From Porn Star To Pastor: How God Rewrote Joshua Broome’s Story

We had the pleasure of interviewing Joshua Broome —a former porn star-turned-pastor. Broome appeared in over 1000 adult films during his X-rated career. His life radically changed after finding Christ. Today, he’s a pastor on a mission to help people get free from pornography and attacks the very industry that ensnared him for years.

His war cry is a promise to all prodigals: “It’s never too late to change the course of your life.”

As inconceivable as Broome’s story is, it resonates with anyone who knows how far sin can take you—but even more notably, how far your Heavenly Father will go to rescue and restore you.

Watch Soul Refiner’s full, candid interview with Joshua Broome below.

Saintly Past to X-Rated Cast

No one dreams of becoming a porn star. No one. So how does a boy grow up pursuing a career in adult films?

Young Joshua Broome grew up in the Bible belt and attended church—a lot: Sunday morning, Sunday night, vacation Bible school—you name it. But like so many prodigals who grew up in church, he admits his faith wasn’t legit:

“If you would’ve asked me if I was a Christian [then], I would’ve said ‘yes,’ but to be clear, no, I was not…Did I believe God was real and He created everything? Yes, but that’s where it stopped.”

However, something deeper pushed Broome to pursue a path he never intended. He was raised without a father. The absence of a dad in his home created a void, resulting in a lifelong battle of seeking acceptance, self-worth, and validation, not even his hard-working mother could fill. Despite his low self-esteem and poor self-image, Broome had ambition.

At 22, he moved to L.A. to pursue an acting career. Struggling to make it in the entertainment industry, he worked as a waiter to get by. Still, he remained driven, but his naivety and desperation set him up for what was to come.

Broome’s fate took a turn when a group of scantily dressed women strolled into his restaurant job and spotted the attractive young man. They inquired if he was interested in acting and invited him to meet with their agent.

His Hollywood dream seemed within grasp, only to vanish moments later when he realized they weren’t offering him a career opportunity in Hollywood but a “counterfeit version” of his dream as an X-rated actor in the porn industry. Initially, he was dumbfounded, but curiosity led him to take the bait.

A few days later, Broome met the porn agent, who pandered to his deepest desires. He shares, “I have always struggled with acceptance, and every word my new agent said spoke to my insecurities.”

Although hesitant, the benefits outweighed Broome’s concerns. His uncertainty about attaining his Hollywood dream ultimately led to compromise, “maybe I’ll just do one,” he justified.

And that’s all it took for him to make a life-altering decision he would regret—one film.

The agent had him sign a contract on the spot. As soon as he signed over his rights, he was handed a viagra pill and was required to be on set within minutes. Broome recounts,

"All I remember was going into the bathroom, looking at myself in the mirror, taking the whole pill and stepping out on set. Everything after that was a blur. All I remember was them yelling, ‘cut,’ and it was over.”

He never thought the video would see the light of day, but he was in for a rude awakening.

The Road of Perdition

The next day, Broome discovered the video was mass-produced and distributed overnight. His modeling and acting agents quickly dropped him for breaching the contract by going into porn. His Hollywood dreams were gone in one fell swoop. Broome recounts,

“I truly believed I had ruined my life to the point of no return. So, I continued to say ‘yes’ to the need to be accepted….I did one film, and then another, and then another….The shame and guilt rose to a point where I was numb to what I was doing. I felt trapped. I believed that I couldn’t do anything else, and depression set in.”

Related Article: How Toxic Shame Keeps You Trapped In The Destructive Cycle of Porn

It didn’t take long before he was doing all kinds of porn—from soft to deviant. Broome said,

“I was to the point that sex and shaking a hand was all the same to me….then one day, I found myself wishing I would die. I was humiliated and had let my family down. I was sure they were embarrassed and wanted nothing to do with me.”

Six years later, Broome assumed a completely different identity. He was now Rocco Reed, the porn star featured in over 1,000 adult videos, with a net worth of over a million dollars, and crowned “Top Performer of the Year.” Ironically, at the apex of his career, he was at the lowest point of his life, having lost and compromised every bit of himself.

The hardcore realities of the porn industry finally began to hit him. Addiction—drugs and alcohol, depression, and abuse come with the job of a porn star. Actors eventually become a shell of themselves.

Like his fellow actors, Broome struggled with depression and thoughts of suicide, “I felt ashamed and guilty, so I hid myself from everyone that truly mattered in my life.”

One foolish decision led Broome to spiral down into darkness and despair. Still, he continued to compromise and justify his behavior until his friends started killing themselves. Was this the fate he wanted?

Called by Name

One day, after a shoot, Broome went to the bank to deposit a check when something struck him. The bank teller called him by his name—not his stage name—his real name. People referred to him as Rocco for years, which became his identity. He had forgotten who Joshua Broome was. When the bank clerk called him by his name, it was as if a spell had been broken.

