Remembering Dakota Skye (1994 – 2021)

I saw the headline: “Adult Film Actress Found Dead at Age 27.” Nervous, I clicked the story, wondering if it was someone I knew. When I read the name Dakota Skye, I felt my stomach sag and remember thinking, “Dammit.”  

I didn’t know her personally, but felt like I did. I knew her work. We had emailed recently regarding social media promotion for some articles I’d written on the adult film industry. She was exceedingly gracious and helpful. And now, at just 27 years of age, she is gone. 

Born in Ohio and raised in Florida, Skye, whose birth name was Lauren Kaye Scott, was a veteran performer with over 300 scenes to her credit. One of the most recognized women in porn, she’s known for her alabaster complexion, piercing blue eyes, and petite frame. In conversations about favorite adult actresses, Skye’s name often came up. Not in a lascivious way, but in the way guys talk about that gorgeous girl next door they want to date or marry. Everyone loved her.

I spent yesterday watching some of her early interviews on YouTube. Intelligent, articulate, and beaming with girlish energy, she talked about aspirations beyond porn, of one day starting a dog rescue, or studying marine biology, owing to her “obsession with dolphins and the ocean.” In high school, she played trumpet and violin and studied drama. 

Skye endured an Internet backlash recently over a topless photo taken at a George Floyd mural in Santa Barbara, which some people found “disrespectful.” In this age of online trolling and social media shaming, there’s no shortage of people looking to be offended. And while one can debate whether or not the photo was in poor taste, I personally was not offended by it. In fact, I think George Floyd, red-blooded, American male that he was, would probably have been tickled by it.

Life can be difficult and 2020 was a humdinger for all of us. In the last year, Skye had lost two grandparents to COVID-19. Her mother, Lila, died two years ago. Skye had battled addiction and had fought demons, according to her aunt, Linda Arden, but was really just “searching for love.” 

Longtime friend, James Bartholet, host of the radio show, Inside The Industry, remembers Skye as a “creative woman with great ideas, who had so much to give to the world.” 

A special memorial and fundraiser, A Night of the Stars: A Tribute to Dakota Skye, will be held on Wednesday, June 16th at Deja Vu Showgirls/Diamond Dolls, 1800 South Main Street in Downtown Los Angeles, from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Her family has started a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral expenses. 

“The outpouring of support for her has come from as far as Japan and countries all over the world,” said Bartholet. “She was truly an international star. It’s a testament to the power of her name and persona, which will live on forever.”