In an exclusive interview with Military One Click, the pornstar wife of Chief Special Warfare Officer Joseph John “Jay” Schmidt defended the SEAL’s own pornstar career that came to light just last week. The 42-year-old Schmidt has served 23 years in the Navy and has been married to his wife, whose professional name is “Jewel Jade,” for 13 years. Jewel Jade spoke out in defense of her husband’s side career and explained what their life together is like.
“You know, it’s been as difficult as people probably would guess,” Jewel Jade told Military One Click. “We’ve had jealousy and lots of fighting about it. Really, it took Jay actually being on set and in a film himself to understand that I’m just doing a job.”
Military One Click reported that Jewel Jade began her porn career before she and Schmidt were married. She left the adult industry when the couple got serious and took on a series of other careers, one of which being a real estate agent. Unfortunately the couple began buying properties just before the 2008 housing market crashed. Jewel Jade said that the couple had about $10,000 a month due in mortgages and that they were worried their debt would cause Schmidt to lose his security clearance.
“I was still new to Virginia Beach and didn’t have a real estate client base yet,” she said. “I had my nursing degree, but we owed so much money, more than I could earn nursing. We were scared to go to his command and tell them what was going on because we didn’t want him to lose his security clearance.”
Schmidt was only making $60,000 a year at the time.
“Eventually we did file bankruptcy and his command was actually really understanding,” she said. “I wish we’d gone to them sooner, but we didn’t know how to they would respond.”
On top of it all, Jade had a newborn and a mother with a cancerous brain tumor.
“Bankruptcy, a new baby, a dying mother who needed 24/7 care … I did the best I could,” Jade said.
As soon as her mother died, Jade tried to get a “normal” job that would allow her to bring in some extra income. However, she soon found that leaving the porn industry and trying to work a regular job was not that easy.
“My tattoos are recognizable, my voice is recognizable,” she said. “Everything about me is recognizable. I’ve done over 300 films. I can’t just get a normal job anymore. I’m trapped. That’s the thing people don’t realize before they get into this industry.”
That’s when Jade decided her best bet was to get back into it, and instead of acting with another male, she recruited her actual husband to perform with her.
Schmidt performed as “Jay Voom,” initially appearing in films only with his wife, though, that would change.
Jade told Military One Click that she hopes their experiences will help others. She said that her and Schmidt are working towards helping other struggling couples, particularly military couples. They want to use their experience with bankruptcy, losing family members, raising a child, maintaining a military marriage and more can inspire others.
“This has been a big shock for our family,” she said. “I hope that maybe this is all for a reason. Maybe there’s a higher thing we’re supposed to be doing. I have to think that there’s something better after this.”
[revad2]
