High School BFFs Become Adult Content Creators and Built a Life Together for 23 Years

The adult content online marketplace is growing with every passing year. It's projected that by 2032 it will generate revenue in excess of $70 billion.

Erny Castro is one gay adult entertainer who is contributing to those rising profits by self-publishing adult content with his husband, Carlito Peralta Jr., on JustFor.Fans under the handle Tiggahslife. They have already acquired over 570 followers, which is honestly a moderate fanbase compared to other creators. But at $9.99 per subscription, that averages out to more than a living wage every single month.

Tiggahslife describes themselves as "Blogger/Exhibitionist/Gaymer/Food Enthusiast/Advanced drinker." As to why they have chosen JustFor.Fans to stream their videos, Erny says it is all about its CEO and how they run it.

"I love that JustFor.Fans was created by a gay porn star who knows what the gays want and lets the gays have it," Erny tells EDGE. "He knows what creators need, and gives plenty of tools to help us get out there. On the consumer side, you can find every little niche and kink you desire all in the nice little directory."

JustFor.Fans was created by Dominic Ford in 2018 and has become second to only one other platform of its kind, and although at first glance they may seem similar, Erny is adamant that they are not.

"Other sites have banned some of our videos for things like poppers or actions like public nudity," he says, "but that is acceptable on JustFor.Fans. Personally, I love public and outdoor content and love making it. I hate that I can't create those for other sites."

The convenience of self-publishing your own movies is a perk, but it does have some risk. Unlike getting paid upfront by a major studio, doing it on your own doesn't guarantee cash in the bank. Erny and Carlito have discussed going mainstream, but they agree it is better to be on their own.

"There is nothing wrong with studio porn," Erny says. "We love it and watch it all the time. Also, we don't know much about the studio industry, and how it works, so we could be completely wrong with our assumptions. We just don't think it's for us."

The professional stuff aside, it takes a very confident person to enter into the adult entertainment industry. Erny and Carlito have known each other since high school. Back then, Erny identified as straight, but within two years of their friendship they became intimate. They dated for 19 years and have been married for the past three.

Carlito has always been an exhibitionist, says Erny, explaining how they got into the business. "Back in the Tumblr days, he built a good following posting nudies with the occasional thirst traps of me on there, but I never wanted to get all nudie myself. He later created his own blog, tiggahslife.com, which is the pride and joy he built himself! When the pandemic hit, we were furloughed from our jobs so we were worried about making money. It was like everyone was hopping on the adult creator sites, so we were like, 'Let's fucking do it!' When I saw how much he made in the first month I told Carlito, 'I'm in... let's go!' We've gained a pretty good following over the years, from his blog and our social media, so why not make some money from it?"

The rest, as they say, is history. Erny says the toughest part about doing a scene is the moment right before they meet someone they are going to collaborate with. He says the nerves kick in, and they are both filled with anxiety. Beneath it all, the couple are actually shy, and meeting new partners makes them nervous, "Oh yeah, and we have to fuck someone we've just met on camera," adds Erny. "GAAAH! Never got used to it, but we have gotten better."

He adds that another occupational hazard is procrastination.

"Being self-employed and doing this stuff on our terms and time, we can get a little lazy or hold off making content, but we gotta do what we need to do to keep a roof over our heads."

Even with all the nervousness and anxiety, their fans notice the connection between them. After 23 years together, that's hard to capture anywhere else. They don't put on a show – they show who they really are.

"We giggle with each other, we look at each other with love, and we put ourselves in the scenes. We're not just acting with the whole 'I'm the shit and I'm hot' persona or trying to be super sexy. We show that we are real people. We love doing behind-the-scenes videos that show how we are in between all the fucking, whether it's just us two or with the other performer. We love to laugh, and we like to make people around us laugh."

Diversity in the mainstream gay adult entertainment space hasn't exactly been its strong point. And since Erny and Carlito identify as an Asian couple, they might not have the opportunities they enjoy doing their job independently. Erny says the business is a lot more diverse than it used to be, but not as much as he would like it to be.

"Growing up, I didn't see many Asians in porn," he says. "What is amazing about doing sites like JustFor.Fans is that you do see more diversity. It's not a studio casting for their vision of 'hot.' Anyone can do it! I'm also happy to see more Asians being content creators. We were never considered sexy before, but, oh my, have things changed. The industry as a whole, not just adult, is waking up to the idea of having Asians at the forefront, and I love it. Thank you, 'BTS,' 'Squid Game,' and 'Crazy Rich Asians'!"

After more then two decades together, the couple is still going strong. Erny says there are two words they live by: Honesty and trust. They tell each other everything.

"We were best friends before we got together, and we still are. We do everything together, and have not been sick of each other. Also, the sex is always great, and now we get to share that with the world," Erny laughs. "There is no secret, everything just clicks. When it does, you will know. If it doesn't? On to the next bitch! Every relationship is different and has its own rules and boundaries. Ours is more open, so it's easier to navigate and adjust."

But there is one component to a happy marriage that Erny admits is paramount, "Laugh. We make each other laugh all the time. If you can smile or laugh with your partner, you will always be happy!"

Click here to follow Tiggahslife on JustFor.Fans and click here to check out their homepage.

EDGE readers can get 50% off their subscription to Erny and Carlito's JustFor.Fans page for one month by using code EDGEMEDIA.