Pineapple Support to Host Cream Pie Challenge Fundraiser to Support Mental Health in the Adult Industry

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Pineapple Support, the adult industry’s leading mental health nonprofit, will host a “Cream Pie Challenge” fundraiser throughout August. The event aims to raise funds and awareness for mental health services dedicated to performers in the adult industry, inviting participants to engage in a fun, community-driven campaign.

The Cream Pie Challenge encourages performers, fans, and supporters to create and share videos of themselves getting pied in the face using whipped cream or their dessert topping of choice. Those who participate in the challenge can then nominate five others, spreading the campaign widely and increasing support for mental health resources.

This campaign is open to everyone, including performers, content creators, fans, and allies. To participate;

  1. Take a pie: Record yourself getting pied in the face with whipped cream, shaving foam, or your dessert topping of choice

  2. Donate: Visit pineapplesupport.org/creampiechallenge to make your donation

  3. Challenge others: Post your video, tag @PineappleYSW, and nominate 5 friends to get creampied (and donate, too)

  4. Spread the word: Use hashtags #CreamPieChallenge and #CreamForACause to help spread the message

Pineapple Support was founded by British performer Leya Tanit in 2018, after a string of losses in the adult industry from depression and other mental illnesses. The organization, a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization in the United States, has connected over 16,000 adult performers to mental health services, including free and low-cost therapy, counseling, and emotional support.

“This industry gives so much joy to so many people, but performers often face stigma, isolation, and emotional stress,” says Tanit. “The Cream Pie Challenge is a fun, creative way for the community and fans to come together and say: your mental health matters.”

Brands and influencers can get involved by sponsoring therapy sessions, organizing team pies, matching donations, or simply promoting the challenge across social media. For more information and to participate in the challenge, visit pineapplesupport.org/creampiechallenge.

Pineapple Support Launches “Navigating Grief and Loss” Support Group, Sponsored by Streamate

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Pineapple Support, the adult industry’s leading mental health nonprofit, is proud to announce a new support group, Navigating Grief and Loss, designed to help adult industry professionals process and heal from experiences of grief in all its forms. The six-week, closed support group is generously sponsored by Streamate and facilitated by licensed psychologist Dr. Tess Kilwein.

“Grief takes many shapes and forms — from personal loss to industry burnout, and we want our community to know they don’t have to face it alone,” says Leya Tanit, founder of Pineapple Support. “This group offers a compassionate and confidential space for performers to share, connect, and heal together.”
“Navigating Grief and Loss” is open to all adult industry professionals who have experienced grief or loss. Participants are invited to openly share their stories and develop practical coping skills to navigate their unique journeys. The support group is designed to reduce feelings of isolation, loneliness, anxiety, depression, and fatigue that often accompany grief.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Streamate for supporting this important initiative,” says Tanit. “With their partnership and Dr. Kilwein’s expertise, we’re able to provide safe and guided support for those who need it most.”
Pineapple Support was founded in 2018 by British performer Leya Tanit, following a wave of tragic losses within the adult industry linked to depression and mental health struggles. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit has connected more than 15,000 adult performers with free and low-cost therapy, counseling, and emotional support services.
You can learn more about upcoming support groups or register for Navigating Grief and Loss, by visiting https://pineapplesupport.org/support-groups/
To learn more about becoming a sponsor of Pineapple Support, please visit https://pineapplesupport.org/sponsorship. Details about additional ways to support, as a company or individual, can be found on the organization’s website https://pineapplesupport.org.

The Sacred in the Profane: A Reflection on Leadership, Shame, and Self-Love

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Lately, I’ve been feeling tired. Not the kind of tired that sleep fixes, but the kind that settles into your bones when you’re working on something bigger than yourself. It’s the kind of tired that comes from caring deeply, dreaming boldly, and holding space for others while trying to hold space for yourself.

And still, I wouldn’t trade it.

We’re building something that matters. Something that’s changing lives. And yet, even in the midst of that purpose, I’ve found myself sitting quietly with shame.

Shame that whispers I should be doing more, being more, handling everything better. Shame that tells me I shouldn’t feel overwhelmed, because I created this. Shame that creeps in when I catch myself snapping, assuming, or miscommunicating – especially with a team I deeply admire.

But I’m learning to meet that shame with empathy. To breathe through it. To ask myself not “Why can’t you do more?” but “What do you need right now?”

I’m trying to be gentler with myself. To listen to the voice inside me that says, “You’re doing your best. And that’s enough.”

I want to say it gets easier. It doesn’t. The goals just get bigger. And the challenges that come with fighting for them grow too. The next goals? Huge. But I believe in them. I believe in this mission. And most of all, I believe in this team. We’ve got this!

Leadership has a way of magnifying our inner critics. But it also offers an invitation to be the kind of leader who leads with compassion, not perfection. Who recognizes that desirable difficulty is part of growth, that clarity of values doesn’t mean clarity of answers and that we are all figuring it out as we go.

