{{Short description|American gay pornographic film actor}} {{Infobox person | name = Billy Santoro | image = <!-- filename only, no "File:" or "Image:" prefix, and no enclosing brackets --> | alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | caption = | birth_name = Bill Gray<ref name="BAR">{{cite web |last1=Washington |first1=Cornelius |title=Billy Santoro |url=https://www.ebar.com/story.php?ch=bartab&id=233688 |website=The Bay Area Reporter |access-date=January 15, 2024 |date=September 23, 2015}}</ref> | birth_date = {{Birth based on age as of date|38|2014|05|14}}<ref name="SUGPexc" /> | birth_place = | alma_mater = University of Pittsburgh | nationality = <!-- use only when necessary per WP:INFONAT --> | other_names = | occupation = Pornographic film actor | years_active = 2013–present | known_for = | notable_works = }}
'''Bill Gray''', known professionally as '''Billy Santoro''', is an American gay pornographic actor. He first began performing in gay pornographic films in 2013 as an exclusive model for Men.com, and appeared in Lucas Entertainment's first-ever bareback film alongside his then-boyfriend Seth Santoro later that year. He became a popular performer in the mid-2010s and appeared in over 200 gay pornographic films by 2017. He later became known for his controversies, including his tweets advocating for the shooting of Black people during the George Floyd protests in 2020.
==Career== Santoro began performing in pornographic films at age 38 and initially intended to only perform for one year. In June 2013, he signed an exclusive contract with Men.com for six months, for whom he made his debut appearance in ''Boy Ranch Part 1'' in July 2013.<ref>{{cite web |title=Billy Santoro Signs Exclusive Contract with MEN.COM and Johnny Rapid Is Searching For New Male Muscular Super Stars |url=https://www.queermenow.net/blog/billy-santoro-signs-exclusive-contract-with-men-com-and-johnny-rapid-is-searching-for-new-male-muscular-super-stars/ |website=Queer Me Now |access-date=January 27, 2024 |date=June 26, 2013}}</ref><ref name="SUGPexc" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Billy Santoro Fucks Felix Warner in Boy Ranch Part 1 |url=https://www.queermenow.net/blog/billy-santoro-fucks-felix-warner-in-boy-ranch-part-1/ |website=Queer Me Now |access-date=January 27, 2024 |date=July 12, 2013}}</ref> In September 2013, he starred in the first bareback film for gay pornographic film studio Lucas Entertainment, which had previously exclusively made films with condoms and had spoken out against bareback films, with his then-boyfriend Seth Treston.<ref>{{cite web |title=Michael Lucas Breaks Vow, Releases First Bareback Sex Scene |url=https://www.queerty.com/michael-lucas-breaks-vow-releases-first-bareback-sex-scene-20130917 |website=Queerty |access-date=January 17, 2024 |date=September 17, 2013}}</ref> He won the Grabby Award for Best Performer - Web in May 2014.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Street |first1=Sharan |title=2014 Grabby Awards Winners Announced AVN |url=https://avn.com/business/articles/gay/2014-grabby-awards-winners-announced-561432.html |website=AVN |access-date=January 17, 2024 |date=May 26, 2014}}</ref> By that year, he had performed in films for the pornographic studios MenAtPlay, Hot House, and ChaosMen.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Noshibi-Riffin |first1=Yew |title=28 Gay Archetypes & the Porn Stars Who Personify Them |url=https://www.cybersocket.com/gay-porn-magazine/issue-167/28-gay-archetypes-the-porn-stars-who-personify-them/ |website=Cybersocket |access-date=January 17, 2024 |date=}}</ref> He released a 2015 calendar featuring photos of him, titled ''Hot Outside'', in November 2014.<ref>{{cite web |title=Billy Santoro Offers 'Hot Outside' Calendar for 2015 |url=https://www.xbiz.com/news/188059/billy-santoro-offers-hot-outside-calendar-for-2015 |website=XBIZ |access-date=January 17, 2024 |date=November 20, 2014}}</ref> By 2015, Santoro had performed in around 40 gay pornographic videos, including several for Kink.com.<ref name="BAR" /> By April 2016, he began working on Leaked and Loaded, his website for homemade pornographic films.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Tonic |first1=Mars |date=April 2016 |title=Billy Santoro, Fast Porn Nation |trans-title= |url=http://www.gaycalgary.com/Magazine.aspx?id=148&article=5068 |url-status= |format= |language= |magazine=GayCalgary |location= |publisher= |page=46 |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date= |via= |quote=}}</ref> In 2017, he had appeared in over 200 pornographic scenes.