Porn star and exotic dancer Kagney Linn Karter died on Thursday from an apparent suicide at the age of 36.
Karter, who got her start in the adult film industry in the mid-2000s, took her life on Thursday in her home near Cleveland, Ohio, a representative for the Parma Police Department told TMZ.
The adult film actress’ death was also confirmed by her friends, Rachel and Megan, who set up a GoFundMe page on behalf of her mom, Tina, for the cost of Karter’s memorial and all financial expectations associated with it.
Karter is described as “a performer, a singer, a dancer, a daughter and a friend,” as well as a “small business owner, an instructor, and an integral part of our Ohio pole community,” in the GoFundMe campaign, which has a goal of $8,000, and has already reached more than $16,000 in donations.
The two women behind the GoFundMe page say the are owners of fitness studios in Cleveland and Akron, and that Karter “first came to our Cleveland studio in November of 2019, freshly moved out of LA, rearing and ready to jump back in to pole.”
“She spent so much time at the studio, sometimes taking five or six classes per week, and threw herself into her training,” Rachel and Megan said.
“Her dedication to her own progress was inspiring,” they added. “Her passion for pole and movement made us feel even more blessed for the honor to instruct her.”
From there, Karter decided to start her own fitness studio, Alchemy Pole Fitness, “the first pole studio in Akron and a safe space for so many students, friends, and loved ones,” the women said.
But the adult film actress had personal problems, her friends noted.
“Unfortunately, despite all of her many impressive accomplishments and talents, Kagney struggled with mental health issues as the years passed by,” Rachel and Megan said.
“Even in her darkest days, however, she still showed up to the studio, always ready to learn, contribute, better herself in whatever small way she could manage,” they continued. “As alone as she undoubtedly felt within the confines of her own head, she continued to make an effort to show up for her friends and the community who cared about her.”
“She fought her own battles with the same tenacity and drive she showed in every other area of her life, with as much strength as she could,” the women said.
Karter’s final class with Rachel and Megan was on February 7, less than two weeks before she took her life in her home, they added.
The pole instructor’s last post on Instagram was posted just five days before her death and showed her vacationing in Florida.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and X/Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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