Porn star-turned pastor wants all to 'experience the love of God'
Crystal DiGregorio-Bassette was in the adult film industry for 10 years and had a lucrative career as Nadia Hilton, her stage name, working for every big-name porn company. But today, she's a Christian counselor, on the worship team, and a full-time paralegal in upstate New York. She wants her story to be an inspiration to others who want to change their path in life.
Crystal DiGregorio-Bassette was in the adult film industry for 10 years and had a lucrative career as Nadia Hilton, her stage name, working for every big-name porn company.
But today, she's a Christian counselor, on the worship team, and a full-time paralegal in upstate New York. She wants her story to be an inspiration to others who want to change their path in life.
DiGregorio-Bassette, 34, calls herself the first porn star to become a pastor.
"When I was in porn, my life was all about being a sex object," she told Fox News. "Now I focus on helping people."
Crystal DiGregorio-Bassette, 34, is a Christian pastor who shares her testimony of coming out of the porn industry as a sex object to helping others who are broken and hurting. (Crystal DiGregorio-Bassette)
It's a unique position -- there are salacious videos of her online that will never go away. But she said it helps people know she won't judge them.
"Anybody feels that they can come to me, and that’s what I like about it. They can talk to me openly and not have to worry about me judging them," she said. "We all do wrong. Nobody’s perfect. It didn’t matter if you’ve been saved your whole life or you walk into my church with full-on tattoos. I accept them for who they are, not attack them."
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It all started on Easter Sunday when DiGregorio-Bassette found herself weeping at the altar. She was in an abusive relationship at the time, and she said God released her of that in a moment she recalls as a miracle.
Crystal DiGregorio-Bassette pictured with other adult film stars. She is now free from porn and ministering hope and healing to others. (rystal DiGregorio-Bassette)
"God removed the veil from my eyes, I started looking at the world differently," she said. "I noticed how much people were being hurt by the porn industry and I never really thought of it before that."
Quitting porn, however, was a process.
She was making $30,000 a month, owned a $10 million mansion in Malibu with a Ferrari, a nightclub, two Escalades and a house in Oswego, N.Y. She flew from New York to Las Vegas and Los Angeles to do films, stripping, and other mainstream events.
Crystal DiGregorio-Bassette filed bankruptcy when she quit porn three years ago. At one point she owned a nightclub called "Club Crystal," a $10 million mansion in Malibu, two escalades, and a Ferrari. (Crystal DiGregorio-Bassette)
But God slowly started convicting her, and eventually, she reached a point where she couldn't live that way anymore.
"I decided that I wanted to help people and stop hurting people," she said. "I was blind before."
DiGregorio-Bassette filmed her last adult film scene when she was 31.
Crystal DiGregorio-Bassette filmed her last two adult film scenes at 31 and hasn't looked back since. Today, she is a Christian counselor and full-time paralegal. (Crystal DiGregorio-Bassette)
"Literally, my last two scenes were the most horrific I had to do. It felt like I was getting raped on the set," she said. "I was just sitting there reading the Bible, waiting for my scene, learning more about God."
Then she filed for bankruptcy and didn't look back.
She admits it hasn't been easy.
She's lost jobs after employers found out she was a former porn star and her son has been bullied because of it.
Crystal DiGregorio-Bassette, 34, with her three sons, Justin, 18, Carter, 3, and Landon, 9. She began making adult films to support her son she had at 16 years old, but ended up quitting 10 years later, in large part, for her children. (Crystal DiGregorio-Bassette)
"I wasn’t thinking about my son getting bullied. I was just thinking I would give him everything," she said. Now the two are closer than ever before now.
One of her testimonies is her friend, Amy, the only girl she ever helped get into the industry. Amy is a believer now, and DiGregorio-Bassette, whom she asked to be the pastor presiding over her upcoming wedding, has helped her stay out after quitting porn.
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Another man DiGregorio-Bassette led to the Lord was William Harper, who is set to be released from prison this year. The two were friends before they became believers and Harper was imprisoned for selling bath salts. Today, he helps set up the chapel in prison and is now "all about the Lord."
Crystal DiGregorio-Bassette and William Harper. The two were friends before she became a Christian, but she led him to the Lord and he is involved in the chapel now and loves Jesus. (Crystal DiGregorio-Bassette)
She also encourages other workers in the adult film industry to get out, if they can.
She said it was great to see Brittni De La Mora, known as Jenna Presley, speaking to Fox News and on Watters' World this weekend. She remembers seeing her at an awards show while the two were in the adult film industry, and she hopes they can meet one day.
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Today, DiGregorio-Bassette goes to church at Lighthouse Mexico Church of God, in Mexico, N.Y. under Pastor Ron Russell, who proudly declared his church as not a gun-free zone.
She hopes her story of transformation from the porn industry to pastoring others encourages people toward freedom and life.
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"I’m not perfect. I make mistakes," she added. "I’m going through a divorce and at times I don’t understand why, but I know everything happens for a reason. God will put you through things to make you stronger, you just can’t ever give up. You need to leave your past behind. Your rearview mirror in your car is small for a reason and your windshield is much larger because the future is bigger than your past."
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