Porn star says his career was destroyed by false claims he nearly killed a dog with meth
A prominent gay porn star is accusing a pair of former business partners of sullying his reputation by posting 'extreme' false claims about him on social media, including that he nearly killed a dog on a film set by feeding it meth.
In a bombshell lawsuit filed last Friday, Robert Owen Felt, who is known professionally as Owen Hawk, says the claim — along with allegations that he is a 'sex offender,' 'engaged in domestic violence,' and 'committ[ed] fraud and other crimes — is not only false, but has also largely put the brakes on his 20-plus-year career.
Felt's complaint names Damian Todaro, the owner of PPVNetwork, a hardcore streaming service, and Todaro's boyfriend, identified in court papers only as 'Elvis,' as the perpetrators of an 'extreme and outrageous' defamation campaign against him following a work dispute last year. As a result, Felt's professional opportunities have dwindled to the point that he has 'been forced to liquidate his retirement funds to survive and defend himself,' according to the complaint.
On Tuesday, Felt told The Independent that in 2024, he earned 'well over $500,000,' but that now his income has dropped to less than $1,000 a month and he is afraid of being evicted from his home. He said he has spent years building a brand, and that it has been excruciating to see it stripped away.
'It's been really painful,' Felt said. 'It's a lot of loss to process. I haven't been able to draw a salary in five months, I've fallen behind on my rent… It just seems unbelievably unfair that I should have to be in this situation, while people who I considered to be friends get to go on with all the value I created [for the company] for themselves. In what world is that possibly fair?'
Attorney Wesley Mullen, who is representing Todaro and Elvis, declined to comment on the case.
In 2005, Felt, who also directs, founded Dark Alley Media, a production and distribution company that 'has since become a recognized leader in the adult content industry, with a library of over 300 titles and numerous awards,' his complaint states. It describes Owen Hawk, Felt's alter ego, as 'a public figure' who has 'built a reputation for professionalism and excellence in the industry,' and boasts more than 250,000 followers on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter.
Felt's peers have long 'recognized… his contributions and success,' according to the complaint, which notes the 45-year-old was recently honored with a spot on the Grabby Awards' 'Wall of Fame.'
For the past several years, Dark Alley Media has partnered in a joint venture with PPVNetwork, with Dark Alley contributing original video content, connections to performers, and 'industry expertise,' the complaint goes on. PPVNetwork, for its part, was responsible for providing website hosting, billing, and customer service, the complaint explains.
But, in April 2024, the relationship between Dark Alley and PPVNetwork began to deteriorate, intensifying through summer and fall, and finally fell apart altogether last November, the complaint continues. That's when, it alleges, Todaro and Elvis launched a scheme to ruin him.
On X, according to the complaint, an account with the handle '@rawf**kclub,' a trademarked name previously used by the Dark Alley-PPVNetwork joint venture, posted, 'Make sure @owenhawk is sober on set… He has a parole officer to report too [sic].'
Someone then began submitting bogus takedown notices to the Adult Entertainment Broadcast Network (AEBN), a video-on-demand provider with which Felt had a lucrative exclusive contract, under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the complaint states. It says the DMCA notice claimed that a video uploaded by 'Owen Hawk' included 'non-consensual sex,' as well as 'underage… non-consensual behavior,' and branded him a 'felon,' before going on to threaten AEBN's credit card processor.
Additionally, the complaint says a YouTuber going by '@musclef*k1225' posted a comment that read: 'Owen Hawk committed illegal activities and was terminated. He is not being Honest!... he is a DRUG ADDICT and nearly killed someones [sic] dog by dropping a METH baggie on the floor… Owen Hawk tried killing my dog with METH.'
Felt claims he was also accused of being a domestic abuser, a sex predator, and a con artist, according to the complaint.
Felt's complaint accuses Elvis of spreading the false claims, under Todaro's supervision, and roping in others to post false allegations about Hawk and submit their own phony takedown notices. At least one of the DMCA notices was allegedly submitted from an IP address that Felt's complaint claims was geolocated to Bayshore, New York, a Long Island hamlet across the bay from Fire Island, where Todaro and Elvis have a home.
In December 2024, according to the complaint, Felt was dropped by AEBN, 'citing these false claims and threats to its credit card processor,' striking at the heart of Felt's primary income stream.
'As a result of Defendant's actions, [Dark Alley Media] has suffered financial losses, reputational damage, and interference with its ability to monetize its content,' the complaint states.
Felt is now asking a judge to award him attorneys' fees, compensatory damages and punitive damages in an amount to be determined at trial, and a court order barring Todaro and Elvis from defaming him in the future.
