Adrien Laurent, better known by the pseudonym AD Laurent, was born on May 28, 1994, in Paris. From a young age, he turned to basketball, a sport he started playing at the age of 4. He joined the talent development centers, became French champion in 2009, and briefly continued in the United States. However, he quickly shifted to a completely different world, where physical performance transformed into a strategy for visibility.
In 2016, he participated in Garde à vous, an M6 show simulating military service. He stood out for his charisma and provocative audacity. This initial success led him to a series of high-audience shows like Les Princes de l’amour, Friends Trip, and Les Anges 10. Quickly, his muscular physique and crude language became trademarks. Indeed, this aligns with a virile image promoted by television productions.
A Hypersexualized and Viral Media Trajectory
After reality TV, AD Laurent built his fame on an intensive digital presence. He took advantage of the viral nature of social media. During the lockdown, he hosted Instagram lives called AD Show. Women danced suggestively in these sessions. His account was quickly reported and then deleted by Instagram for violating community guidelines.
He then moved to TikTok, where he gathered 1.8 million followers. His content almost exclusively revolves around sexuality. He frequently makes explicit sexual references, sometimes interacting with very young women. He uses a provocative tone and adopts the image of the “alpha male”, a popular archetype in certain masculinist communities. This strategy fuels an extreme polarization of public opinion.
This exposure of the body and intimacy fits into a logic inherent to digital capitalism. It unfolds in an economy of impulse. The body becomes a commodity. The attention of often fascinated teenagers is monetized. This consensual voyeurism is fueled by algorithms designed to maximize engagement. Consequently, it blurs the line between entertainment, sexuality, and image commerce. An entire generation, hyperconnected and sometimes idle, consumes these performances as a common language. Indeed, it reflects a quest for recognition in a society saturated with visual stimuli.
A Transition to the Pornographic Industry and the Economy of Exhibition
In 2021, AD Laurent began a career as a pornographic actor. He largely relocated to the United States to shoot films for an adult audience. Simultaneously, he developed an activity on paid subscription platforms like Mym, OnlyFans, or Fansly, which allow the sale of exclusive sexual content to subscribers.
He also capitalizes on his image in night showcases. These sometimes take the form of sexually suggestive performances. Some scenes, notably in Porrentruy, Switzerland, shocked the audience. Minors reportedly attended explicit performances, without violating local laws.
The world in which AD Laurent operates is no longer just about eroticism. It reflects an era where body exposure replaces storytelling, where desire becomes a marketing tool. This shift raises questions about the role of digital platforms in the normalization of sexualized content. The commercial success of these formats highlights the emergence of an exhibition market. Thus, the viewer’s gaze itself becomes an economic lever.
Rape Accusations and Media Reactions
On March 20, 2024, a 22-year-old woman filed a complaint against AD Laurent for aggravated rapes that occurred in Australia in 2018. She described two brutal sexual assaults, confirmed by medical and psychological evidence. The influencer firmly denies the allegations. He called the complaint a “sketch” on his networks, sparking a wave of outrage.
His media behavior raises questions about his social responsibility. He defends himself against hypersexualizing women, claiming: “They sexualize themselves.” These remarks provoke numerous criticisms, notably from feminist associations and women’s rights activists.
This type of reaction reflects a claimed posture of disinhibition, where cynicism serves as a defensive strategy. It also reveals a climate where digital impunity fuels a form of rhetorical escalation, sometimes harmful. In a context where influencers are seen as models of success, this case raises the question of the degree of exemplarity expected in the influence economy.
Political Pressure and Request for Social Media Ban
On May 14, 2025, Aurore Bergé, Minister Delegate for Gender Equality, wrote to TikTok France to request the removal of the influencer’s content. She denounced a “toxic vision of sexuality”, marked by domination and violence.
The minister pointed out “repeated lives with young girls”, non-consensual sexual practices, and an erosion of equality norms. She also criticized the lack of filters on TikTok, where AD Laurent remains highly visible. Yet, he has faced previous suspensions on Instagram and Snapchat.
The issue raised by this ministerial intervention goes beyond the individual case. It touches on the regulation of a digital public space, where algorithmic moderation logics are sometimes lacking. It also questions the ability of states to impose ethical standards in a transnational environment dominated by foreign platforms. This debate is part of a broader issue: the responsibility of GAFAM in the dissemination of content harmful to minors.
A Divisive Figure of the Digital Era and Self-Marketing
AD Laurent embodies a new form of notoriety: a mix of sexualization, permanent provocation, and social transgression. His trajectory raises important questions about the moderation of digital content and the protection of minors. Moreover, it questions the limits of freedom of expression.
The reception of these contents by the public must also be questioned. The fascination he exerts on part of the youth is not trivial. It reveals a need for benchmarks and identification, but also an adherence to figures of authority. These figures are virile, uninhibited, and break away from traditional norms. In a society valuing visibility as a vector of success, AD Laurent offers a model of radical ascent. This model is raw and unfiltered.
By positioning himself at the intersection of entertainment and scandal, he becomes the symbol of an unbridled internet. This internet is free from any moral or institutional constraint. Yet, facing justice and government criticism, his future remains uncertain. The coming weeks will be decisive for this influencer turned political pariah. Amidst this turmoil, a certain vision of the digital society is at play. It includes its commercial excesses and its fascination with excess.