Adult movie star August Ames has died aged 23, her husband has confirmed.
August, who was born in Canada, passed away in Camarillo, California, on Tuesday morning from suicide.
Her cause of death was confirmed by the Ventura County Medical Examiner as asphyxiation due to hanging.
Her real name was Mercedes Grabowski.
Her devastated husband Kevin Moore said: “She was the kindest person I ever knew and she meant the world to me.
“Please leave this as a private family matter in this difficult time.”
Friends of the star, who had appeared in more than 270 X-rated movies, told The Blast that August had suffered from long-term depression and may have taken her own life.
Just 48 hours earlier, she had found herself embroiled in a social media row after she said she had reservations about working with a porn star who had previously appeared in gay porn.
On December 3 she wrote: "Whichever (lady) performer is replacing me tomorrow... you’re shooting with a guy who has shot gay porn, just to let cha know. BS is all I can say Do agents really not care about who they’re representing?"
When a Twitter user wrote to her saying, "So you're homophobic?" she replied: "NOT homophobic. 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."
A day later she replied to another Twitter user saying she wasn't going to apologise for her previous tweets.
"I don’t have anything to apologize for! Apologizing for taking extra steps to ensue that my body stays safe?
"F**k you guys attacking me when none of my intentions were malicious. I f**king love the gay community! What the f**k ever! I CHOOSE who I have inside my body. No hate."
Her haunting last public tweet, posted on December 4, simply read: "F**k y'all."
Her career kicked off in 2013 and she became one of the most popular porn stars on the internet.
This December, her videos on PornHub had amassed more than 425 million views, making her the 9th most popular star on the site.
In a furious Facebook post, August's distraught brother James Grabowski blasted the 'trolls' who had harangued his sister with abusive messages after she refused to take part in the EroticaX shoot.
"Bullying is not a joke," he said in the since-deleted post.
"It took my sister's life and I can't get her back. This pain I feel cause people couldn't keep their opinions to themselves is unbearable, although I have nothing but hate for each and everyone of you people who drove her to this i still do not wish this pain on you.
"This has forever changed me and who I am as a person," he went on.
"I guess I can't hide from the rumours and the messages won't stop. This will be my one and only post and then i would like to be left alone.
"I lost my baby sister yesterday. There is no replacing a love and bond like I had with her. She was my rock and I was hers."
James added: "Anyone who knows me truly knows my love for my family and how much heart I have.
"I can't process this she was suppose to be here in 14 days so o ask to be left alone (sic).
"To anyone that is reading this that i have bullied or hurt in one way or another in my lifetime, I'm sorry from the bottom of my heart.
"Mercedes I will not let this go and will continue to do what's right and try to be a voice for you for the rest of my life so that others don't have to endure the pain you felt and the pain your love ones now feel."
He finished with a poignant: "I love you baby girl."
August - who described herself as bisexual - had been inundated with tweets branding her homophobic for refusing to have sex with a 'crossover' actor - someone who has filmed sex with both women and men.
One tweeter told her to either apologise or "swallow a cyanide pill", while another said August "may be the the stupidest woman I've come across in 15 years of this industry".
August pointed out the hypocrisy in some tweeters' views by listing the ways in which porn performers are usually supported.
"'Choose who YOU want to work with, don't do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, share your thoughts'. Hmm. Well, I did all three, and twitter took a dump on me," she added.
If you are affected by the issues in this story and need someone to talk to, call the Samaritans for free at any time on 116 123.