Sometimes, I catch myself expecting too much from the people around me. They’re passionate, brilliant, and committed, but that doesn’t mean they should have to fight so hard, that’s on me, and I’m so deeply grateful for the way they show up and for the grace they extend when I forget to – you know who you are.

I haven’t been practicing what we preach lately. I still make it to the gym in the mornings, that ritual helps me hold it together, but after work, I crash. I haven’t had the energy to check in on friends, to reply to messages, to show up for the people I love the way I want to – my social battery is just flat. While the guilt tries to creep in, I’m reminding myself: I’m human. And that has to be okay.

With this, I’ve been reflecting a lot on how I speak to myself, in those quiet, in-between moments and I’m realizing that the way I speak internally sets the tone for everything else. I want that voice to be one of love, not judgment. Of truth, not pressure. Of compassion, not critique.

Because if I can’t offer myself grace, how can I offer it to others?

This work, this mission, it’s sacred. Even when it’s messy. Even when I’m knee-deep in emails and strategy and spreadsheets. The sacred is camouflaged in the profane. And every so often, it reveals itself in a moment of stillness. A deep exhale. A kind message from someone we’ve helped. A hug from someone who needed it.

I don’t have all the answers. But I do know this: the more I lead with empathy, toward others and myself, the more sustainable this journey becomes.

That’s the kind of leader I want to be.

 

With love,

Leya

Whisper Fans Joins Pineapple Support As Supporter-Level Sponsor

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Pineapple Support, the adult industry’s leading mental health nonprofit, is pleased to welcome Whisper Fans as a supporter-level sponsor. The creator automation platform joins over seventy adult businesses and organizations in committing funds and resources to the organization.

 

“At Whisper, we believe that emotional and mental health support should be as accessible as the platforms we work with,” says Olivier David, Head of Growth at Whisper.fans. “Partnering with Pineapple Support is our way of giving back to a community that too often gets overlooked — and helping build a more sustainable and compassionate adult industry.”

 

Pineapple Support was founded by British performer Leya Tanit in 2018, after a string of losses in the adult industry from depression and other mental illnesses. The organization, a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization in the United States, has connected over 16,000 adult performers to mental health services, including free and low-cost therapy, counseling, and emotional support.

“I’m excited to welcome Whisper Fans as a sponsor of Pineapple Support,” says Tanit. “Their focus on accessibility and creator care aligns beautifully with our mission to provide stigma-free mental health resources to the adult industry. Thank you to the Whisper Fans team for helping us support the community we love.”

To learn more about becoming a sponsor of Pineapple Support, please visit https://pineapplesupport.org/sponsorship. Details about additional ways to support, as a company or individual, can be found on the organization’s website https://pineapplesupport.org.

Only Tax Deductions Joins Pineapple Support As Supporter-Level Sponsor

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Pineapple Support, the adult industry’s leading mental health nonprofit, is pleased to welcome Only Tax Deductions as a supporter-level sponsor. The adult tax law firm joins over seventy adult businesses and organizations in committing funds and resources to the organization.

“As the adult industry’s dedicated tax attorneys at Only Tax Deductions Law Firm, we work closely with sex workers, content creators, and adult industry businesses every day,” says Nate Mallory, owner of Only Tax Deductions. “We understand the unique challenges our clients face, including the stigma and discrimination that can prevent them from accessing essential services like mental healthcare. Pineapple Support’s mission to provide judgment-free, professional mental health services directly addresses a critical gap we see in our practice.When our clients have access to proper mental health support through Pineapple Support’s vast network of specialized, sex-worker-friendly therapists, they’re better equipped to build successful, sustainable businesses and reach their financial goals. Mental wellness and financial wellness go hand in hand,”

Pineapple Support was founded by British performer Leya Tanit in 2018, after a string of losses in the adult industry from depression and other mental illnesses. The organization, a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization in the United States, has connected over 15,000 adult performers to mental health services, including free and low-cost therapy, counseling, and emotional support.
“I’m grateful to Only Tax Deductions for their partnership and support,” says Tanit. “Their commitment to empowering adult creators through financial literacy and mental health care reflects a deep understanding of the challenges our community faces. Together, we can ensure that no performer is left without the help they deserve.”
“We’re proud to sponsor an organization that recognizes the dignity and worth of every individual in our industry,” says Mallory. “Pineapple Support’s comprehensive approach—from 24/7 emotional support to professional therapy—reflects the same commitment to specialized, non-discriminatory service that we strive to provide at our firm.”

To learn more about becoming a sponsor of Pineapple Support, please visit https://pineapplesupport.org/sponsorship. Details about additional ways to support, as a company or individual, can be found on the organization’s website https://pineapplesupport.org.