Todaro and Elvis now have roughly three weeks to file a formal response to Felt's claims.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
19-04-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Four Triton College grads lauded on Alumni Wall of Fame
New faces inducted by the Triton College Alumni Association to its 2025 Alumni Wall of Fame represent a wide variety of professions, including a fire chief, journalist and business owners. Michele Fiore, Nicholas Steker, Madonna Fantetti Slepicka and Albin Lechowski received the recognition for making a significant impact in their profession and community. Michele Fiore combined her love of writing, performing and television to begin pursuing a career in journalism at Triton. 'While classrooms and teachers can't show you exactly what you'll face as a broadcast journalist in today's world, what Triton College did give me was invaluable, real-life working experience,' Fiore said. 'When I wrote for the Fifth Avenue Journal, I learned to look around my world to see the stories people were talking about, then I learned how to source people to talk about those topics, set up times and places to meet with them, conduct interviews, and finally to review everything that was said and put it all into a story. At Triton TV, I got to see what it was like to be in front of the camera, and also what it was like to be behind the camera, two very important experiences which determined which route I would take in my career.' She found herself covering many challenging stories, including in Chicago's Austin neighborhood on July 4, 2020, doing a story for FOX32 about a 7-year-old girl who had been killed by gang crossfire. 'As I spoke those sad words I could hear fireworks going off in the distance, and happy voices oohing and aahing at their beauty,' she said. 'Think about trying to hold back tears on live TV as you're in-the-moment hearing happy-happy, knowing a family is grieving the unbearable loss of a child. I went off-script calling out that it was truly a tale of two worlds in Austin that night.' Triton helped put Fiore on a path to see and report things she'll never forget. 'I grew up close to Triton in Elmwood Park and so this area will always feel like home,' she said. 'Being recognized here where my heart continues to be is surreal. I wonder what my 19-year-old self would think of all this. Like everyone, my career hasn't always been easy, so getting such a public recognition after years of putting in the hard work feels good. I only wish my parents had lived to see this day.' Nicholas Steker, Franklin Park Fire Department's battalion chief, attributes much of his success to what he was taught at Triton. 'I believe it provided me with a strong foundation within the fire service in our area,' he said. 'I attended classes at Triton College with several veteran firefighters, new firefighters, and those aspiring to be firefighters. Then, once I was hired in Franklin Park, many of my former classmates became mentors and vice versa. I had friendships now already forged through their fire science program. The built-in network led to long-term relationships.' Passionate about helping others, Steker enrolled in Triton's Fire Science Program in 1997 and earned his associate's degree in 1999. He was then hired as a full-time firefighter and emergency medical technician with the Franklin Park Fire Department. In 2004, he completed a bachelor's degree in fire science management at Southern Illinois University's satellite program which was held at Triton. Today he's in his 26th year with the Franklin Park Fire Department where he has climbed the ranks. He became a lieutenant in 2003 and battalion chief 20 years later. He's second in command of a 43-person department. In addition, he's come back to where it all began as he's an adjunct faculty member in Triton's Fire Science Program. 'Having the privilege to serve as adjunct faculty gives me the opportunity to pay it back,' he said. 'Society and students of today have changed so much. I try to teach that traditional fire service mentality that has led to my many successes. I do see a lot of myself in some of these kids. It's not for everyone and I tell them that's completely ok. The ones that are committed know that I will do whatever I can to help them.' In fact, one of Steker's former students now works with him in Franklin Park. 'I've watched him grow as a student, to a firefighter, and he just became a father,' Steker said. 'How rewarding is that? I'm grateful every day for the opportunities Triton has provided me with as both a student and as a faculty member that has now stretched almost 30 years.' Madonna Fantetti Slepicka had already earned her associate degree at Triton many years before she returned at age 50 to take a bread class. The problem was it was an all-day class and she couldn't get in so she took a class on food safety and another on chocolate. Like Forrest Gump learned with chocolates, Fantetti Slepicka had no idea what she was going to get out of the class. For the past 15 years she's been the owner and operator of River Forest Chocolates. Taking advantage of Triton's diverse array of educational offerings was something Fantetti Slepicka knew could benefit her career. After first getting her associates at Triton she moved on to Eastern Illinois University to attain her bachelor's degree in business. Jobs in retail, real estate and teaching took a backseat when she found a new passion: chocolates. 'I always went back to Triton to learn new things,' she said. 'Triton gave me my accounting and marketing background. It gave me all those tools in my box. When they told me I was nominated (for the Wall of Fame) I was flattered to be nominated. Reading the backgrounds of all those who have been nominated, it's impressive, it gets to be pretty overwhelming.' More than 40 years ago, Lechowski chose to attend Triton because of two things — its location and its heating, ventilation and air conditioning program. The number of homeowners and businesses who have benefitted from his services is innumerable. 'Since Triton's program was close to home, I was still able to work full time while attending college,' he said. 'I looked forward to school because I enjoyed the classes. Triton has always been an outstanding college.' Albin Lechowski is the owner and president of Al Air Inc. in Norridge. 'I learned a lot at Triton,' he said. 'And I learned a lot from my dad who always taught me to treat people the way you want to be treated and to do the job right and to be honest. It gives you a good feeling inside when you're doing good.' He's doing so well that even with his 68th birthday approaching in the fall, he's not sure when he'll retire, even after his recent accolades. 'I don't do the big jobs, but I still climb on roofs and go to the customers,' he said.' It's a good feeling troubleshooting, solving problems. I'm lucky. We're a family-owned business and my son is working right under me. As a Wall of Fame inductee, I'm honored and feel like I'm making a difference in my community.'
