“Hey, I hope you’re doing well,” the late August Ames, 23, reportedly texted her friend and fellow adult film star, Keisha Grey, 23, on Nov. 8, per Radar Online. “I hope you’re doing well! I’ve been depressed and it seems like ppl are being dicks and I just wanted to let you know that you can talk to me if you ever want to.” The conversation, shared by Keisha on Dec. 8, seems to show August offering support and love, even as she was battling her own mental health issues.
Her friend certainly appreciated her help, as a heartbroken Keisha honored August (born Mercedes Grabowski) one day after her death. “[Rest] easy August Ames,” she tweeted, sharing a picture of the two of them together. “Thank you for being there for me during that hard time.” While Keisha was able to overcome her own struggles, it’s sad that the same could not be said for August. The Nova Scotia native was found dead on Dec. 5, in what the Ventura Country Medical Examiner’s officer EXCLUSIVELY told HollywoodLife.com was death by “asphyxia due to hanging.”
Before her death, August reportedly struggled with bipolar depression and multiple personality disorder, per Huffington Post, and she discussed her mental health issues openly on a podcast with adult film director Holly Randall. “Some days I’ll be fine and if I’m not doing anything,” she reportedly said on the now removed episode of Holly Randall Unfiltered. “I’ll get these awful flashbacks of my childhood and I get very depressed and I can’t get out of bed and cancel my scenes for like a week or two.”
RIP pic.twitter.com/YTV7aharOp
— Keisha Grey 💗s DPs (@littlekeish) December 8, 2017
Reast easy August Ames thank you for being there for me during that hard time. pic.twitter.com/maVJA9jPFM
— Keisha Grey 💗s DPs (@littlekeish) December 6, 2017
August rose to fame since her debut in 2013, winning two AVN awards in 2015 before appearing in nearly 290 movies. Her suicide came just two days after she faced a firestorm of criticism over a tweet many considered homophobic. “Whichever (lady) performer is replacing me tomorrow …you’re shooting with a guy who has shot gay porn, just to let cha know. BS is all I can say.” August defended herself, saying that “none of my intentions were malicious” and she was just “taking extra steps to [ensure] that my body stays safe.”
Our thoughts are with August’s family, friends and loved ones during their time of loss.