Adult film performer Alix Lynx says Chase closed her bank accounts without explanation, adding her voice to accusations from other adult industry performers who say they have been “debanked” because of their profession.
The claim follows public accusations last week from fellow performer Cherie DeVille, who said Bank of America closed her account because of her work in the adult industry.
A Bank of America spokesperson denied the allegation in a statement, saying the company is “subject to federal regulations that require us to monitor account activity” and that the account in question “was closed based on recent transactional activity and not because of any industry or profession.”
In an interview with Where Is The Buzz, Lynx said she never disclosed her profession to Chase.
“No. I had a business account, but I never told them I worked in the adult industry. If they ever asked what type of work I did, I’m pretty sure I just said marketing, which isn’t really a lie,” she said.
Asked whether she believes her work in the adult film industry is the reason her accounts were closed, Lynx said: “One hundred thousand percent, yes. At first, I didn’t know why my accounts had been closed. But I was working in studios at the time, and when I started talking to other performers, I realized I wasn’t the only one it had happened to.”
“I put a post on Twitter about it, and so many other women replied saying, ‘They did the same thing to me.’ That’s when I realized there was a pattern,” she said.
Describing how stressful the situation was, Lynx said: “It was very stressful. I always try to see the silver lining, and thankfully, I didn’t have all of my money with Chase, but I did have a couple of accounts there.”
“What made it even worse was the timing. I was living in Los Angeles, and it happened on the same day there were horrific fires. I opened my window, and ash was literally falling from the sky. You couldn’t even see the sky because everything was grey. It felt completely apocalyptic,” she said.
“I was already leaving that day and had booked a last-minute Airbnb a couple of hours north. I had to rent a car, so I was dealing with all of that when, within an hour of waking up, I got the message that my accounts were being closed,” she said.
“My first thought was, ‘Well, I need money.’ This was before Apple Pay and everything else, so I had to rush to the bank, withdraw all of my cash, and carry it around with me in my purse while I was leaving the city,” Lynx said. “It was absolutely stressful.”
Asked whether she ever found out why Chase closed her accounts, Lynx said: “No. I know why I believe they closed them, but they never actually told me.”
“From the beginning, everything was incredibly cryptic. I got an email saying they needed to close my accounts, but it didn’t explain why. That’s such a pet peeve of mine. Just be direct with me,” she said.
“When I called them, they told me I’d receive a letter in the mail explaining everything. They wouldn’t even tell me over the phone. Then the letter arrived, and it was the exact same cryptic message. They never actually put a reason in writing, and I’m sure there was a reason for that,” she said.
Asked whether she has found it difficult to open bank accounts since, Lynx said: “Not really, but I’m definitely a lot more careful now.”
“I work with a fantastic financial institution for my investments, and they know exactly what I do. I’m in direct contact with someone there, and they don’t care. Their attitude is, ‘We’re here to manage your finances. Your job is your business.’ I absolutely love that,” she said.
“I also bank elsewhere, and I’ve never had any issues there either. I was actually recommended that institution by another performer who’s been with them for years, and it’s been great,” she said.
“If I were opening a new account today, though, I’d definitely be more cautious. I’d think about things like the name of my corporation and whether it’s going to raise any red flags. I also rely heavily on word of mouth. I ask performers who’ve been in the industry for a long time which banks they’ve had good experiences with, because that’s the safest way to navigate it,” Lynx said.
Asked whether she sees this as part of a wider issue affecting adult performers, Lynx said: “Absolutely.”
“At the end of the day, this is a real job. It’s a legal profession, and we’re running legitimate businesses. If what we were doing was illegal, that would be a completely different conversation, but it’s not,” she said. “To me, this is simply another form of discrimination, and it’s not OK.”
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