Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Exclusive Interview With Taleon Goffney!




 
If you are not familiar with The Goffney Twins then I highly suggest you look them up. Known in the industry as Keyon And Teyon, Taleon and Keyontyli, were identical twins who appeared in gay porn together; Keyontyli is gay, Taleon is straight. They became famous in the industry for a scene they did with Marc Williams and for the rumors of twincest that ran rampant in the industry after their debut.
However, what they are most infamous for is their arrest for a string of robberies and Taleon who received a much harsher sentence than his brother and was put away for a much longer time.
I have been communicating with Taleon through email for a few weeks and I have to say he is one of the nicest, down to Earth, most humble person I have ever had the pleasure of talking with. Not only was he willing and totally open to answer some questions I had for him, he even gave me a free e-book copy of his new autobiography. I am in the middle of reading it and as soon as I am finished I will have a full review up for you guys.
In the meantime though, please enjoy this exclusive interview with Mr. Taleon Goffney!
 
JOE:

First and foremost let's start with the big question, how and why did you get into porn and what led you into doing porn with your twin brother? Were you two approached? Was it your brother's idea? Your idea? Why gay porn and not bi porn? Did you think this was just going to be something temporary or were you two looking to branch out into solo careers in the porn industry or mainstream industry?
TALEON:
I was fresh out of my first previous incarcerated situation, and I was in no rush to go back. While I was away (unbeknownst) my twin brother became active in the gay porn industry. I wasn't in no rush to go back to prison, and that was his way of helping me because no one would hire me at the time. He was approached and invited into the industry while I was serving my first sentence. He was naturally gay so it wasn't much of a dilemma for him. But he told me how gay porn paid the most money out of any other pornographic genre, and that we'd make a killing because we were twins. And with my desperation at the time... I went for it! It was definitely a temporary thing, because I only wanted to make enough money to get back on my feet.

JOE:
What was it like doing porn with your twin brother especially since you are straight? Did you have to prepare or go to another place mentally to do it? Has doing porn with your brother helped or harmed your relationship with your brother or your other family? Did they know what you two were doing?
TALEON:
It was definitely a surreal experience, because I would've never that that he and I would collectively resort to such means. And I knew that my brother was gay and sexually active, but to see it upfront...just blew my mind away!! I definitely had to go to another place mentally due to the fact that I wasn't sexually aroused by men. I fought had in my mind just to actually carry the scenes out. (Note: In my book I reveal it all in vivid detail in Chapter #10 "Soul for Sale". I give an up close divulging look of how it all occurred, and the thoughts that were running through my mind during such. I also speak about the events that led me to the gay porn industry.)
In retrospect, it definitely harmed our relationship because I had a lot of resentment towards my brother because of the situation he had got me in. Initially he lied to me and said that it would just be photos of nudity and such, but at times I truly believed that he knew what was going down the entire time before we would get on the plane to fly to another state to do these scenes. He knew that I would've declined most of the crap he got us in if I fully knew the details. But what hurt me more was that I did it anyway, despite the fact. I followed through with those choices. And hated myself for it afterwards. My personal guilt turned into resentment. Now I understand that it is just certain things that siblings should never partake in together. Some lines should never be crossed when it comes to family. It obliterated our boundaries for one another. And it caused our entire family to make a mockery of us once they all found out. And the public humiliation it caused worldwide...for example: 
http://youtu.be/E3EISzX07Ck

JOE:
Now let's talk about the robbery. What prompted that? Whose idea was it and why that store? You also got a harsher, it seemed, sentence than your brother. Why do you think that was? Did anyone in prison know about your porn past? If so I imagine that must have made your time in there more dangerous and harder than it already was, I have to ask, how did you survive? Was it just the knowledge that someday you would get out? I know a lot of people would have just given up.
TALEON: 
I decided to go back to the streets because I couldn't take selling my soul and body for money. So I rather jeopardize my freedom again! The robberies were solely my idea. My brother was foreign to that life. I chose that store and many others like it because they had ATMs inside. I targeted stores that had ATM logos on the window. The reason I got a harsher sentence than my brother was because he was the first to get captured, and to save his own tail...he told the Detectives that I was the Mastermind behind it all (as he singed an 8-page affidavit telling them about my whole operation and all the participants involved. So for my conviction he made a deal with the authorities for probation, while in exchange I recieved 6 years prison time. And because it was sensationalized in the press about our gay porn past...it had every tough guy in prison trying to kick my ass. It got so bad that for the first year and a half I was placed in solitary confinement for my own protection due to the notoriety of my case. It was pure hell. Everyday I wanted to give up, but I knew in my heart that it wasn't over for me. That I would someday overcome it all and become something more. So right then and there, I made personal promises to myself and certain loved ones that I'd someday turn it all around. So right there in solitary confinement... I began penning my memoir. I just felt that my story had to be told. I felt that it was the first step towards making things right again!

