Lane Rogers, Known as Blake Mitchell, Reportedly Dead at 31

The LGBTQ+ community is mourning the loss of Lane V Rogers – known to many as Blake Mitchell – who has reportedly passed away following a motorcycle accident. He was 31 years old.

via: Str8UpGayPorn

Lane Rogers was killed in a motorcycle accident in California this week, Str8Up is devastated to report. He was just 31 years old.

Lane had been visiting friends in L.A. and Ventura counties over the weekend, and he was riding the motorcycle near Pacific Coast Highway in Oxnard when he collided with a box truck at 3:48 p.m. on Monday. Ventura County Fire arrived moments later, and he was pronounced dead at 3:58 p.m. Lane’s family has been notified, and an investigation into the crash is ongoing. Lane had rented the motorcycle to use during his week-long stay in California, and he did have prior experience using this type of vehicle in Kentucky, where he lived and is survived by numerous loved ones, a cat, two horses, and a dog.

I’ve covered Lane Rogers here since his debut as gay porn star Blake Mitchell in 2014, and throughout all that coverage (the awards, the movies, the interviews, the thirst traps, the book tour), never once did I think I’d be reporting something this unspeakably tragic. I’m not sure if I’m in shock or disbelief, or an impossibly fucked up combination of both. I hope to share more later, including reactions from industry colleagues and peers, but right now, these words swirl in my head when I think of Lane: Relentlessly loyal, opinionated, brutally honest yet fair, forgiving, level-headed, hilarious, inquisitive, ethical, and endlessly full of life. He so sincerely wanted everyone to be better and saw the good in everyone. He was among the brightest and most ambitious people I’ve ever known. Lane’s friendship over the last 10 years is one of the greatest gifts that running this website has ever given me.

The support and kindness that Lane gave to his family and friends is irreplaceable, and my love goes out to all of you. Some photos from over the years:

From Small-Town Kentucky to Worldwide Fame

Lane Vincent Rogers was born on August 14, 1994, in Lexington, Kentucky. By his own account, his early years were rough.

“I didn’t graduate high school”, he once said in an interview, “I got expelled from two high schools my senior year.”

To make ends meet, Lane worked at various restaurants – including what he described as a “shitty pizza place” and a diner he had to walk six miles to reach.

Being outed as bisexual as a teenager in conservative Kentucky only added to his struggles, leading to alienation and bullying that would later be explored in a semi-autobiographical novel based on his life.

But Lane was determined to find his own way out.

The Birth of Blake Mitchell

The story of how Lane entered the entertainment industry is almost too wild to be true.

One late night while working at that diner – and, as he admitted, “aimlessly scrolling through Grindr” – he met someone who invited him out after his shift, and they dated for a while.

At that friend’s house, he met a group of women celebrating their earnings. What followed was an unexpected introduction to the world of webcam modeling.

Intrigued by the potential, Lane started modeling on a webcamming site in February 2014. He quickly caught the attention of industry professionals, and soon after, Blake Mitchell was born.

The name choice was simple but personal. “Blake? It’s a hot guy’s name, duh,” he explained. “Mitchell? THE hot guy. He was a real boy next door type and one of my first crushes.”

By December 2014, Lane had signed an exclusive contract with Helix Studios, one of the biggest names in gay entertainment. What followed was a meteoric rise that would make him one of the most recognizable faces in the industry.

Awards, Accolades, and Breaking Boundaries

Lane’s early career was nothing short of remarkable. He won multiple awards and was named Performer of the Year. Instinct Magazine included him on their list of the 10 Most Influential Gay Adult Stars of the 2010s.

But Lane was never content to be defined solely by his work in front of the camera.

In 2018, author Taylor Saracen published His Own Way Out, a semi-autobiographical novel based on Lane’s life as part of the “Rise Up” series.

The book traced his journey from a struggling teenager in Kentucky to finding success on his own terms – tackling themes of identity, bullying, and self-discovery along the way.

Lane embarked on a national book tour, signing copies and speaking with fans at bookstores in Chicago, Madison, San Diego, Santa Monica, and his hometown of Lexington.

The reception was overwhelming, with readers praising the book’s honest portrayal of a young man who refused to let his circumstances define him.

“This is the most amazing part,” Lane said at the time, explaining that knowing he’d been able to help people who might feel alone or different was “one of the great joys” of his life.

His Own Voice

Over the years, Lane had built a substantial following on social media – Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, where he shared vlogs about his daily life – everything from house tours of his rental home to food adventures and travel content.

At his peak, he had over 80,000 YouTube subscribers, more than 400,000 Instagram followers, and more than 700,000 Twitter (now X) followers.

But it wasn’t just the glossy content that resonated with fans. Lane was refreshingly open about his struggles, the challenges of dating while working in adult entertainment, and the complicated feelings that came with his chosen career.

In July 2018, he posted a video called “I’m Lonely :(” that struck a chord with viewers.

“I wanted to open up to you and talk about the difficulties and challenges that my career has imposed upon my dating life,” he said. “The first challenge has to do with finding people who are interested in me for me… not just for my fame.”

