Idol faces porn scandal

Vivid to distribute Mojica sex tape

By JOHN DEMPSEY

"American Idol" has seen plenty of headline-making scandals over the last four years, but now it’s facing the reality of a hardcore-porn DVD featuring Olivia Mojica, a contestant who didn’t make it to the finals on the show’s second season.

Called "Hardcore Idol," the 40-minute DVD, whose tagline reads, "Here’s what the judges didn’t see," hits retail stores May 3, distributed by Vivid Entertainment, the adult-movie company. Retail price is $39.95.

Preview footage of "Hardcore Idol" is already available on Vivid’s Web site, and Steven Hirsch, co-chairman of Vivid, says the company moved quickly to get the DVD into stores to get a halo effect from "American Idol" as the show narrows down the field of contestants.

Hirsch says Mojica, 22, and her boyfriend climbed into bed together for the camera just a month ago in her New York apartment. Within a few days, a third party approached Vivid with a copy of the video, Hirsch says, and he was bowled over by the quality of the visuals. "This was better than any other celebrity sex tape I’d ever seen," he said. "The sex is so great that if she were in the adult business, she’d be an instant superstar."

When the third party agreed to indemnify Vivid in the event of a lawsuit by Mojica or the Fox Network, Hirsch made the deal. "We’re a conservative company," he says. "We don’t move forward until we’ve dotted all of the ‘i’s and crossed all of the ‘t’s."

Hirsch says Vivid has made repeated attempts to get in touch with Mojica in the hope that she’d agree to help promote "Hardcore Idol" in exchange for a share of the revenues.