<ref name="AVNC4">{{cite web |title=Billy Santoro, Josh Moore Having Sex for 1st Time on CAM4 |url=https://avn.com/business/articles/gay/billy-santoro-josh-moore-having-sex-together-for-1st-time-on-cam-729962.html |website=AVN |access-date=January 17, 2024 |date=May 22, 2017}}</ref> He became a board member for the Adult Performance Artists Guild in April 2018 but resigned later that month, claiming that the organization did not protect pornographic film actors, specifically those who were HIV-positive.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Villareal |first1=Daniel |title=This Porn Union Called Truvada a 'Party Drug,' and Several Gay Adult Film Stars Have Had It |url=https://hornet.com/stories/porn-union-apag-prep/ |publisher=Hornet Networks |access-date=January 27, 2024 |date=April 25, 2018}}</ref>
==Personal life and public image== Santoro has stated that, prior to performing in pornographic films, he received a degree in business from the University of Pittsburgh.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pass The Tea, Billy Santoro! |url=https://passthetea.com/pass-the-tea-billy-santoro/ |website=PassTheTea |access-date=January 27, 2024 |date=April 17, 2016}}</ref> He was a one-time resident of Washington, D.C., where he was a bartender and the general manager of the EFN Lounge and Motley Bar.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Marr |first1=Rhuaridh |title=Gay adult performer Billy Santoro admits he faked a suicide attempt after backlash for racist posts |url=https://www.metroweekly.com/2020/12/gay-adult-performer-billy-santoro-faked-a-suicide-attempt-after-backlash-over-racist-posts/ |website=Metro Weekly |access-date=January 27, 2024 |date=December 9, 2020}}</ref> One year before becoming a pornographic actor, Santoro started dating fellow gay pornographic actor Seth Santoro, who previously went by the name Seth Treston, and the two later got married in 2013.<ref>{{cite web |last1=McCann |first1=Steve |title=I Married a Porn Star |url=https://phillygaycalendar.com/2015/01/15/i-married-a-porn-star/ |website=PhillyGayCalendar |access-date=January 15, 2024 |date=January 15, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Billy Santoro and Seth Treston Tie The Knot |url=https://www.queermenow.net/blog/billy-santoro-and-seth-treston-tie-the-knot/ |website=Queer Me Now |access-date=January 27, 2024 |date=September 4, 2013}}</ref> The two divorced in 2017 and Seth alleged later that year on social media that Billy had been physically abusive toward him.<ref name="GD">{{cite web |title=Seth Santoro's Career Blossoms After Dumping Billy Santoro |url=https://www.gaydemon.com/blogs/seth_santoros_career_blooms_after_dumping_billy_santoro.html |website=GayDemon |access-date=January 27, 2024 |date=November 8, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Seth Santoro Accuses Billy Santoro Of Violent Assault: 'He Punched Me In The Face Repeatedly' |url=http://str8upgayporn.com/seth-santoro-accuses-husband-billy-santoro-of-violent-assault-while-sleeping-he-punched-me-in-the-face-repeatedly/ |website=Str8UpGayPorn |access-date=January 27, 2024 |date=July 22, 2017}}</ref> In 2014, ''Str8UpGayPorn'' called Santoro "one of today's most in-demand, mainstream gay porn stars".<ref name="SUGPexc">{{cite web |title=Billy Santoro Exclusive: What He Really Thinks Of Michael Lucas, Mike Dozer, Truvada®, And More! |url=https://str8upgayporn.com/billy-santoro-exclusive-what-he-really-thinks-of-michael-lucas-mike-dozer-truvada-and-more/ |website=Str8UpGayPorn |access-date=January 15, 2024 |date=May 14, 2014}}</ref> Garridan P. Faxton of ''Fleshbot'' called Santoro "the hardest-working man in skin-business" in 2015 for his consistent appearances in new pornographic films.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Faxton |first1=Garridan P. |title=Billy Santoro Has Had The Busiest Week Ever |url=https://gay.fleshbot.com/6010584/new-billy-santoro-scene/ |website=Fleshbot |access-date=January 27, 2024 |date=July 31, 2015}}</ref> ''AVN'' called him one of "the industry's hottest performers" in 2017.<ref name="AVNC4" />
