Raquel Ortiz, who weighed over 300 pounds, struggled with confidence. That changed when he became a BBW porn star.
She underwent gastric bypass surgery for health reasons, but she regrets it and craves her curvy shape.
This is the account of Ortiz as told to Abby Ellin.
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This article is an as-told-to account of a conversation with Raquel Ortiz. This document has been altered for both length and clarity.
In March of 2020, I developed a severe case of COVID. I was brought to the hospital, where my condition was critical for some time. At nearly 400 pounds, the doctors did not believe I would survive.
“You are overweight, borderline diabetic, and have high blood pressure,” the doctor said. “Don’t you want to live for your children?”
He proposed that I undergo gastric bypass surgery, and I began to cry. I was completely opposed to it. My attitude has always been, “This is who I am; love me or hate me, I’m not going to change,” but this terrified me. I did not want to leave my two children motherless.
Thus, in March of 2021, I underwent surgery. I’ve shed close to 200 pounds since then. And I have conflicting feelings about it. Although the operation improved my health, as a former BBW adult film star, I miss my old body.
Growing up obese was difficult, but I learned to love my curves.
I was obese for the majority of my life, and as a child I despised myself. Not until I became a professional nudist did I learn to appreciate my body.
I was raised in a Latino household where obesity was frowned upon. Except for myself, everyone in my family was slim. I endured fat-shaming throughout my entire youth. I recall a night when I was approximately 14 years old. Together, my family and I were watching the 1980s television series “21 Jump Street.” When Johnny Depp came on, I told my sister, “He’s so attractive.”
My grandma, who was seated on the couch, determined that this was the ideal time to vent her emotions. She asked, “Why would he be interested in you?” “Have you observed yourself recently?”
I hurried to my room and began to sob. My sister walked in and picked me up, telling me that Johnny Depp would certainly find me adorable. However, I realized she was only being polite. Regarding my mum, she never defended me.
After I graduated and moved out of my parents’ home, things began to improve. I discovered new friends who accepted me without fat-shaming me. That’s when I began to feel somewhat at ease with myself.
One evening in 2005, I went out to the Hollywood nightclub Mayan. These two white men would not stop gazing at me. Just before final call, they approached me and informed me that I was really attractive and that they worked in adult entertainment. I could earn a great deal of money if I worked with them.
Adult entertainment? That meant pornographic material. Fat girls didn’t do porn. I stated, “I am not the stereotypical skinny white girl.”
However, this is why they liked me. They said that there was a new pornographic trend called as BBW, which stands for Big Beautiful Women.
They handed me their card and instructed me to contact them. I dismissed it. I could not fathom stripping naked in front of a group of people or engaging in sexual activity on video. I set the card down.
But a few days later, I discovered it, and I called on a whim. I want to hear what they had to say. I had two young children and was a single parent. I required funds.
They wanted me to perform a screen test in their Encino studio. They stated, “You’ll receive $1,500.” If I didn’t like it, I’d still get my money. Cash.
I accepted.
Initially, I felt uneasy, but having my body celebrated made me feel at ease.
They provided me with the address of a large Valley home with three stories. The exterior was unremarkable, but the interior was reminiscent of a Kardashian mansion, with marble flooring and six bedrooms. Pornographic stars of various shapes and sizes strutted around half-naked or in revealing underwear. No one instructed the older females to dress. Their corpses were honored.
The producers brought me to the cameraman, and I began to panic almost immediately. What were my actions? I was a 324-pound lady who despised her physique, not a pornographic celebrity!
I hid in the bathroom for around thirty minutes. The situation improved slightly when they presented me to my male talent. He was sexy.
After a few days, the producers called. They reported that my scenario had positive response; clients loved me a lot. They requested that I film a full film. I said yes.
Initially, I would request a robe from the production assistant and put it on immediately after my scene. In time, however, I got less inhibited. Everyone, including directors, other porn actors, and fans, told me how gorgeous and seductive I was.
For her effort, Ortiz, who performed as Jinger Jewels, was nominated for an AVN award.
Courtesy of Raquel Ortiz
Working in prostitution was lucrative.
I made approximately $30,000 my first year working part-time. Some of the other women took me under their wing and taught me what to do and what not to do, as well as the value of various scenarios.
In my second year, I had approximately $200,000 in earnings. I adopted the stage name ‘Jinger Jewels’ after Sharon Stone’s ‘Casino’ character.
At night, I would attend meet-and-greets at strip clubs, where slender strippers would approach me and exclaim, “Oh my gosh, Jinger Jewels, you’re the bomb!”
I was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Las Vegas-based AVN Awards in 2004. I lost to a skinny chick. Nonetheless, it was the first time a BBW film had been nominated, which was a significant achievement for the community.
And the fans were incredible! BBWs are genuine. Stretch marks and dimples are visible on our buttocks, hips, and thighs. We are authentic ladies, which is what some men desire to see.
I’ve shed almost 200 pounds, but I miss my larger frame.
In 2011, I began to feel exhausted. In this industry, shelf life is short. A sugar daddy I knew was an attorney, and he encouraged me to become a nurse or enter the legal profession. He stated, “A pretty face does not last forever.” “There must be a backup plan.”
Therefore, I attended school to become a paralegal, and he ultimately hired me. Since his passing, I have continued to work at the company.
I keep many friendships within the pornographic industry, and a producer has asked me to return for one final run with my new body. I tell them “no thanks” since I am satisfied.
I’d never return to pornography. Not due to a negative experience; I met wonderful people and benefited greatly. I made a lot of money to pay for my children’s and my education through porn; it served its purpose.
Ortiz underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2021 and has since shed approximately 200 pounds.
Thanks to Raquel Ortiz
However, I am not satisfied with who I am now. When I glanced at myself in the mirror, I did not recognize myself. I fell into a major depressive episode. I look at these plus-size women and think, ‘She’s so curvy and lovely, and here I am!’ I’ve got drooping flesh and loose skin.’
I can’t imagine dating. It seems so unnatural to be at this weight. I have no idea what sex will be like. I find it awkward to undress in front of a man. I’m terrified of criticism.
My peers in the pornographic industry chastised me for having surgery. I did it for reasons of health, not vanity. But I still felt like a traitor.
I currently weigh roughly 192 pounds. My doctor desires that I lose at least 30 pounds more, but I’m done. I am not this ideal thin girl, nor will I ever be. And that’s perfectly fine.