JOE:
What prompted you to write the book? What are you hoping others will take away from reading your book? And, with that in mind, is this the start of a new literary career? Can we expect to see other books from you? You also hinted that there's a movie in the works, what details can you tell us about that? Are you hoping to move into a career in entertainment either in front of or behind the camera?
TALEON:
I just knew in my heart that everything I been through would culminate into a greater purpose. Even if I was just a cautionary tale for others. Some form of martyrdom. I want readers to take away the severity in the choices we make. Because I watched my life unravel just in a few years due to poor choices. Especially the ones we make for money. As cliche as it sounds: The saying, "Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it." Now I know exactly what that means. Because I wanted out of poverty, I wanted money, and wanted a lot of it...AND WHEN I GOT IT, IT RUINED EVERYTHING!!! My integrity, my family, my freedom, my self respect...I lost it all. So with that being said, once my first book opens doors for me, I'll pen the sequel about the lessons I truly learned and how I've completely grown from it all. I want to be a true success story...but first I have to succeed! Once that comes to fruition... I'm going to share that journey with everyone. Because at one point, I became one of the most wanted criminals in the Tri-State area. I had a few people inquiring about optioning my story into a movie but funding proves to be a major challenge. Maybe someone will realize that my story is worth being told and depicted on the big screen (fingers crossed!!) I would love to be a part of the entertainment industry, simply because I'm such a movie fanatic. It would be great to become a part of that history. Even if it is just to simply have had my autobiography made into a film, just that alone would be an honor in itself.

JOE:
Since getting out of prison, how has life been treating you? Have you spoken to your brother? Family? Friends? How has your past affected your present in terms of work, family, friends, love life?
TALEON: 
Since I've been home it's been very difficult to find employment. Because of all the high profile cases I had, no one is really willing to take a chance on me. My family helps whenever they can but even that goes only so far. Especially when they're not doing that great themselves. I just feel like the whole deck is stacked against me, so I'm trying to play my cards carefully. And as far as my brother and I are concerned, we aren't on speaking terms. The press made another spectacle of our scandal and also perpetuate the fact that my brother snitched me out and helped the authorities put me away for 75 months. So he felt it was happening all over again, and decided to place the blame on me again. He played his part in the wrongdoings but in his world, it's everybody's fault but his. And I refuse to accept that as a reconciliation. So we just decided to part ways. Twins regardless!! And my love life is a constant thing of questioning, because of the things I did in the gay porn industry as a heterosexual male. People just can't grasp the concept of people doing degrading things for money when your mind can't muster any better options. And not degrading because of homosexuality. People should be, have, and choose whatever and whomever they're attracted to. But degrading because I did it for money. Like a prostitute.

JOE:
A lot of performers who have negative experiences in the industry go on to demonize everyone in the industry and the industry itself, are you one of those people? Do you blame the industry for what happened to you? What advice would you give other young performers, or young people in general, who may be heading down the same road you are? 

TALEON: 
I don't and will never demonize anyone because of what happened to me. Just out of sheer empathy of how society has done that to me. And mostly because those decisions were my own, which brought about those hardships I endured. I want other young performers and people to leave with this: 
If you want something in life; a goal, dream, possession, etc...don't ever sell out for it. Because you'll never forgive yourself once you get there.  But rather be brave enough to bet on yourself and believe in your ability to get things done, even when the chips are down. Life is scary...but if you try to cheat your way to the top...Scary can become Horrific very quickly!!! Success is tough, the road to the good life is tough...but if you remain tougher than whatever you're going through you'll be the last man standing every time. And in the real world the last man standing is always the winner!!!! 
 
I would like to once again thank Taleon for taking the time to talk with me and for giving me a copy of his book. I wish him all the best in his future endeavors and I have a feeling that with the knowledge he has know and the growing he has done he will go far and become a shooting star!
 
XOXO
-JOE-


1 comment:

  1. So very sad that his story ended too soon with his unfortunate death from cancer. It's so unfair that his life was really looking up, he had reconciled with his brother, had beautiful children, and it was all taken away from him along with his life.

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