Chicago Tribune
15-04-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Lake Forest High School names three new members of the Wall of Fame
An elected official and business executive, an acclaimed writer, and a noted musician represent the latest entries into the Lake Forest High School Wall of Fame. The school inducted Carla Neuschel Wycoff, Margaret McMullan, and Clark Sommers at an April 13 ceremony. A member of the LFHS Class of 1966, Wyckoff was elected as Lake County Clerk in 2014 before moving on to other roles. She has also been an American Medical Association executive and worked in both the Lake and McHenry County State's Attorney's office. McMullan is an author of nine award-winning books and has received an NEA fellowship and a Fulbright professorship. She was part of the LFHS Class of 1978. Sommers, a jazz musician, is a Grammy-award winning composer and bassist. He graduated from LFHS in 1995. 'We look for individuals who have made a significant and lasting impact in their profession and community,' LFHS faculty member and Selection Committee member Carolyn Konz said in a statement. The Wall of Fame honor began in 2005, but there had not been an induction ceremony since 2019, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Previous honorees include actor Vince Vaughn, Matt Grevers, an Olympic gold medal swimmer, bestselling author Amy Krouse Rosenthal and the late Chicago sportscaster Tim Weigel.
New York Times
01-03-2025
- New York Times
Donald Trump says he will posthumously pardon MLB hit king Pete Rose
President Donald Trump said Friday that he will posthumously pardon Pete Rose, the disgraced Cincinnati Reds star who received a lifetime ban from baseball for gambling on his team. Trump did not specify what he would pardon Rose for. Rose served five months in prison after pleading guilty to filing a false tax return in 1990. Advertisement Rose, who died in September at 83, admitted in his 2004 book, 'My Prison Without Bars,' that he had bet on the Reds. His placement on the permanently ineligible list barred Rose from induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, the sport's highest honor. Trump called for Rose to be elected to the Hall of Fame and said MLB 'didn't have the courage or decency' to allow him in. 'Over the next few weeks I will be signing a complete PARDON of Pete Rose, who shouldn't have been gambling on baseball, but only bet on HIS TEAM WINNING,' Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. 'He never betted against himself, or the other team. He had the most hits, by far, in baseball history, and won more games than anyone in sports history.' A pardon wouldn't directly make Rose eligible for the Hall of Fame. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in 2023 he had no intention of altering Rose's lifetime ban. Rose collected 4,256 hits, the most in MLB history, across a 24-year playing career spent mostly with his hometown Reds. But on Aug. 23, 1989, MLB announced Rose was permanently ineligible for betting on baseball, including placing bets on the Reds when he was managing the team. 'The banishment for life of Pete Rose from baseball is the sad end of a sorry episode,' then-MLB commissioner Bart Giamatti said at a news conference announcing the ban. 'One of the game's greatest players has engaged in a variety of acts which have stained the game, and he must now live with the consequences of those acts.' Rose's attempts to regain eligibility never succeeded. He applied for reinstatement in 1997 and met with former MLB commissioner Bud Selig in 2002, but Selig did not rule on his appeal. In 2015, Rose petitioned commissioner Rob Manfred for reinstatement and was denied. Two years later, the Philadelphia Phillies canceled Rose's Wall of Fame ceremony a week before it was set to take place after a woman alleged he had sex with her when she was 14 or 15 years old in the early 1970s. Rose, who would have been in his 30s at the time, claimed that he believed the woman had been 16. Advertisement In 2022, MLB approved Rose's appearance at a Phillies reunion day honoring the 1980 World Series team he helped lead to the championship. Rose received a loud standing ovation when introduced on the field. It marked his first attendance at a Phillies game since 1989. Despite his ban, Rose remained popular with fans and was a regular on the autograph circuit from Las Vegas casinos to Cooperstown hobby shops.
