A viral marketing video for an adult-oriented webcam service which featured an adult film actress reportedly being bitten by a lemon shark off the coast of Florida is being called out as a hoax and the company behind it, CamSoda.com, is facing potential backlash.
The promotional video, which featured porn actress Molly Cavalli, has garnered over 15 million views in the week since it was posted.
According to the original YouTube post, “The underwater broadcast had to be cut short when Molly’s foot stuck out of the cage and was bitten by a lemon shark. Don’t worry though, Molly is doing just fine. She had to get 20 stitches but she is in good spirits and grateful for her quick recovery.”
The video’s authenticity was quickly questioned and critics decried the company’s use of a shark attack as a means of promotion.
(Editor’s note: Out of journalistic integrity, Sharkophile did not report on the original incident for this reason.)
“I can tell you for a fact, it was not a shark bite,” University of Florida biologist and International Shark Attack File curator George Burgess told the Palm Beach Post. “How it was inflicted is conjectural, but the main thing is, the injury is not a shark bite. It was a PR stunt, and it worked.”
A Palm Beach Post investigation found that the production crew had contacted another dive boat operator with plans for the stunt. Bryce Rohrer, owner and operator of Florida Shark Diving, declined the charter.
“So many people these days are working towards saving sharks and the environment is in such a focus right now,” Rohrer told the Post “When someone comes up with a fake shark attack it just kind of is a blow to all that work.”
Whether the video is a hoax or not, the Adult Performers Actors Guild, the federally recognized union for performers in the adult industry, has begun an investigation into the unsafe working conditions of one of its members. According to a release.
“While filming a dangerous publicity stunt on a boat with an adult performer, the actress was injured and had to receive medical treatment. The actress was filmed in a ‘shark cage’ underwater while using snorkeling gear, and was bitten by a shark during filming. Upon viewing the edited clip on various news outlets, it appears that numerous filming violations may have taken place, which prompted our investigation.”