''PassTheTea.com'' described Santoro as "a bit of a controversial figure in porn" and "a polarizing figure" in 2016.<ref name="MDTea">{{cite web |last1=Dårlig Ulv |first1=Tyler |title=Billy Santoro is Getting Tea EVERYWHERE |url=https://www.manhuntdaily.com/billy-santoro-is-getting-tea-everywhere/ |website=Manhunt Daily |access-date=January 27, 2024 |date=April 17, 2016}}</ref> Santoro tweeted in March 2019 that he would not film pornographic videos with "someone [he had] filmed with in the past" who had "gotten fat" and that he was "not a fan of looking at [their] fat body rolling around all over Twitter", which his Twitter followers criticized as fatphobic.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Villarreal |first1=Daniel |title=Gay adult star Billy Santoro blasted for mocking fat performers |url=https://www.queerty.com/gay-adult-star-seth-santoro-blasted-mocking-fat-performers-20190329 |website=Queerty |access-date=January 15, 2024 |date=March 29, 2019}}</ref> He called detractors of the tweet "snowflakes".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shea |first1=Ryan |title=Billy Santoro Slammed for Fat Comment |url=https://instinctmagazine.com/porn-star-billy-santoro-says-he-wont-film-with-fat-people/ |website=Instinct |access-date=January 15, 2024 |date=March 29, 2019}}</ref> Until 2020, Santoro and his husband Gage Santoro filmed pornographic videos for their OnlyFans accounts at their apartment on Oxford Street in Sydney, Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic, where the police were called on them by neighbors at least three times for failing to social distance.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Reiss |title=Disgraced gay porn star dropped over vile racist rants evicted from home over loud 'meet and greets' |url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2020/12/04/billy-santoro-evicted-sydney-apartment-loud-noise-complaints-racist-twitter/ |website=PinkNews |access-date=January 15, 2024 |date=December 4, 2020}}</ref> The strata committee of their building unanimously voted to evict them in December 2020 for breaking a noise regulation by-law.<ref name="SMHevict">{{cite web |last1=Brook |first1=Stephen |last2=Hutchinson |first2=Samantha |title=A not-so happy ending from Monument for porn-star pair |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/a-not-so-happy-ending-from-monument-for-porn-star-pair-20201203-p56khd.html?js-chunk-not-found-refresh=true |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=January 15, 2024 |date=December 3, 2020}}</ref>
===Racist tweets and faked suicide attempt=== In response to the George Floyd protests, Santoro made a post on his Facebook account in June 2020 in which he wrote that "America{{nbsp}}... let [its] blacks loot as a way of protest" and encouraged police officers to "shoot first".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Artavia |first1=David |title=Austin Wolf on Porn, Racism, and His Own Questionable Twitter Exchange |url=https://www.advocate.com/people/2020/6/05/austin-wolf-porn-racism-and-his-own-questionable-twitter-exchange#toggle-gdpr |website=The Advocate |access-date=January 15, 2024 |date=June 5, 2020}}</ref> The post led to social media backlash against Santoro, who claimed in response to it that he had "lashed out full of emotional stress" due to the killing of his friend during looting in Philadelphia.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Reiss |title='Racist' gay porn star calls for cops to shoot Black protesters as Black Lives Matter rises up against police brutality |url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2020/06/03/billy-santoro-gay-porn-onlyfans-justforfans-racist-black/ |website=PinkNews |access-date=January 15, 2024 |date=June 3, 2020}}</ref> Social media users then circulated other posts by Santoro, one in which he claimed that he had not experienced gay bashing from any "white, redneck Trump supporter" but had from "African American men who live in Shaw in DC", and another in which he responded to a restaurant's pro-Black Lives Matter tweet about being able to replace their property if it was destroyed during protests by tweeting that "the blacks will just breed more hatred towards them". Santoro's posts were widely criticized by social media users—including fellow gay pornographic actor Austin Wolf—as racist and his pornographic account on the subscription-based platform JustForFans was soon taken down by the company, who tweeted that what he wrote was "vile".<ref>{{cite web |title='Just For Fans' Dumps Adult Performer Billy Santoro For Urging Police To Shoot Black Looters |url=https://www.towleroad.com/2020/06/billy-santoro/ |website=Towleroad |access-date=January 17, 2024 |date=June 2, 2020}}</ref> His OnlyFans account was also deleted and he deleted his personal Twitter account.<ref>{{cite web |title=Billy Santoro Is Canceled Again |url=https://instinctmagazine.com/justforfans-removes-billy-santoro-over-his-very-racist-comments/ |website=Instinct |access-date=January 15, 2024 |date=June 2, 2020}}</ref> He then created a new joint Twitter account with his husband, gay pornographic actor Gage, who posted photos of Santoro sitting in a hospital bed and claimed that he had attempted suicide over the backlash.
