WILFRIED KNIGHT REST IN PEACE 1977-2013

Wilfried Knight is a legend in the gay porn industry. He has filmed over 20 films for Lucas Entertainment as an exclusive model. Out Magazine named Wilfried Knight the Hottest Porn Star and DNA Magazine has listed Wilfried on their acclaimed Sexiest Men’s list. This French stud has also proven to be one of the most professional and charming models in the industry.

Although his suicide has already been from March 2013, I still want to remember him once more. He was one of my favourite and hottest performers and also one of the sexiest men I know. Wilfried was born in a small French town and he thinks his face is both a blessing and a curse in that it only “inspired vanilla in most people” but says he always wanted a bit more. He dealt with cancer in his life several times in his early twenties and after beating it and getting healthy, he decided to challenge himself and break from the routine by getting into porn. You will see in almost every interview and write up that he says he does not at all regret getting into porn and Lord knows those who follow his  work are definitely happy about that. Scruff, muscle, hair, the sexy alluring French mystique: if this man does not have your cocks rocking then you need help!!! ;o)

Wilfried began in gay porn in 2004 with his debut with Lucas Entertainment in premiere Auditions line Volume 1 and went on to lead roles in Manhattan Heat, Michael Lucas’ Dangerous Liaisons, Obsession and Kings of New York.

The warm, charming and handsome French performer with a rugged and intimidating big physique had a series of career achievements over the past decade; a 2010 GayVN Award for Performer of the Year, a 2011 Grabby for Best Versatile Performer and a role in Madonna’s video “Sorry”. But next to modeling he had also a post graduate in European social law from 1997, a certified personal trainer degree from 2001 and he became a master in Chinese medicine in 2011. Wilfried Knight is a true outdoors man and spends his time off camera with his beloved dog climbing and trekking up mountains.

His suicide follows the suicide of his partner Jerry just last month, the details of which Knight made public in a heartbreaking blog post a week before his own death.

Michael Mew, a close friend of porn star Wilfried Knight, confirmed in a statement that Wilfried died on March 5  2013 because of suicide. “It is with heavy heart that I announce the passing of Wilfried Knight on Tuesday, March 5th, 2013. The last thing he would want is everyone to think he was a porn-star cliché. He was not: He was not a drug or steroid abuser, and he did not drink like crazy. He was a funny man with a kitschy sense of humour, who was more at home in the outdoors; on a mountaintop or volcano with his trusty pitbull he affectionately called Pig Daughter. If you did see him at a bar or club, he was usually off on the side somewhere drinking a dry glass of white wine with his husband, Jerry”.

Wilfried’s husband of seven years, Jerry Enriquez, took his own life less than two weeks before Wilfried did. Wilfried decided to follow him; taking his own life in the same hotel where they were legally married in up in Vancouver, Canada. Jerry was an American citizen and Wilfried was a French national. Despite the challenges of being in a multi-national relationship, they tried very hard to make it work and stay together. Wilfried even enrolled into acupuncture school in Portland, so that they can stay together. With his schooling and attached visa coming to a close end, Jerry desperately looked for work in Vancouver, Canada. They would have preferred to stay in Portland, but due to American immigration laws their Canadian marriage was not recognized and Wilfried would have to leave the U.S. Since Wilfried and Jerry were legally married in Canada, Wilfried was given a spouse visa and they both happily moved up to Vancouver.

After about a year, Jerry was let go by his job. Without a job or work visa in Canada, Jerry and Wilfried would not be able to stay in Canada and they could not return to the U.S. together. After about five months not being able to find a new job, Jerry took his own life on February 21, 2013. Death can come suddenly and people forget to take care of final matters. There was no will. Anything that Wilfried and Jerry had build together, including their home in Portland, now went to Jerry’s family. Their relationship was never formally recognized by the U.S. government, even though they were legally married in Canada and had over eight years of memories and photos together. Up to the end, Wilfried  expressed how he wished that no couple would have to endure, what he and Jerry had to in trying to stay together. They would both be alive today if America had accepted gay marriage everywhere.

All the people that knew Wilfried from studios Lucas Entertainment, Raging Stallion Studios till friends in the business Matthew Rush are saying about Wilfried that he was caring, genuine and a joy to have him on the set.The industry and the ommunity are all at a great loss without his presence. Knight was a huge performer, had a gracious air and was a man of stature. His charm and humor did not go unnoticed. All of these traits are what made him a superstar of the industry.

“Chris Ward, President of Falcon/Raging Stallion Studios offered these sentiments about his friend: ‘Wilfried’s death is a blow to our studio and to our industry. There was no nicer man. We have all lost someone very special. I can only say that personally I am devastated. Wilfried was a friend and I shall miss him. All of us at Falcon and Raging Stallion Studios hope he is at peace, and our thoughts are with his family and friends. I know that his good friend and director, Tony Dimarco, is also greatly saddened by this tragic loss.'”

Knight’s suicide also follows the recent deaths of several other well-known figures from gay porn, including Arpad Miklos in  February, director John Bruno and Colt Studios’ Karim in January, plus Josh Weston, Roman Ragazzi, Adam Faust, Corbin Fisher’s Sean, Tanner Hayes, and Erik Rhodes in 2012. Many performers have taken Knight’s passing particularly hard, and we hope they remember all to stay strong.

Our Pink condolences go out to Knight’s friends and loved ones and we hope that he and Jerry can continue their marriage happily in the sky, where there will be no limitations and where they can enjoy their love for each other.

HAVE A PINK DAY!!!!

Big kiss,

Lesley