Shayla LaVeaux, born December 27, 1969, in Golden, Colorado, is a retired American adult film actress, exotic dancer, and model. Raised by a single mother in banking, she was a rebellious teen, working at McDonald’s at 15 and later at cafes and a bakery after graduating from Wheat Ridge High School. At 18, she began stripping at Shotgun Willie’s in Glendale, Colorado, and danced at bachelor parties, per Wikipedia and IMDb. It was while stripping that she first tried cocaine and would get addicted to the drug. After a period of drug use and wild parties, she married in 1990 at age 21, co-owning an adult bookstore and stripping service, which led to nude modeling for Playboy, Penthouse, and Hustler to build her brand, per IMDb.LaVeaux was best friends withAlexis DeVellfrom stripping, and the two lived close to each other in Denver, Colorado. DeVell, who was already established in adult movies, took LaVeaux to Los Angeles and invited her to a set one day to hang out. When one of the performers no-showed. DeVell asked her if she wanted to step in, and she began her porn career that day in 1992. She starred in over 500 films, including Orgazmo (1997), Shayla’s Web (1997), and Shayla Down Under, known for her blonde hair, blue eyes, 34D-24-34 figure (enhanced), and versatile performances in anal, lesbian, and interracial scenes, per IAFD and The Movie Database. LaVeaux had an unusual arrangement early in her career in that she signed with director Paul Norman and not a studio or agent per The Movie Database. When Norman was hired, you would also get LaVeaux. LaVeaux had a dispute with Vivid over the 1994 movie Dirty Looks. She was promised the box cover and a higher wage, but instead it went toAshlyn Gere. LaVeaux vowed never to work for them again, and that would be her only Vivid movie in over 500 films.Known her great beauty and piercing blue eyes, LaVeaux would be one of the most popular pornstars of the 90s and a friendly rival to the likes ofJenna Jameson,Chasey Lain, andJill Kelly. As the mid 2000s came, LaVeaux would transition to more MILF roles as she entered her mid 30s. LaVeaux would state that she loved working and took almost no breaks from 1992 to 2014.Fans praised her as “a blonde bombshell who is one of the prettiest women to ever do porn,” noting her Shayla’s Web scenes (comment: “Shayla’s beauty is awe-inspiring,” user: retrofan69). A 2024 X post called her “a 90s legend with the supermodel face” (@RetroPornFan). AVN (2007) described her as “a box cover legend whose pretty face made her a star.” The Rialto Report lauded her “journey from stripper to porn icon,” cementing her legacy in 1990s–2000s adult cinema.She retired in 2014 at the age of 45, briefly pursuing voice acting, per Wikipedia. LaVeaux was in a relationship with DeVell, who was also married, for many years. Both couples were swingers and would swap husbands. But this would end when LaVeaux and her husband moved from Colorado to LA in 1996. LaVeaux and her husband would remain swingers in California, and LaVeaux told AVN in 2008 that this kept her marriage strong. As of July 29, 2025, LaVeaux, now 55, lives privately with no active social media presence, her films enduring in vintage adult communities.Awards & Honors: Shayla LaVeaux🏆 Award Wins & Honors1993 – XRCO Starlet of the Year1994 – AVN Best New Starlet1994 – Adam Film World Best New Starlet2001 – Inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame2008 – Inducted into the XRCO Hall of Fame🥇 Award Nominations1997 – AVN Most Outrageous Sex Scene for Shock: Latex 22001 – AVN Best All‑Girl Sex Scene – Video for Essentially Dee (and Juli Too)2001 – AVN Best All‑Girl Sex Scene – Video for Shayla’s Web2016 – Fan Award: Hottest MILF nominee🌟 Legacy & RecognitionDebuted in adult film in 1992 and starred in over 300 titles over more than a decadeKnown for a memorable performance style and strong “new starlet” credibility that quickly became award-winningContract performer under director Paul Norman early in her careerReturned to broader visibility via memoirs, radio appearances, and producer roles post‑retirement