Self-Love, Resilience, and Being True to Who You Are (Even When It’s Really Bloody Hard)

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Some days, I flirt with Gabor Maté. Other days, I crawl right back into the arms of Brene Brown like the emotionally exhausted, overthinking CEO I am.

Today is a Brene day.

I’ve been reflecting on something she said, something that hits especially hard when you’re building something people don’t understand. Or worse, don’t want to understand.

“If you are not in the arena getting your ass kicked on occasion, I am not interested in or open to your feedback… There are a million cheap seats in the world today filled with people who will never be brave with their own lives, but will spend every ounce of energy they have hurling advice and judgement at those of us trying to dare greatly.”

Amen.

If you work in the adult industry, or advocate for those who do, you’ll know exactly what I mean. Everyone seems to have an opinion, especially those with no skin in the game. They’re not the ones in the arena. They’re not building services, holding hands through breakdowns, fighting stigma, or dealing with burnout and bureaucracy. But they’ll still loudly let you know how you should be doing it.

And it’s easy to let that noise get in. Some of it is clever. Some of it sounds almost like concern. Some of it hits a little too close to an insecurity you’re already wrestling with at 2am. And suddenly, you’re not sure if you’re a fraud or just tired.

But here’s what I’ve learned – self-love isn’t fluffy. It’s not always bubble baths and mantras. Often, it’s raw, gritty, painful work. It’s setting boundaries that make people uncomfortable. It’s deciding who gets a say in your life.

Brene has another quote I come back to often, she tells us to take a 1×1 inch piece of paper and write down the names of the people whose opinions truly matter. Not because they always agree with you, but because they love you enough to tell you the truth and hold space for your growth. That list is sacred. Everyone else? Cheap seats.

When I started Pineapple Support, plenty of people said it wouldn’t work. “Nobody will fund it.” “Too risky.” “Too controversial.”

But those who knew me, really knew me, didn’t doubt it for a second. Because they understood the passion, the sleepless nights, the desperate need for this work to exist. They saw how deeply I cared, and how stubborn I can be when something matters.

It’s still hard. We support thousands of creators, but I still wish we could do more. I still take it personally when we can’t help everyone. I still lie awake some nights thinking of ways to reach those who are struggling silently. I still get overwhelmed by the weight of it all, and I still keep showing up.

Because I know what we do matters. And I know that the only way to build something meaningful is to be relentlessly authentic, even when it’s painful. Even when it means being misunderstood, judged, or dismissed.

If you’re in the adult industry, chances are you’ve felt the sting of judgment too. People love to make assumptions. They think they know your life, your reasons, your worth, without ever knowing you. But unless they’ve walked in your shoes (or stilettos) they don’t get a vote.

You are not here to make everyone comfortable. You are here to be brave with your life. That takes self-love. That takes resilience. That takes an unshakable belief in your purpose, even when others can’t see it yet.

So here’s your permission slip, from me, from Brene, from the inner voice you sometimes forget to listen to: you don’t have to explain yourself to people committed to misunderstanding you. You don’t owe your story to anyone who wouldn’t hold it with care.

Keep showing up. Keep being you. Keep doing the work – messy, complicated, brave, beautiful work.

And if you need to, come sit with me. We’ll cry, laugh, maybe quote a little Gabor, and definitely write some fierce truths on very small pieces of paper.

(featured photograph with Christina Carter, the day we launched Pineapple Support at EXXXOTICA Denver in April 2018)

with love and pineapple hugs,

Leya

WannaCollab Joins Pineapple Support As Supporter-Level Sponsor

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Pineapple Support, the adult industry’s leading mental health nonprofit, is pleased to welcome WannaCollab as a supporter-level sponsor. The creator networking platform joins over seventy adult businesses and organizations in committing funds and resources to the organization.

 

“WannaCollab is all about building real connections in the creator space—and that includes supporting the mental health of those behind the content,” says Alex, Co-Founder of WannaCollab “We’re proud to support Pineapple Support because they offer care that’s judgment-free and tailored to the realities of our industry. Whether someone’s just starting out or building an empire, knowing there’s a resource like Pineapple Support makes a huge difference. No one should have to navigate this space alone, and we’re honored to back an organization that truly shows up for our community.”

 

Pineapple Support was founded by British performer Leya Tanit in 2018, after a string of losses in the adult industry from depression and other mental illnesses. The organization, a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization in the United States, has connected over 16,000 adult performers to mental health services, including free and low-cost therapy, counseling, and emotional support.

“I’d like to thank the team at WannaCollab for their generous sponsorship of Pineapple Support,” says Tanit. “Their dedication to helping creators thrive is inspiring, and their backing  allows us to provide vital mental health services to those in need. I’m proud to welcome them as partners in this mission.”

To learn more about becoming a sponsor of Pineapple Support, please visit https://pineapplesupport.org/sponsorship. Details about additional ways to support, as a company or individual, can be found on the organization’s website https://pineapplesupport.org.