Later that month, he variously claimed that JustForFans, gay sex toy company Fort Troff, gay pornographic studio Dominic Ford, and underwear company JJ Malibu were all continuing to support and affiliate themselves with him, to which they each responded on Twitter and stated that they had cut ties with him.<ref>{{cite web |title=Here Goes Billy Santoro Again |url=https://instinctmagazine.com/billy-santoro-reemerges-twitter-racist-rant/ |website=Instinct |access-date=January 15, 2024 |date=June 10, 2020 |archive-date=January 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115233641/https://instinctmagazine.com/billy-santoro-reemerges-twitter-racist-rant/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> In October 2020, Santoro posted a video on Twitter, claiming that his posts had been made under the influence of meth.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Reddish |first1=David |title=Billy Santoro blames meth for racist diatribes |url=https://www.queerty.com/billy-santoro-blames-meth-racist-diatribes-20201112 |website=Queerty |access-date=January 15, 2024 |date=November 12, 2020}}</ref> Santoro admitted in December of that year that he had not actually attempted suicide and that he had actually been in the hospital to get an ingrown hair removed.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Reddish |first1=David |title=Disgraced adult performer Billy Santoro admits faking suicide attempt to deflect criticism |url=https://www.queerty.com/disgraced-adult-performer-billy-santoro-admits-faking-suicide-attempt-deflect-criticism-20201207 |website=Queerty |access-date=January 15, 2024 |date=December 7, 2020}}</ref> In December 2020, Samantha Hutchinson and Stephen Brook of ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' wrote that Santoro and his husband "had gained international notoriety due to racist social comments they blamed on a meth addiction".<ref name="SMHevict" />
==Awards and nominations== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" width=100% |+List of awards and nominations, with award, year, category, nominated work, result, and reference shown ! scope="col"| Award ! scope="col"| Year ! scope="col"| Category ! scope="col"| Nominee(s) ! scope="col"| Result ! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|References}} |- ! scope="row" rowspan="8"| Cybersocket Web Awards | 2014 | rowspan="3"| Best Porn Star | rowspan="3"| Himself | {{nom}} | <ref>{{cite web |title=Voting for The Cybersocket Web Awards 2014 Has Begun |url=https://www.queermenow.net/blog/voting-for-the-cybersocket-web-awards-2014-has-begun/ |website=Queer Me Now |access-date=February 3, 2024 |date=September 11, 2013}}</ref> |- | 2015 | {{nom}} | <ref>{{cite web |title=Here Are The Nominees For The 15th Annual Cybersocket Awards |url=https://str8upgayporn.com/here-are-the-nominees-for-the-15th-annual-cybersocket-awards/ |website=Str8UpGayPorn |access-date=February 3, 2024 |date=October 9, 2014}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2"| 2016 | {{nom}} | rowspan="2"| <ref>{{cite web |last1=Pardon |first1=Rhett |title=Nominations for 16th Annual Cybersocket Web Awards Announced |url=https://www.xbiz.com/news/200029/nominations-for-16th-annual-cybersocket-web-awards-announced |website=XBIZ |access-date=February 3, 2024 |date=October 12, 2015}}</ref> |- | Best Sex Scene | ''So You Think You Can Fuck Season 5, Round 2'' | {{nom}} |- | rowspan="2"| 2017 | Best Porn Star | Himself | {{nom}} | rowspan="2"| <ref>{{cite web |last1=Rock Bottom |first1=Randy |title=Nominees for 17th Annual Cybersocket Web Awards Announced |url=http://jrlchartsonline.net/JRL2010/index.php/2016/09/nominees-for-17th-annual-cybersocket-web-awards-announced/ |website=JRL Charts |access-date=February 3, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161023202746/http://jrlchartsonline.net/JRL2010/index.php/2016/09/nominees-for-17th-annual-cybersocket-web-awards-announced/ |archive-date=October 23, 2016 |date=September 28, 2016}}</ref> |- | Best Personality | Leaked and Loaded | {{nom}} |- | 2018 | Best Porn Star | Himself | {{nom}} | <ref>{{cite web |title=Cybersocket Web Awards 2018 Nominations Are Live |url=https://www.queermenow.net/blog/cybersocket-web-awards-2018-nominations/ |website=Queer Me Now |access-date=February 3, 2024 |date=October 1, 2017}}</ref> |- | 2019 | JustFor.fans Model of the Year | Himself | {{nom}} | <ref>{{cite web |last1=Adams |first1=JC |title=20th Annual Cybersocket Web Awards Nominees Announced |url=https://www.xbiz.com/news/248360/20th-annual-cybersocket-web-awards-nominees-announced |website=XBIZ |access-date=February 3, 2024 |date=November 13, 2019}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" rowspan="19"| Grabby Awards | rowspan="3"| 2014 | Best Newcomer | rowspan="6"| Himself | {{nom}} | rowspan="2"| <ref>{{cite web |title=The GRABBYS 2014 Nominations Have Been Announced |url=https://www.queermenow.net/blog/grabbys-awards-2014-nominations/ |website=Queer Me Now |access-date=February 3, 2024 |date=March 5, 2014}}</ref> |- | Manly Man | {{nom}} |- | Web Performer of the Year | {{won}} | <ref>{{cite web |last1=Street |first1=Sharan |title=2014 Grabby Awards Winners Announced |url=https://avn.com/business/articles/gay/2014-grabby-awards-winners-announced-561432.html |website=AVN |access-date=February 3, 2024 |date=May 26, 2014}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2"| 2015 | Performer of the Year | {{nom}} | <ref>{{cite web |title=Grabbys Awards: 2015 Nominations |url=https://www.queermenow.net/blog/grabbys-awards-2015-nominations/ |website=Queer Me Now |access-date=February 3, 2024 |date=March 16, 2015}}</ref> |- | Web Performer of the Year | {{won}} | <ref>{{cite web |last1=Street |first1=Sharan |title=2015 Grabby Award Winners Announced |url=https://avn.com/business/articles/gay/2015-grabby-award-winners-announced-596563.html |website=AVN |access-date=February 3, 2024 |date=May 25, 2015}}</ref> |- | rowspan="8"| 2016 | Best Versatile Performer | {{nom}} | rowspan="8"| <ref>{{cite web |title=2016 Grabby Award Nominees Announced |url=https://avn.com/business/articles/gay/2016-grabby-award-nominees-announced-641182.html |website=AVN |access-date=February 3, 2024 |date=March 16, 2016}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2"| Best Group | ''So You Think You Can Fuck Season 5, Episode 9'' | {{nom}} |- | ''Tahoe-Keep Me Warm'' | {{nom}} |- | Best Duo | ''An Offer He Can't Refuse'' | {{nom}} |- | Performer of the Year | Himself | {{nom}} |- | Hottest Flip | ''Runaway 3'' | {{nom}} |- | Hottest Rimming | ''Forgive Me Father 2'' | {{nom}} |- | Web Performer of the Year | rowspan="2"| Himself | {{nom}} |- | rowspan="5"| 2017 | Best Versatile Performer | {{nom}} | rowspan="5"| <ref>{{cite web |title=The 2017 GRABBY Nominations Have Been Announced & Many BAREBACK Porn Studios Are Nominated! |url=https://www.queermenow.net/blog/grabby-nominations-2017-gay-porn-award/ |website=Queer Me Now |access-date=February 3, 2024 |date=March 15, 2017}}</ref> |- | Best Group | ''Brandon Wilde's First Gang Bang'' | {{nom}} |- | Performer of the Year | Himself | {{nom}} |- | Hottest Rimming | rowspan="2"| ''Silhouette'' | {{nom}} |- | Hottest Flip | {{nom}} |- | 2019 | Best Versatile Performer | rowspan="4"| Himself | {{nom}} | <ref>{{cite web |last1=Roland |first1=John |title=2019 Grabby Awards Nominees Announced AVN |url=https://avn.com/business/articles/gay/2019-grabbys-awards-nominees-announced-826193.html?fbclid=IwAR0wlnUSF2bRxoG090u6ftOxTFnWldjdnve5B3nzXLYnoEUvbxCgLkmcRaI |website=AVN |access-date=February 3, 2024 |date=March 15, 2019}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" rowspan="2"| GayVN Awards | rowspan="2"| 2018 | Favorite Daddy | {{nom}} | rowspan="2"| <ref>{{cite web |last1=Street |first1=Sharan |title=AVN Media Network Announces the 2018 GayVN Awards Nominees |url=https://avn.com/business/articles/gay/avn-media-network-announces-the-2018-gayvn-awards-nominees-752085.html |website=AVN |access-date=February 3, 2024 |date=November 22, 2017}}</ref> |- | Social Media Star | {{nom}} |- ! scope="row"| XBIZ Awards | 2015 | Gay Performer of the Year | {{nom}} | <ref>{{cite web |title=Here Are The 2015 XBIZ Awards Nominations |url=https://str8upgayporn.com/here-are-the-2015-xbiz-awards-nominations/ |website=Str8UpGayPorn |access-date=February 3, 2024 |date=November 12, 2014}}</ref> |}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Santoro, Billy}}
Category:Gay pornographic film actors Category:21st-century American male actors Category:University of Pittsburgh alumni Category:1970s births Category:Living people Category:Year of birth uncertain Category:American male pornographic film actors Category:American gay actors Category:OnlyFans creators