The Last Days of August

Jon Ronson investigates the 2017 suicide of August Ames, a prominent adult film performer who faced a massive social media backlash after posting a tweet regarding her refusal to work with actors who performed in gay pornography. Ronson travels to California to interview those in Ames’s inner circle, including her husband Kevin Moore, her brother, and her professional colleagues. He examines the intersection of corporate interests, online shaming, and the specific pressures of the adult industry to determine whether the pile-on directly caused her death or if latent personal struggles played a larger role.

This audiobook is for listeners interested in the mechanics of internet justice and the reality of life within stigmatized subcultures. It appeals to those who track how digital mobs influence offline mental health outcomes and the complexities of the adult film business. Readers walk away with a nuanced understanding of how anonymous vitriol affects public figures and a detailed account of the events leading up to a high-profile tragedy. The narrative provides a clinical look at the consequences of immediate public condemnation.