Porn actress Nina Hartley to replace Ron Jeremy at Feb. 19 ‘Great Porn Debate’

Nina Hartley

Porn actress Nina Hartley will replace Ron Jeremy at the Feb. 19 “Great Porn Debate,” Central Michigan University Program Board confirmed Wednesday morning.

Program Board Vice President Mark Fairbrother said Hartley was added to the event with student opinions in mind.

“We received a lot of commentary about the lack of a female voice within the debate,” the Shelby Township senior said. ” … Nina Hartley gives us that element.”

Fairbrother said the focus of the debate has always been on pornography and not the celebrity presence of Ron Jeremy; therefore, the focus of the debate has not changed.

“This was never a celebrity spotlight,” Fairbrother said.

While previously contractually required to pay $13,000 for the event, Program Board is now only required to pay $10,500.

Anti-porn pastor Craig Gross is still scheduled to participate in the event. Jeremy was tapped to speak at the event until he suffered a heart aneurysm Jan. 30, leaving him hospitalized in Los Angeles.

“Unfortunately, we do not know what (Jeremy’s) health or travel ability will be through the coming months. Armed with that information, CMU Program Board has decided to keep the date as scheduled and replace Ron Jeremy with Nina Hartley,” Program Board said in a news release.

Jeremy’s website said he is expected to remain in the intensive care unit for several more days before moving to another part of the hospital.

“Thank you all for the concern and well wishes. I’m doing very well, thanks to modern technology,” Jeremy posted on his Facebook wall last week.

Hartley has acted in more than 600 adult film titles and is an ardent public advocate for women’s rights and sexual self-awareness. She currently writes an advice column for the magazine Hustler’s Taboo and is an active lecturer on the campus circuit. She has won several awards for her work in the adult film industry.

“We understand that some may dislike or disagree with our programming decisions, but the amount of discussion this program has sparked is motivation enough to continue with plans,” Program Board said in a release. “The college years are a time for the molding of individuals into critical thinkers. Testing one’s own beliefs by engaging in dialogues with those who possess contrasting views is the cornerstone of critical thinking. With that in mind, canceling the show is not an option.”