Adult film star Kagney Linn Karter has sadly died at age 36.
The late adult entertainer passed away last Thursday (February 15). She was found dead in her home in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, according to online records first reviewed by TMZ.
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's office disclosed to the publication that they received her body that day from an address in the city of Parma.
A police rep also revealed that Karter died by suicide, and this was later confirmed by Karter's friends who've started a GoFundMe on behalf of her mom, Tina.
Karter broke into the adult film industry in the mid-2000s before leaving Los Angeles and moving back to Ohio in 2019 where she became a regular at a pole dancing studio in town.
During her career, Karter was named Missouri's "Deja Vu Showgirl of the Year" in 2007 and was a national second-place runner-up that same year. She eventually signed with top modeling agency L.A. Direct Models and posed for photo shoots for noted adult photographer Holly Randall.
She also won numerous awards and was nominated for several AVN awards, according to her IMDb profile.
A GoFundMe page was created by Karter's friends - who knew her through fitness studios - to help the late actress' bereaved parents pay for memorial services. As of this writing, $15,577 has been raised of the $8,000 target.
"Kagney was kind. Kagney was generous. As cold as the world could be, Kagney brought with her a light," two of her friends penned. "On her good days, when she was most herself, she could warm up a room with her radiant smile, get others laughing in no time at all. She was all brightness and bubble, with never a cross word to say about another."
The fundraising page noted that "despite all of her many impressive accomplishments and talents, Kagney struggled with mental health issues as the years passed by".
"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," they said. "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 heartbroken friends revealed that Karter "tragically took her own life" in her home less than two weeks after her final session at the fitness studios on February 7th.
"The news sank like a stone in our hearts. The horrible reality of a studio without Kagney- a community without her- seemed all wrong. Unnatural. Too difficult to accept," they wrote. "We humbly ask that you assist us raise funds for her mother, Tina, to lay Kagney to rest. 100% of these funds will be going to preparations for her memorial services."
They said that any leftover funds would be given to a local animal rescue charity, and concluded: "Although no amount of money can ease the grief, if it can even assuage a small amount of stress on Kagney's mother and immediate family, that is a victory."
Our thoughts are with Karter's family and friends at this time.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.
