Dean McCullough meets porn star Theo Ford and his husband Shawn de Rodez to chat about how they met and to ask is it hard to be married to a guy who has sex with other men on camera.
Come on guys, admit it. You’ve all watched a bit of porn in your time. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. We’ve all done it. But can you imagine dating a porn star? Or marrying one? Would you be able to live happily ever after knowing that your man is spending his 9to5 shagging other guys on camera?
Meet the very gorgeous porn star Theo Ford, 28, who last year tied the knot with underwear model and freelance hairstylist Shawn de Rodez, 26, after a whirlwind romance. It might actually surprise you to hear that in spite of Theo’s unusual job, their relationship is as strong as anyone else’s.
Here, our dating guru Dean McCullough hooked up with the happy couple to find out how they met and exactly how their relationship works….
Congratulations boys on getting hitched. So who proposed to who and how did it happen?
Shawn: I proposed to Theo. It was three weeks after we met, I proposed to him at dinner on Easter Sunday. We had spent all day at the beach with some friends. I knew it was a perfect day and I knew I had met the man of my dreams and couldn’t let the opportunity slip away. So at dinner that night, we were chatting about what the next step would be for us. My mind was racing and thought to myself that if I didn’t pop the question I may never see this beautiful man ever again and the thought of living without him was just not an option. So I asked and he said ‘yes’! So we were engaged on the Sunday, picked out rings on Monday and married on Wednesday April 8th 2015 in Beverly Hills at a private ceremony with just a few close friends.
So tell us, when you first met, did you sleep together on the first date? Did you even have a date – it seems like it was love at first sight!
Theo: We have a very good friend in common, Brandon Wilde. He told me about this crazy and sexy little WeHo boy and I simply wanted to meet him. We exchanged a few texts before meeting up. He came over to my place and in the elevator he looked at me and just giggled. That was enough for me to just lean over and kiss him.
Blimey, that’s super fast!
Theo: We were in love from that moment on. I don’t think I knew it yet but I simply felt like he was the only boy I would ever want. He stayed over that night. The following day I flew him to NYC to be with me as I had some work commitments there. After one evening with him I knew I wanted to have him with me at all times. We booked his plane tickets for NYC on our first date. Even now looking back I think I was crazy. But I strongly believe that in life if you don’t take risks you will never find true happiness and solace.
But three weeks is such a short time. You must have real special love bond.
Theo: It’s funny because anywhere we go random guys just come up to us and tell us that they would adore to find a love like ours. I don’t believe that you need to be settled as such to be happy or to be married to be settled. We got married because we did not want to live apart. Shawn and I have lots of single friends and we often get little jokes about how we kiss too much but everyone we call friends are so happy for us both. I try to focus on being happy and on making my husband happy. That has to be for sure the most important aspect of my marriage to Shawn, seeing him smile.
Obviously, Theo’s job means he has sex with other men. How does it affect if at all your relationship?
Shawn: In any relationship there’s pressure and jealousy and our life is not an ordinary one but it does work for us. Yes, I’m a jealous person and his work can make me jealous, but I’m lucky enough to have met the man I want to spend the rest of my life with and as long as Theo and I know where we stand in our relationship and in our life together that’s all that matters.
Do you ever find it weird seeing your husband having sex with other guys on screen?
Yes and No. I actually have watched a lot of his work and been on set with him. I am his number one fan. But yes, seeing him with other men can be weird but that’s like any relationship. Like I said before there’s no need to get jealous or upset when I know what we have together. What we have is special and unlike anything I have ever experienced.
Do your own families know about your job? Theo, Do they accept it?
All my family knows I do porn. I love my job so why hide it from them. My mum wasn’t even surprised, she simply said ‘I understand but it’s weird’. I love cryptic mum answers. I have been in many mainstream magazines, fashion editorials, music videos. People do recognise me and I love that fact that it still shocks people in some way. For me a porn set is like going to a bank, and putting on the costume they have for you. As long as I’m happy they’re happy.
What does the future hold for you both Down Under? Are you going to continue in the porn industry? Have kids?
We love to travel and discover new adventures so we’re heading to Sydney for a while. This is the new chapter in a very long book we’re writing. It’s Shawn’s first time outside the US so I want him to see as much of the world as possible.
There’s so much said about gay marriage and gay guys having kids. Shawn, would you say there was still a stigma attached to homosexuality?
Shawn: I think the world is slowly changing. There is still a stigma related to gay men being able to have or raise kids. To be honest, our sexuality shouldn’t be an issue in being able to bring life into the world and/or give a child in need a second chance. But we want to have kids while we’re still young, thats why we married so quickly. We haven’t decided yet about adoption or surrogacy. All we know is that we will raise our child or children with as much love and support as we can.
Theo, do you have any little rules around the house to keep Shawn in check? Who wears the trousers?
I love Shawn for so many reasons. He’s my driving force and my rock. Living across multiple time zones and flying all over the world can be amazing but I never felt more at peace with myself since I met him. Shawn isn’t really someone who can be kept in check. He’s a wild spirit with the will of a Titan. We have very strong personalities and matching inner strengths. We are very different people which keeps me on my toes. He doesn’t agree with me on everything nor do I.
You’re lucky that you have that amazing bond…
We became an instant couple the second we met. Our love was so strong and full of passion that we actually learnt about each other after being married. It’s an amazing learning experience to be married to someone that still retains some mysteries and facets you discover with time. Because we travel so much and I have a bit more life experience, I steer the boat a bit more, but Shawn has proven to be the best team mate I could have ever wished for. We are in a partnership. There is not leader or second rate citizen in our marriage. We are different for sure but we have equals parts of the love we share.
Finally, what advice would you give a young couple who might be considering getting married? Do they need to be together for a certain amount of time? Do they need to be monogamous?
There is nothing you NEED to do except be true to who you are as a couple. Find what makes you happy and what feels right. Society should never decide what kind of relationship you have to have. I firmly believe you make your own rules. Getting married is not just a paper you sign, it is a commitment to be there for the other person through thick and thin with all the love your heart can possibly hold. Getting married made our relationship more solid and strengthened our love. I love to know that I got lucky enough to marry such an incredible person who loves me unconditionally.