This is why he hasn’t attempted to be any sort of activist. There is a certain earnest and conflict in his voice with an added confusion. It’s very difficult for me to resolve it all.” As a positive person, when I hear those reassuring messages about feeling fine, I think it lends to actually making people feel worse about the situation. “If I’m trying to get rid of any stigma, I think it cancels out the ‘safe sex message.’ Then it doesn’t show how devastating it can be. And then, from the poz side, the message is to stay healthy, live your life, what not,” he says. “There are two message the community wants to put out there: Know your status, play safe, etcetera. He’s aware of the likely societal impression a former porn star would make, but he’s also conflicted about the messages already out there. People ask me what meds I’m on but my doc says as long as I feel healthy, my immune system is working, my T-cells are high and my viral load is down, I don’t need to be on any right now.”Īlthough a public person of sorts, Wyler has yet to resolve his position as any kind of spokesman for HIV prevention. “I go to my doc once a month to get my blood screened. “I had a massive infection after just getting my wisdom teeth out but that had nothing to do with the HIV,” he says. He was working his way toward a teaching certificate initially, but now plans to finish his schooling and receive a bachelor’s degree in history. For some reason I thought I had two years left and it turns out I only have 15 hours.” Thankfully I left in good standing and able to be readmitted. “I had one semester left at UNT to graduate so it looks like in the near future I’ll be trekking my ass back up to DFW area and finishing my degree at UNT. Part of that includes moving back to the Dallas area away from his Houston suburban home with his partner. Wyler considered his options and finds himself approaching an entirely new career path. So maybe ending his career, by choice or not, is a smart move.
But also, the industry is struggling due to the Internet.” “I worked with every major studio under the sun,” the former Dallasite says. And as he saw it, the other studios were done with him. I’m sad and it is worrisome.”ĭuring his contract for the past four years, Wyler says he was earning between $50,000 and $75,000 a year, but since coming out, he has been relegated to just webcam shows, clocking time until his contract was met. “Because of my work, I’ve been able to not give a thought about money or bills or savings,” he admits. Following disclosure of his HIV status, his studio, Next Door, fizzled out his contract his last “job” was the end of May. Stating his career is dead lends itself to the same worries other people losing their job would feel. Porn stars work in an industry that doesn’t garner them a lot of sympathy from society, but Wyler likes to remind people that he’s a human with real-life issues. Mason Wyler as a porn performer is dead,” he declares. “I would say my career as a porn performer is dead. After causing a frenzy last year coming out as HIV-positive, he’s received both criticism for irresponsibility in the industry but also reassuring feedback from his fans.Īs he sees his career options dwindle, Wyler now has to figure what his next role will be - not in film, but in life.
He could be smarter than people give him credit for. Mason Wyler can be a hard man to figure out. QUIETER LIFE | Wyler figures life out as he’s lost his healthy salary from making adult films and tending to his HIV poz status.