The US porn industry is up in arms after JPMorgan Chase appeared to order the closure of the accounts of hundreds of adult film stars.
Adult film stars received a letter informing them Chase had made the decision to close their accounts on 11 May.
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Porn actress Teagan Presley, who holds a Chase account under her legal name, Ashley Ann Erickson, said: "I called them and they told me that because I am, I guess, public and am recognisable in the adult business, they’re closing my account."
The adult film star went on to say that Chase was also closing her husband’s account.
She wrote on Twitter: "Thank you for @Chase for closing my personal account that I’ve had since I was 18 years old. I was with Washington Mutual before you bought them out.
"It’s just ridiculous cause I don’t do business with that account. I only pay my house bills with it. That’s why it’s personal."
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By GlobalDataRising star Dakota Skye also vented her frustration on Twitter:
"#Chase has f****d with people before with other issues. Should not get away with s**t like this," she ranted.
Others affected included Veronica Avluv and Leyton Benton, who said she only realised her account had been shut down after an ATM declined her card.
Avluv said: "If it’s a legal job then discrimination shouldn’t be allowed. At all."
Several letters that Chase sent to adult film stars have been published online by those affected and commentators including celebrity blogger Perez Hilton.
For many, the incident recalls the furore that arose last year when stars including Chanel Preston had their accounts shut down or loans refused because of their connections to the $5bn US porn industry.
Preston had an account at City National Bank that was shut down due to "compliance issues", although the adult actress said a bank manager admitted to her that it was down to her career.
At the same time Marc Greenberg, founder of the soft porn studio MRG Entertainment, filed a lawsuit against Chase for refusing to refinance a home loan due to "moral reasons".
"JPMorgan purports to be so ashamed of nudity and human sexuality that it cannot process a refinance of a home loan of plaintiff, secured by plaintiff’s house, because plaintiff’s source of income six years ago included production of television programs that contained nudity and human sexuality," his lawsuit stated.
The bank also refused to handle transactions for condom company Lovability in March, saying the company was "too adult-orientated" for JPMorgan Chase’s reputation.
The lender later relented and resumed service processing Lovability’s transactions.
Last year the adult entertainment industry brought in an estimated $5bn in the US.
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