He spoke candidly about people asking him for shout-outs while they were dating, about strangers making inappropriate comments in public because they felt entitled to, and about the isolation that came with being recognized everywhere he went.

“Is it possible to be lonely when you have 100K+ followers?” he asked.

That kind of honesty made him more than just a performer – it made him someone fans genuinely cared about.

Love, Loss, and Finding Connection

Lane’s romantic life played out publicly, and his fans were deeply invested in his happiness.

One of his first major relationships was with Casey Tanner, a fellow Helix performer he began dating in 2015. The couple became fan favorites, known for their adorable “Cake Date” YouTube videos where they’d bake together, joke around, and just be a sweet couple in love.

The two split in August 2016. Tragically, Casey passed away in April 2023 at just 28 years old after battling health problems for years. Lane paid tribute to him on social media, and those who knew them described Casey as “one of Lane’s soulmates.”

After his breakup with Casey, Lane was open about the loneliness he experienced. But in October 2018, while promoting his book in Phoenix, Arizona, he met Chad Alec – a 26-year-old hairstylist who would become his next great love.

The two connected on Instagram, and their chemistry was immediate. By December, Lane was introducing Chad to his YouTube audience, declaring them a “power couple” and announcing plans to move to Los Angeles together.

“So we’re moving to LA and then we’re gonna become rich and famous and successful and travel the world,” Lane said in the video.

Chad later entered the industry himself, and the couple collaborated on content together, building a loyal following as one of the internet’s favorite pairs.

The two broke up after a few years together, which – as is often the case – has led to some internet drama.

More recently, Lane had been in a relationship with a woman – a fact that shouldn’t have surprised anyone who’d been paying attention.

He had always been upfront about his bisexuality from the very beginning of his career, but that didn’t stop some fans from expressing disappointment or even hostility when he dated women.

It was a frustration Lane addressed openly, pushing back against the biphobia he encountered even within the LGBTQ+ community. For him, being true to himself meant embracing all aspects of his identity – regardless of who approved.

Reclaiming His Identity

In 2019, Lane made a significant decision: he would no longer go by Blake Mitchell in his public life.

“You guys know my real name now. I’m Lane,” he announced in a video. “It’s weird to say. I don’t think I’ve said that in a video like this in a long time, so it’s pretty crazy. But I’m happy.”

The decision came after years of feeling lost in the character he’d created. When people started trying to blackmail him with his real identity, he decided to take the power back by outing himself on his own terms.

“My REAL friends were starting to ask me questions like… ‘Well, should we call you Lane, or should we call you Blake?’ And I realized I had gotten lost in the ‘character.’ And it was terrifying.”

From then on, his social media presence, public appearances, and general persona would be as Lane Rogers – the real him, while his OF persona remained under the name Blake.

He scaled back his YouTube and Twitch presence, explaining that he felt he was “giving too many small pieces of himself to multiple things” when he could be focusing on what truly mattered.

Kentucky Roots and New Passions

Despite his fame, Lane never forgot where he came from. He remained proud of his Kentucky roots, often sharing glimpses of his Southern upbringing on social media – whether rocking a cowboy hat or showing off his love for horses.

In recent months, that love for horses evolved into something much more serious. Lane took up equestrian sports and threw himself into it with the same determination that had defined his life.

Just this past August, his riding instructor shared a glowing tribute on social media:

“I don’t do a good job of bragging on my students or myself to be honest. But a massive shout out goes to Lane V Rogers – a year ago he sort of appeared at the barn and said I want a jump lesson. A year later here he is. It is so fun to have helped him in his riding. From never jumping to competing Novice level and competing all over. It’s pretty impressive. Congratulations friend there’s so much more to do!!”

From never jumping to competing at Novice level in just one year. That was Lane – always pushing forward, always growing, always finding new ways to challenge himself.

He maintained a secondary Instagram account (@lvr.equestrian) dedicated to his riding, and his main profile proudly declared his location as Lexington – the heart of Kentucky horse country.

He also pursued higher education, enrolling at the University of Kentucky to continue his personal growth beyond the industry that had made him famous.

Lane was building a life that was authentically his – on his own terms, in his own way.

His close friend Andrew, who was also his roommate for a time, captured Lane’s spirit perfectly in a tribute posted on social media.

“When we reconnected in Seattle in 2016, I didn’t know what to make of him,” Andrew wrote. “He had this energy that draws you in, makes you hang on every word. We were just supposed to get coffee but ended up spending two days driving around the city causing trouble.”

From Sicily to Manhattan, from the Jessamine County gorge to Daufuskie Island – Lane only ever had one speed: Go.

“That’s how he did everything,” Andrew continued. “He went back to school, built a business, rescued horses. He defied every expectation about who he was supposed to become and made the rest of us realize we didn’t know as much about the world as we thought.”

Lane had a lion tattooed on his chest. Yes, he was a Leo – but as Andrew put it, “we’d joke it was really because he had the heart of a lion.”

“No one loved like Lane. No one lived like Lane.”