Ecuadorian/Mexican-American adult performer April Flores is one of the most seductively hot fat girls to ever walk on Earth. This is not a matter of conjecture. There are hundreds of thousands of people on the internet who, if asked, would agree without question. Also, for the past 17 years, she’s been one of the porn industry’s most consistently groundbreaking performers. On a slow Wednesday evening at the end of January, Flores, exclusively for HotMovies.com, reflects on the inspirations, passions, and joy that have defined her diverse array of award-winning performances and consistent success.
The interview is happening during a moment in which the porn industry is at a unique crossroads. Flores has — whether with the directorial aid of her late husband, Carlos Batts, starring in intimate and gender/body-positive shoots with Pink and White Productions, or walking the red carpet and winning BBW Performer of the Year twice at the AVN Awards — been at the forefront of porn’s most dynamic recent intersections and evolutions.
Big-budget shoots are still prevalent, while independent DIY creativity is more rampant than ever before. Both of these factors collide in cyberspace. Here, because mainstream-adjacent companies and independent creators are similarly vying for advertising and revenue via the same internet-first marketing schemes, there has been a resurgence of the wild, fun outlaw streak that defined the industry’s golden age. Moreover, dig deeper into all of these circles, and as porn always has, the genre holds up a progressive-minded mirror to society-at-large. A call for diversity, social sensitivity, and building a marketplace where revenue and inclusivity can become equal aims is critical.
Amid these swirling transformations, one name exists — notably, and with merit — in all of those spaces: April Flores.
Take me back to the start. When and how were you introduced to porn, and how did it make you feel?
The first pornography that I saw was either a magazine or a film on VHS at a party. The first thing that struck me was gynecological – seeing a hairy pussy, spreading vaginal lips, dicks, it was all shocking. But it didn’t turn me on. When boyfriends would watch it, I was bored. I was always of the mindset that I’d rather be fucking than watching fucking. I remember one film in particular where the leading actress was fucking a banana, and she kept saying “banana.” My friends and I felt uncomfortable watching it, so we made a joke out of it. I never imagined that my life would lead me to perform in porn.
When I think about your career, two words always spring to mind: diversity and representation. Could you walk me through what those words mean to you and if/how they have defined your work?
When I started [in 2005], I [immediately] felt like diversity was needed. Performers – especially fat performers – had a particular look. Because I’m neither white nor blonde, I felt a need to represent what a different type of fat person could look like on screen. Luckily, in many of my first projects, I represented the diversity I wanted to see in the industry as the only Latinx or fat person cast in the project. In addition, when I worked with Carlos [Batts], our films starred our friends and people around us, a diverse group of people. So, for me, maintaining [ethnic, racial, size, and gender] diversity in my career has come as much from the choices I’ve consciously made as much as the people I choose to surround myself with.
I’m also pansexual, so I’m attracted to everyone. Therefore, expanding my choices to working with non-cisgender men allows me to create uniquely special moments to reflect a greater diversity of sexualities.
And representation?
As far as representation, well, porn is a part of media. And representation in media is crucial for people who do not fit mainstream standards. So, being a fat, non-white – or even non-cisgender – person and having visibility is essential. Some people say you shouldn’t look to porn for sex education and awareness, but you can find representation in the industry! Representation is also vital in sexuality because it feels great to see someone who looks like you doing sexual things. If someone looks like you and is experiencing pleasure, it goes a long way. This also extends to the realm of fetish, kink, and more. It’s all beneficial.
Now, with Instagram, Tik Tok, and more, representation – across the board – is exploding on the internet. There are more visible fat bodies now in media than when I started in 2005. Body-positive people and those who support body inclusivity make memes, show fashion, create informational videos, and more. Still, we can go further with it. There can never be too much representation. Mainly because people’s algorithms – depending on what you like – will show you what you want. Put down your phone and turn on your TV, and there still aren’t many fat people cast as leads in, say, romantic films. That has to change.
You’ve seen two rather incredible revolutionary eras in the sex industry. First, between 2005-2015 the online realm became prevalent. From 2015 to the present day, decentralization has risen, leading to performers gaining a more substantial stake of control in their careers and success. Your thoughts about both of these eras?
When I debuted in 2005, the budgets for shoots were around $30,000 or more per DVD, and rates for female talent were still pretty high. Also, alt-porn was getting hot then, so diverse representation – as far as tattoos and different looks – was starting to get hot. So it wasn’t just all “tan body, fake tits” for sure. But, then, technology arrived (again) in the adult industry, with the tube sites, and those DVDs with $30,000 budgets – and the companies, with their old white male bosses, that made them – became obsolete. How those companies controlled budgets and casting decisions changed, too, once DVDs became obsolete. This allowed the performers to become independent creators, manage these factors, and develop direct lines [of distribution and commerce] to their fanbases and customers.
Of course, there should be space enough for independent creators and studios in the marketplace. But, since the industry was disrupted by technology, there’s much more control and autonomy in the hands of the performers now. They can choose when, where, and how they want to work, which benefits the performers, consumers, and industry, overall, given the [high] quality of the creations [that are made].
What do you, in your opinion, consider being the strongest assets brought to the industry by the do-it-yourself wave of the past two decades?
On the business side, I’m good at networking and was also part of a group of performers, and I was lucky that the people I was working with were also in a social circle that remained close and connected in the early 2010s. Overall, a window opened in the industry where it became evident that there was a desire to see different looks and bodies on film. Studios like Vivid Alt and Good Releasing were allowed to exist (because their parent companies, the leading Vivid brand, and Good Vibrations were so huge), which ushered in an era where performance and visual art, porn, and sexuality were allowed to meet, mingle, and intertwine again. To me, art and sexuality are similar, and living in both of those worlds, simultaneously is ideal. Burning Angel and Suicide Girls were also around and breaking out, showcasing people who looked different. Directors also viewed performances as safe, sacred spaces that enhanced the released content. In general, expanding the definition of what bodies, genders, and sexuality looked like and could do on-screen was a huge positive.
Looking forward, what do you see as the most significant hurdle for porn to jump for the industry to rediscover something similar to the mix of excitement and commerce that defined the Golden Age?
The [most significant hurdle is the] stigma that people who work in the porn, sex work, and adult industries are expendable. OnlyFans attempted to remove adult content from their site last year – and of course, we all know that they make a ton of money off adult content. But, there was a backlash from everyone, and they decided against that. Still, in observing how that happened, I saw the signs of an abusive partnership that exists in the precarious relationship between platforms, their credit card processors, and creators. Because of this, when thinking about how this all remains sustainable moving forward, I’m thinking first about how do I stay healthy and financially stable while all of this is happening.
Overall, to what would you credit your sustainability in the porn industry?
Always staying curious about the possibilities of porn and sex has been an asset to my career. As a result, I have no preconceived notions about how a performance should look. Instead, I’m more concerned about wanting to do something fun, do a good job, and have an authentic orgasm!