Kurt Capewell, a rugby league player with Australia’s Penrith Panthers, has spoken of his shame after he says was tricked into appearing in a gay porn movie early in his career.
The 27-year-old Capewell says that he notified the National Rugby League (NRL) integrity unit after images from the movie were put up for sale last year, but the issue has returned to the spotlight once more after pictures from the shoot began to circulate on social media.
The video, Capewell says, was shot in 2013 when the player was 20 years old and a member of the Ipswich Jets, and came about after he received an offer to appear in a modelling shoot for a sportswear company – and what began as a standard photoshoot quickly devolved into an adult film in which Capewell appeared with another man.
The player, who is currently in a relationship with a woman, said that he was “young and naive” at the time, and that he wasn’t in a position to turn down the money he was being offered.
“The organizer used inducements and extra money for being involved in the adult film. I take full responsibility for what happened,” he told the Daily Telegraph.
“My message to young people is to be really careful when being offered money for photo shoots. It’s not the person I am today. I’ve had to learn the hard way. I hope others don’t have to go through what I have endured.”
Per the Telegraph, an investigation was launched into the matter but was later stopped before any action was taken.
Capewell explained the situation in a text message to his Penrith Panthers teammates, writing that he was “embarrassed and ashamed” by what had happened.
“Bit hard to put the full story into words but I was broke and doing some modelling, then I got talked into doing an (adult film),” he added.
“Unknown to me but it turned out they put a bloke on the other side of the wall. I’m terribly embarrassed and ashamed even though it happened when I was so young.”
