On Sunday morning, a mutual friend called and told me Amber Rayne has died last night in her sleep. She was 31 years old. At the time of this writing, cause of death is unspecified and an autopsy is under way.
I met Amber in 2006 and worked with her on several of my movies. On screen, she was an insatiable force of nature. Off screen, she was a fascinating geek with a vast knowledge of pop culture from The Lord of the Rings to Star Wars and Anime and loved rock ‘n’ roll. One of her most favorite bands was Motley Crue. In recent years, she had distanced herself from performing in adult movies and focused on graphic design and managing rock bands, most notably Night Ranger. Moreover, she was an avid horse rider. In her final tweet, she bids farewell to her horse:
“…Could not know how to say goodbye right now but I can say thank you for reminding me how much fun it was to fly.”
I knew Amber for 10 years. We both changed a lot during the past decade, but we always remained friends, always remained in touch. We could talk just about anything, how much we both hated what the adult industry had become, our personal dilemmas, our favorite episode of Game of Thrones, etc. This past Halloween, she sent me her picture dressed as Nancy, the tough stripper from Sin City graphic novel/movie series. Here is the picture:
Our last contact was back in March, some three weeks ago. She texted me, asking me how I was doing. I told her I was feeling somewhat down and exhausted. She replied:
“I’m sending you a lot of love and support.”
I never thought it would be our last correspondence. She died young, but despite all her struggles, she lived life to the fullest, followed her dreams and traveled the world. I’m not a religious person, but somehow I hope she’s in a better place.
Rest in peace dear, you will always be loved.
12 Responses
Sorry for your loss
RIP Amber. Thank you Mike Payne for letting us know, my condolences to you as well as Amber’s family and other friends. This is shocking, that is for sure. Thankfully at least (from what I can ascertain from Mike’s article) Amber’s body was found in a (relatively) timely manner considering from what I saw in her Twitter recently she lived alone in a very rural, mountainous and remote area of Tujunga, CA. I do have to wonder if she had lived in a less remote part of Los Angeles County and with someone would she have possibly survived (usually when someone starts to pass on there are signs such as loud, labored breathing, also it can take a long time for an ambulance to get up narrow, twisting mountain roads to start medical treatment for someone) but unfortunately it is too late for that.
Amber was a wonderful performer (specializing in BDSM scenes although she does have a few mainstream porn scenes as well). She also seemed like a wonderful person.
For the record I didnt know Amber though I never heard anything bad about her…Michael payne wrote that
As an update I am told that she was battling cancer and that the preliminary report from the coroner indicates an overdose…whether it was accidental or intentional is not known.
Mike Payne would know more but from what I could ascertain from Amber’s Twitter she also had a horse die on her about a week or so before her own passing. It was obvious from her comments over the years that she loved her horses like most people love their children. I wonder if between cancer (which I had not read or heard of her having before this) and losing a beloved horse along with Mike’s comment that she was “somewhat down and exhausted” if she just decided to end it. Having bipolar disorder myself although I have never seriously considered suicide myself (honestly that is more from my lack of the perverse “courage” necessary to commit suicide on my part than anything else — I really don’t know how to describe it in a manner most would understand) I have been depressed enough where I understand why some do. I wish Amber could have found someone to talk to and bring her out of her evident depression (whether she committed suicide or not doesn’t change my comment), it was obvious from her last few Twitter posts she was not feeling well mentally (which with her essentially losing a child albeit of the horse variety I can at least somewhat understand her reaction).
I read on either AVN or XBIZ that Stormy Daniels (longtime contract performer for Wicked Pictures) has volunteered to care for Amber’s surviving horse. Whether that is temporary or permanent I have to respect her for stepping up to do this. I don’t know if Stormy has a horse ranch anyway or if she is going to have to either move onto Amber’s ranch or buy/rent a ranch on short notice to do this but a horse is a big, expensive responsibility — especially show horses used to being ridden and jumped over fences in competition regularly instead of the usual farm horse that may be ridden or pull a wagon a couple of hours a week — competition horses need to be ridden and exercised daily and if the horse hasn’t been gelded and is a male probably bred as well. This selfless act is really stepping up for her now deceased friend and an innocent horse that is an innocent victim in all of this.
Thank you for your kind words my friends.
I know about the death of Amber’s horse, and I know how much she loved that animal. There was a strong bond between Amber and her horses. However, I can’t say for sure whether or not there was a connection between the death of her horse and her overdose, because I don’t know whether her overdose was accidental or intentional. As time goes by, more information will become available and hopefully we’ll get a better idea of what happened, how it happened and why.
Damn! This is sooo sad! I sure loved her performences and loved the scenes she done Deana Daniels in a gangbang for Dick Chibbles’s CumOnherFace.com. She was very good and had me jacking off and thinking about that great asshole of hers. RIP AMBER
She will be missed!
I heard about this only recently and this broke my heart. May she rest in peace.
Instead of indulging in porn, watch today’s clip from Pastor Joseph Prince to be free from pornography: http://www.josephprince.org/broadcast/ondemand/
No need to be reminded why porn is wrong but just in case:
https://youtu.be/Ia2tYhKvaRU
Please return, Shelley, there is still so much work to be done! I was wrong about you and are truly doing the Lord’s work.
PS: Please accept my comments, Mike in the name of free speech and to honor Amber’s memory.
Really? I never had the opportunity to meet Amber personally, but the impression I get from others that have, is that she’d think this was a piss poor way to honor her memory. Having a good wank to one of her scenes seem to be more her speed. C’est la vie.
Toby, I agree with you on this. RIP Amber Rayne.
Shelley Lubben can go fuck herself.
I thought the autopsy said Cocaine Overdose. Or am I mixing her up with another porn girl that passed away recently?
Several articles have reported that Amber died of a cocaine overdose. That creates more questions than answers, she didn’t come across as a heavy drug user. Did she use cocaine to commit suicide, was she an occasional user and bought cocaine that wasn’t cut as much as usual and she took more than she thought she was taking and/or did someone give her a hot dose (which might explain the second theory in a way since other deadly drugs/substances weren’t reported — give someone used to taking 30% pure cocaine as is reportedly what is usually sold on the streets and slip them pure cocaine instead and that person is likely to die from it)? We will likely never know. I do hope she rests in peace, though. You can make whatever you wish about what happens when you are “resting in peace”.