The U.S. Navy is investigating whether Navy SEAL Joseph John Schmidt III violated any rules by moonlighting as a porn star.
As hard as it is to fathom, the 42-year-old married father, who’s been recognized with numerous medals and awards for his overseas combat, has starred in at least 29 adult films as actor Jay Voom over the last seven years. All while seeming to be a model member of the elite Naval Special Warfare team and even touring the country recruiting other potential SEALs as the face of the program.
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Schmidt reportedly had sex with his porn star wife, Jewels Jade, in many of the films, but has also teamed with adult film stars Mena Li and Ashden Wells. Jade, Schmidt’s wife of 15 years, told the San Diego Union-Tribune that a number of high-ranking SEALs have known about her husband’s dual life for some time and seemed to be fine with it.
“They knew about it at work,” Jade said. “He got called in and they said, ‘Look, keep it on the low, don’t mention the SEAL name and blah, blah, blah.’ He was always pretty open about it with the command. I mean, honestly, all of his buddies knew about it. Everybody knew about it.”
However, Navy officials say Schmidt was never given formal clearance to work as a porn actor. Under the armed forces rules for secondary employment, Schmidt could be tried for a lack of compliance. Moreover, the Navy bans activities that risk potential “press or public relations coverage” or “create an improper appearance.”
No word yet on when the Navy is expected to conclude its investigation.