Mia Khalifa was ‘celibate for two years’ after leaving porn – ‘I was like a nun’

Former adult star Mia Khalifa has said her friends would call her a “nun” during her two years of total celibacy that she undertook after leaving the pornography industry

Former adult actress Mia Khalifa has revealed that she spent almost two years staying totally celibate after quitting the industry, joking that her pals started calling her to a “nun” during the self-imposed sex drought.

The former porn star, who has previously spoken about the impact her brief stint in the industry had on her life, admitted she stepped away from dating and intimacy following a difficult relationship that left her questioning who she was sharing her body with. Reflecting on her younger years, Mia said many of her decisions were driven by “lust” and a desire for validation rather than genuine connection in a piece written for Cultured Magazine.

She explained: “Doing porn was definitely part of that. I was in it so briefly. As soon as I began to realise the gravity of what I had done, I left and never went back.”

The 33-year-old said her craving wasn’t necessarily for sex itself, but for acceptance and approval. Looking back, she believes those impulses pushed her to make choices that didn’t align with her values.

After a relationship with a partner that she claims was not able to “control their lust”, Mia decided enough was enough and embarked on a lengthy period of abstaining from sex.

She explained: “I took almost two years of celibacy. At that point, I had been through enough in my life; I needed to fully step away.”

Joking about the experience, she added: “Two years is a long time, girl. I could hear colours. My friends joked and called me a nun.”

Despite admitting there were moments when temptation crept in, Mia said she learned to think more carefully about who she allowed into her life.

Instead of acting on impulse, she began asking herself whether a potential partner would genuinely enrich her life or simply create more emotional chaos.

The social media personality said that the break from sex transformed the way that she views relationships adding that it taught her to separate the need for validation from real emotional connections.

She explained: “The celibacy taught me that, in a big way, I’m healed. Acting on lust is like taking a risk, and risk is such a big part of being alive.”