Duke porn star Belle Knox gets sex scandal advice from Sydney Leathers

Duke student/porn star Belle Knox (her nom de porn) claimed in an op-ed on XOJane.com that she has experienced harassment and physical threats since a fellow student outed her for being a porn star. If anyone knows the impact of a national sex scandal, it’s Sydney Leathers, the former sexting partner of former congressman Anthony Weiner. Leathers spoke with FOX411 to offer her take on the co-ed controversy.

FOX411: Should 'Belle Knox' give her real name at this point? Isn’t it inevitable people will find out?

Sydney Leathers:  In a way I feel she should. With the internet people are going to find out. She holds all the cards if she outs herself fully. She definitely will have people that know her in real life and will try to sell her story. I’ve had that happen, and if she gives her real name she keeps the power. It’s brave of her regardless to reveal herself. That’s why I wanted to own what I did. I knew what I was doing. It’s easier to hold your head up if you’re being honest. It gives you less hate when you’re honest.

FOX411: How should she deal with the media attention?

Leathers: If I were her, I would try to do one interview to set the record straight, or may be she wants to try to cross over into other fields of entertainment. You can’t really talk about stuff online without being outed. It makes you wonder a little bit if she expected this to happen. I mean, you can’t do porn without people finding out.

FOX411: Do you think she’ll stay in school or follow the porn money?

Leathers: I hope she stays in school. I would like to go back to school. I’m not sure if she would want to go to a more liberal school because of the backlash. May be I would change names, but people would still know who I am.

FOX411: She said she is doing porn to pay for college, but will the stigma stay with her forever and negatively impact her chosen professional field?

Leathers: People have their rights to their opinions. They can think porn is gross, but to get death threats is over the top and it’s stressful and you worry, but that’s just kind of to be expected. People can be really crazy on the Internet. I can kind of see where she would think she would make more money doing porn than working at a fast food restaurant and people could say there’s more dignity, but everyone has their own morals.

FOX411: How has your porn tape affected you?

Leathers: It has affected my life. There are upsides, like more money and experiences you haven’t had before, then the downside is the stuff you haven’t thought about in the future.

FOX411: Recently, you reached out via Facebook to former congressman Anthony Weiner saying you were going to commit suicide. Why?

Leathers: I was in a really sh**ty place.  There was some guilt. Even though I was telling the truth I feel guilt. I’m in therapy. I did go to rehab and I’m doing out-patient therapy.

FOX411: What are you up to these days?

Leathers: I was studying political science and broadcasting before, and now I’m thinking may be a sex therapist. Considering the weird circumstances, I know I can’t be a school teacher.