Kira Kener

Kira Kener

Kira Kener at the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo 2002 in Las Vegas
Born Stephanie Knain
August 11, 1974
San Jose, California, U.S.[1]
Ethnicity Norwegian/Vietnamese
Height 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
Weight 110 lb (50 kg; 7.9 st)
No. of adult films 77 (per IAFD)

Kira Nicole Kener (born Stephanie Knain[2] on August 11, 1974) is an American former pornographic actress. She has legally changed her name to Kira Kener and registered it as a trademark.

Early life

Kener was born and raised in San Jose, California.[1] She is Eurasian, as her father is of Norwegian ancestry and her mother is of Vietnamese ancestry.[3][4]

Career

As with many hardcore porn stars, Kener began her career in the adult industry as a feature dancer before being approached by Vivid Video in 1999 for her hardcore debut in the film Nurses.[4] She was Penthouse Pet of the Month for December 2002[1] and also shared the cover of Playboy in March 2002 with several other adult-film stars. She was a contributing writer to the book How to Have a XXX Sex Life: The Ultimate Vivid Guide, published in 2004. She is also one of thirty porn-stars featured in Timothy Greenfield-Sanders's book, XXX: 30 Porn-Star Portraits. In February 2007, Digital Playground released the DVD Virtual Sex With Kira Kener and is the only hardcore release in which the male subject does not wear a condom while having intercourse with Kener.

Kener was under exclusive contract with Vivid Video from 1999 to 2005.[4] She was the third Asian porn star to ever sign with Vivid, after Asia Carrera and Kobe Tai.[1]

Kener currently resides in North Carolina and continues to feature dance at clubs across the United States.

In 2005 Kener filed a lawsuit against Vivid Video for wrongful termination, breach of website agreement and federal trademark dilution. The lawsuit included allegations of unsanitary health conditions on a Vivid Video set and Vivid Video's disregard for the health and safety of the performers in its films. According to the lawsuit, Kener was infected with a sexually transmitted disease after using a sex toy in February 2004. The suit was settled in April 2007; terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

In 2011, Complex magazine ranked her at #35 in their list of "The Top 50 Hottest Asian Porn Stars of All Time".[5]

Personal life

Kener states that her parents are very supportive of her career and that her brother handles the online shipping of her films.[6]

Awards and nominations

Year Ceremony Result Category Work
2001 AVN Award Nominated Best Couples Sex Scene - Film (with Erik Everhard) Facade[7]
Nominated Best Group Sex Scene - Film (with April, Inari Vachs, Vince Vouyer & Bobby Vitale)

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Gerrie Lim (1 May 2006). In Lust We Trust: Adventures in Adult Cinema. Monsoon Books. p. 1996. ISBN 978-981-4358-12-5.
  2. ↑ "Porn Star Pleased To Have Sex Toy Case Behind Her". CBS News. 2007-04-24. Archived from the original on 2007-04-27. Retrieved 2007-04-25.
  3. ↑ Biography on kirakenerlive.com
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Kira Kener's Biography". Retrieved 2007-08-25.
  5. ↑ Gabriel Alvarez (2011-09-19). "The Top 50 Hottest Asian Porn Stars of All Time". Complex. Retrieved 2013-08-02.
  6. ↑ Jon Ibrahim (2007-06-20). "Porn is just her job, not her identity". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2014-08-16.
  7. ↑ "2001 AVN Awards Nominations List". AVN.com. Archived from the original on 2001-03-09. Retrieved 2014-08-16.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kira Kener.