Recognizing his wretched state, Broome quickly ended his porn career and moved back home with his mom, who welcomed him with open arms.

Finding Christ in the Pigsty

After leaving the porn industry, Broome’s old identity haunted him. Despite his attempt to move on, he knew he couldn’t undo what he did or experienced.

Our past can stick with us for a long time. Even after renouncing our sins and changing ourselves for the better, the stench of the “pigsty” can continue to linger and haunt us. In the Bible, we read the Father of the Prodigal Son wrapping his son in the best robe and putting a ring on his finger. What was he doing? He removed his son’s shame while restoring his identity and establishing his belonging to his family.

Related Article: Who Am I? Understanding Your Identity Brings Freedom From Porn

Identity is key. It is central to our freedom and restoration, as it was for Broome.

While rebuilding his life, Broome meets his future wife, Hope. One day, he wanted to disclose the entire truth on a walk with her but was terrified. Stepping out in faith, he unloaded his full story. Hope miraculously responded with grace and love. This was a cathartic experience for Broome, who spent a lifetime seeking approval and acceptance.

Hope invited him to church the following week, where he heard the Gospel for the first time in a way that profoundly resonated with him. He accepted Christ into his life. Broome shares,

“The thing I had longed for was not fame. It was to experience love and acceptance. It was not money that I needed to feel like my life was worth something, but for someone to allow me the opportunity to feel valued.”

And he is valued—not only by his family but also by the people who’ve been helped through his ministry. Today, Joshua Broome is a husband, father, and pastor at Good News Baptist Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He travels across the country, passionately communicating his message of restoration. He has spent years replacing the enemy’s lies with God’s truth and having the joy of sweet revenge:

“I am honored to get to do what I do for a living….I have overcome depression, battling thoughts of suicide, and the emotional scars that come with doing a thousand plus pornographic films.”

Related Article: Is There A Connection Between Depression & Pornography?

Together with his wife, Hope, Broome reaches young adults and equips them to form their own identities instead of allowing society and negative experiences to diminish their dreams. Broome closes with,

“I love sharing my story, but there are seasons where I wonder, ‘is this the lane I’m going to live in forever?’ But God is like, ‘it’s not your story, it’s Mine (Genesis 50:20).’ God has positioned me and redirected the influence that I had and is pointing it right back to where I got it—Jesus!—and it’s amazing!"

And what the Father did for His prodigal son, Joshua Broome, God will do for you today if you’ll only turn to Him.

Keys to Ultimate Freedom

Broome is a powerful advocate for men’s sexual health. He offers practical steps for life change to those struggling with porn or sex addiction. Here are a few keys he practices to attain lasting freedom:

1. Honesty and Confession to God.

Repentance requires humility. God doesn’t want your perfection—He wants your heart.

2. Take inventory of your life.

Ask yourself, what needs to be removed? What is leading you in a direction you don’t want to go?

3. Set boundaries and stick to them.

If you don’t want to eat junk food, don’t have them in the house. Make it more difficult for yourself to do what you don’t want to do.

4. Read God’s Word and apply it to your life.

The Bible is not a playbook for good advice. It is God’s revelation of Himself, so you can align yourself with His Word to ensure your life has the greatest fulfillment and impact.

5. Surround yourself with people to hold you accountable.

Purity is not a status. It is a daily decision. With a community of people, you can be open, honest, and transparent and have a significant chance of living a life that honors God.

Many of the principles above and other effective tools to quit porn are found in the Conquer Series.

What is the Conquer Series?

The Conquer Series is a game-changer for men who struggle with sexual purity. This is not just another study tool for men but a proven battle plan for purity that works.

This 10-episode film series is hosted by former Marine fighter pilot and pastor, Dr. Ted Roberts, who has led thousands of men to freedom from pornography. We’ve incorporated his biblically-based process into the Conquer Series. Having battled and triumphed against sex addiction himself, Dr. Roberts gets it. His message is bold and direct, but also gracious and loving.

The series also includes expert interviews by leading neuroscientists, biblical psychologists, Christian leaders, and action-packed cinematic reenactments. Watch the trailer.

The Conquer Series will give you:

• Effective tools and strategies: Learn our biblically-based strategy, backed by neuroscience, to quit porn in 90 days.
• The steps to restore true intimacy with God and your wife: Because sex and porn addiction is an intimacy disorder. (Related)
• A community for accountability and discipleship: You cannot win this battle alone. At Soul Refiner you can find brothers-in-arms to help you start your journey to lasting freedom.
• Practical principles to renew your mind and rewire your brain: It begins with a moral issue that turns into a brain problem. You need to understand what porn does to your brain.
• A plan to pay it forward: Healing doesn’t end with you. We’ll show you how to have sweet revenge against the enemy by helping your brothers.

Quit Porn Now

Join millions of men in 100+ countries who are finding permanent freedom from porn through the Series. If you or someone you know is struggling with unwanted sexual behavior, check out the Conquer Series today!