Porn star August Ames' heartbreaking confession just days before her suicide: 'I've been depressed'

In a heartbreaking text sent to her friend Keisha Grey, porn star August Ames had confessed to feeling depressed just days before she committed suicide in a public park.

In the tragic message, not only did the late adult film entertainer make the revelation about her state of mind but also offered her help to Grey, even though Ames herself was suffering from mental health problems.

Ames was found dead on 5 December in California after she hanged herself in a park close to her home in Camarillo in Ventura County, California.

While the exact reason behind her action is not known, the award-winning adult actress is reported to have been dealing with bipolar depression and multiple personality disorder.

However, in weeks leading up to her suicide, Ames reportedly messaged her fellow porn star to ask about her well-being.

"I hope you're doing well! I've been depressed and it seems like people are being d***s and I just wanted to let you know that you can talk to me if you ever want to," read the text from 23-year-old Ames – a snapshot of which was shared by her friend on Twitter. Grey, also 23, captioned the screengrab of their conversation with "RIP".

Following the sad news of Ames' death, Grey also shared a touching note in honour of her late friend. "[Rest] easy August Ames," she wrote along with a picture of the two, "Thank you for being there for me during that hard time."

Although no mention of the cause or nature of this "hard time" is made by Grey or in the suicide note left behind by Ames for her parents, the multiple Female Performer of the Year nominee had faced abuse and cyberbullying just before her death.

The online outrage was sparked after a tweet was shared by the late adult actress, which many deemed as homophobic. But before she took her own life, Ames had rubbished those claims, explaining her reasons for not performing a scene with a gay porn star.

"NOT homophobic," she had written, adding, "Most girls don't shoot with guys who have shot gay porn, for safety. That's just how it is with me. I'm not putting my body at risk, I don't know what they do in their private lives."

However, there's more to the tragedy of Ames. The immensely successful adult actress, whose real name was Mercedes Grabowski, had earlier opened up about her mental disorders in a podcast with adult film director Holly Randall.

"Some days I'll be fine and, if I'm not doing anything, I'll get these awful flashbacks of my childhood and I get very depressed and I can't get out of bed and cancel my scenes for like a week or two," Ames had said, as per reports.

During the candid chat, Ames also shockingly revealed the sexual abuse she had suffered as a child.

"There was a lot of sexual molestation – not from my father but from his [redacted] – so I had to suffer from being molested by my [redacted]. When I finally told my dad, he didn't believe me," she said.

The Samaritans provides a free support service for those who need to talk to someone in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Visit Samaritans.org or call 116 123 (UK) or 116 123 (ROI), 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Visit this website to find a support phone number in your country.

If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, please contact a free support service at Mind.org.uk or call 0300 123 3393 (charges apply).