Kira Nicole Kener (born Stephanie Knain on August 11, 1974 in San Jose, California) is a retired American pornographic actress. She is Eurasian, as her father is of Norwegian ancestry and her mother is of Vietnamese ancestry. She has legally changed her name to Kira Kener as well as registering it as a trademark.
As with many hardcore porn stars, Kira began her career in the adult industry as a feature dancer before being approached by Vivid Video in 1999 for her hardcore debut in the film Nurses. She was Penthouse Pet of the Month for December 2002 and also shared the cover of Playboy in March 2002 with several other adult-film stars. She was a contributing writer to the book How to Have a XXX Sex Life: The Ultimate Vivid Guide, published in 2004. She is also one of thirty porn-stars featured in Timothy Greenfield-Sanders's book, XXX: 30 Porn-Star Portraits. In February 2007, Digital Playground released the DVD Virtual Sex With Kira Kener and is the only hardcore release in which the male subject does not wear a condom while having intercourse with Kira.
Kira was under exclusive contract with Vivid Video from 1999 to 2005. Kira currently resides in North Carolina and continues to feature dance at clubs across the United States.
In 2005 Kener filed a lawsuit against Vivid Video for wrongful termination, breach of website agreement and federal trademark dilution. The lawsuit included allegations of unsanitary health conditions on a Vivid Video set and Vivid Video's disregard for the health and safety of the performers in its films.
According to the lawsuit, Kener was infected with a sexually transmitted disease after using a sex toy in February 2004.
The suit was settled in April 2007; terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
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