The Last Days of August
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Narrated by:
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Written by:
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Jon Ronson
About this listen
Jon Ronson, the creator of Audible Original The Butterfly Effect, delves into the pornography industry again as he unravels the never-before-told story of what caused a beloved 23-year-old actress's untimely death.
In December 2017, famed adult film star August Ames died by suicide in a park in California's Conejo Valley. Her death came just a day after she'd been the victim of a social media pile-on by fellow porn professionals — punishment for her tweeting out something deemed homophobic.
A month later, August's husband and pornography producer Kevin Moore connected with journalist Jon Ronson to tell the story of how cyberbullying via Twitter killed his wife. Neither of them could predict the rumours and secrets that Ronson would soon hear, revelations that hinted at a very different story — something mysterious and unexpected and terrible.
This is an Audible Original Podcast. Free for members. You can download all 7 episodes to your Library now.
Please note: This audio features sexual content, adult language, and references to suicide and violence that may be upsetting to some listeners. Discretion is advised.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please call the Canada Suicide Prevention Service (CSPS) toll-free anytime at 1-833-456-4566.
©2019 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC
About the Creator and Performer
Behind the Scenes with Jon Ronson
''We started to hear rumours of a very different story. For instance, one of the people who piled in on August that day said to me, 'Somebody needs to look at August's relationship with her husband.'''
About the Creator
Jon Ronson is a critically acclaimed journalist, author, and screenwriter who has contributed to publications and broadcasts including This American Life, The New York Times Magazine, GQ, The Guardian, and more. His full-length nonfiction novels — So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, The Psychopath Test, Them: Adventures With Extremists, Lost at Sea, and The Men Who Stare at Goats — have been translated into over 30 languages; many of them have been international best sellers. In 2017, Ronson created and recorded the Audible Original series The Butterfly Effect, a highly rated production that spent weeks on the top of the audiobook charts and was honoured as a finalist for the 2018 Non-Fiction Audie Award.
What listeners say about The Last Days of August
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- obi
- 2019-06-20
Reaching
Ronson has nothing.
It's all speculation and digging until he finds something that looks bad. This whole show is Ronson building a murder case out of toothpicks.
A giant waste of time for everyone
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ian Bell
- 2019-11-16
Stay rush to judgement
This is a remarkable series. It dissects the life experiences, the personalities and the circumstances surrounded the death of August Ames and does so with dignity and empathy but, also, doggedness. It’s a kindly but unflinching look into the effect the emotional scars drives choices and their consequences. Godspeed Mercedes, you were damaged coming into porn and did not have the emotional reserves to weather the storms it created.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- mokoosh
- 2019-03-03
Eye-opening
Excellent look into the adult entertainment industry's dark side. If you think it's "okay" because it's voluntary and no-one gets hurt, then you are sadly mistaken.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jean Francois Jette
- 2019-02-01
intéresting
story is intriguing and interesting . let's you in a world that can be unknown or misunderstood. deals with mental health issues. great journalism. journalist try to be very ok objective and patient.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- JohnS
- 2019-01-07
Tragic
This is a tragic story told in a fairly balanced manner. Unfortunately, the death of August Ames was not the first nor will it be the last in the porn industry. It is a sad reality that porn is here to stay and it will continue to attract, for the most part poor and naive girls and women who are unaware of the pitfalls awaiting them.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Terry T
- 2019-09-11
interesting and kind of sad
pretty interesting story of the porn industry and August life. also very sad ending of her life
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Todd M Hunt
- 2020-08-07
A Story Of Being Seen In The Best Light
At the core this isn’t a story of porn. It’s the story of someone taking their own life, a battle with depression, and how those left cope with the bad choices they made while you were alive. It’s much more about deflecting personal blame and attempting to control perspective than a murder mystery or erotic. It’s a fascinating and insightful look into how people justify bad behaviour and over express the nice things they did in order to cope and manage the pain of ones death. Possibly the best free read on Audible.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Paul King
- 2022-03-22
Could have been much shorter
What I am hearing is a tragic tale clouded in speculation and theory, surrounded by a cloud of he-said-she-said soundbites. I think this could have been reduced to a single episode, and would have been more impactful.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- E. Wagner
- 2019-02-12
Sad & Tragic
Definitely did not go in the direction you expect it to, but an excellent exposé on the porn industry and the possible emotional and physical repercussions that may occur with some performers.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bella Amelia
- 2021-03-07
Tragic story
I had never heard of August Ames before this podcast. her story hurts so much once it got to chapter 7 and all the little bits and pieces were tied together.
I do not believe Kevin murdered his wife. What I see in Kevin is a man who, for some reason related to his own life, is unable to bond properly. He definitely has some undiagnosed or at least unshared personality disorders or psychological situations going on. This does not make him a murderer, it makes him a broken person who was consistently drawn to other broken people.
August's own story brought me to tears. I was also rejected by my family. I also went into the adult industry for a short time when I was much younger. I am also married to a much older man 25 years my senior for the same reasons. Because I'm looking for that father figure, that validation of love from a father that I never felt I got. My relationship thankfully is a very happy one and together we have grown and I've learned who I am because of his love. I guess my search was successful but August's was not.
She never found what she was looking for and it is startlingly obvious that she had very deep rooted issues of trauma that needed professional help that she never got. Then the entire situation with her being misunderstood by her comment blew up and it pushed her over the edge. She did not say anything wrong and she should be praised for her strength in standing up for what she believes to be the safe and correct choice for her body and her career. I don't fault Jessica for what she said which really wasn't anything evil at all.
August's death is a product of mental illness and undiagnosed conditions allowed to run rampant. In the end it's a mental health story, yet another of a person who didn't get the help she so desperately needed.
RIP August Ames❤️
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