Joanna Angel

Joanna Angel

Born on December 25, 1980, in Brooklyn, New York, Joanna Angel has built one of the more distinctive careers in the adult industry over a span of two decades. Her path into the business was shaped in part by her academic background: she enrolled at Rutgers University at 17 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and a minor in Film Studies.

Early Career and BurningAngel

After graduating, Joanna relocated to the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn and launched BurningAngel, a hardcore adult website that helped define what became known as "alt porn," a subgenre centered on performers with tattoos, piercings, and alternative aesthetics. She funded the early stages of the site while working as an exotic dancer. BurningAngel grew into both a production company and a brand, with Joanna serving as writer, director, producer, and performer. The site's success drew mainstream media attention, including coverage in The New York Times.

Industry Milestones

Joanna's on-screen career began around 2005, and she held an exclusive contract with VCA Pictures until March 2007. She was represented for a time by Bad Ass Models. Her AVN Award nominations include Best New Starlet and Best Actress in 2006, and The Jenna Jameson Crossover Star of the Year in 2009. She won the AVN Award for Most Outrageous Sex Scene for her role in Re-Penetrator.

Beyond performing, she wrote a monthly sexual advice column for Spin magazine and contributed a chapter to the book Naked Ambition: Women Pornographers and How They Are Changing the Sex Industry.

Personal Life and Connections

Joanna dated James Deen from 2005 to 2011. In December 2015, she publicly discussed the relationship on The Jason Ellis Show. She married adult film actor Small Hands (Aaron Thompson) on October 31, 2016.

Profile

Standing at 4'11", Joanna fits squarely among petite models in the industry. She is heavily tattooed, with ink on her right forearm, right calf, left bicep, upper back, and pelvic area, along with stretched ear lobes. She had breast augmentation surgery in February 2020, having previously been a natural 34C. Her hair is black and her eyes are brown.

With over 20 years active in the industry as a performer, director, writer, and entrepreneur, Joanna remains one of the longer-tenured figures in adult entertainment whose work spans both in front of and behind the camera.