Belle Knox
Miriam Weeks,18, performs in adult movies as Belle Knox Facebook

A Duke University freshman who appeared in porn movies to pay her college fees, has hit back at reports claiming that her parents are upset with her decision.

Miriam Weeks,18, who performs under the name Belle Knox, told the Daily News that her father, Kevin Weeks, was not heartbroken after he learned of his daughter's film work.

"My parents aren't upset. I want my family left out of it. If people criticise me that's one thing, but leave my family alone," said Ms Weeks.

Weeks said she was upset by a Daily Mail article which claims that her parents, devout Catholics from Spokane, "have been 'floored' by their daughter's decision to turn to porn".

Amana Minor, the mother-in-law of Miriam's brother Paul, told the Daily Mail what the teenager did is a "a tragedy in the family. The father is one of the best human beings I've ever met. He is just back from Afghanistan; he served his country, how awesome is that?"

Minor added: "Nothing is irreparable when it comes to the Weeks family and their love for each other."

Weeks had already expressed her will to keep her private life out of the media.

In an article on the Xojane website, she asked the world to respect her privacy, as she was not the one who brought her porn-related activities to the public's attention.

Her participation in a porn movie was exposed by a fellow Duke student after he had seen her on the internet.

"After promising me he would respect my privacy, he proceeded to reveal who I was to the entire Greek system, which is when all of this controversy first began. I started to be harassed. He started to be applauded," she explained.

"My decision to do porn does not somehow mean that the world now 'owns' or deserves access to every single thing about me and every choice I make," she continued.

Weeks denied claims that she went into porn because her parents cut her off financially.

The student also said she will keep doing adult movies, because she is not "ashamed of porn".

"On the contrary, doing pornography fulfils me," she said.