction, according to reports over the years.
In online travel forums dating back more than seven years, travellers can be seen sharing tips about the how to access the “secret tunnel” under the Las Vegas strip.
In 2002, the tunnels were used as refuge for convicted criminal Timmy T.J Weber, who used them to evade a massive police manhunt for weeks, ABC News reported in 2009. He was later sentenced to death row.
Former porn star happy in underground tunnels
Despite Jenni Lee being one of the most recognisable porn actresses in the industry, Saddora appears philosophical about her situation.
“I’m happy, I have everything I need here,” she said.
“People are more accepting here (under the ground)”.
When asked if she thinks she’ll leave and return to living above ground, she said she had no plans to do so and liked living in the subterranean environment.
“Sure there’s no water,” she said. But the former adult star enjoys the close bonds she has made with others living in the underground tunnels.
“I like that those hardships build camaraderie, so I feel like you end up making more genuine friends,” she said.
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