Ex-Adult Film Star Christy Mack Opens Up About Her Recovery From Beating

Christy Mack knows just what it’s like to watch love turn sour and now, after months of extensive recovery, Ms. Mack finally healed enough, physically and psychologically, to open up about the abuse she allegedly received at the hands of MMA fighter Jon “War Machine” Koppenhaver.

Christy was already established in a porn and modeling career by the time she met Koppenhaver at a modeling shoot. Christy had been feeling unwell at the modeling gig and she admits, looking back, that Koppenhaver had charmed her with his offer to return to Mack’s room to look after her, even with the understanding that Christy would not consent to sex during the visit.

“It was an amazing connection,” Mack told ESPN of the ensuing afternoon. “I fell in love really quick.”

In spite of Koppenhaver’s disapproval of Ms. Mack’s work, the couple lived together on two separate occasions, and Ms. Mack was always cage-side at every one of War Machine’s events. They seemed like the perfect couple, Christy recalls, until the violence and rage began to manifest itself outside of the ring. Mack talks about how deeply in love with him she was, when that first beating took place five months into their relationship. Ms. Mack remembers reasoning to herself that it was a once-in-a-lifetime thing that would never be repeated and, each time the violence was repeated upon her, Christy recalls that the following reconciliations were some of the best days of their relationship.

As the beatings escalated, Ms. Mack had agreed to resign from her porn films, strictly modeling, but not even that change in her lifestyle seemed to appease Koppenhaver. The abuse continued until the relationship ended and they each moved on with their lives, or so Ms. Mack had believed.

On Aug. 8, 2014, Koppenhaver gained entry into Ms. Mack’s Las Vegas home, where she had been hosting an overnight guest, Corey Thomas. Koppenhaver first assaulted Thomas, beating him for a period of at least ten minutes, according to Christy Mack. When the man known as War Machine finally ceased biting and punching Thomas, he told Thomas to leave the property and to not call the police.

Corey Thomas left.

From that point forward, Christy Mack reports that everything was a blur. She recalls being threatened with a knife and remembers that her clothes had been removed, though she still cannot recall just how she had come to be naked and beaten in his presence. It was then that Christy recalls her ex-lover attempting to rape her in the shower. Only when Koppenhaver ran to the kitchen, probably for another weapon, did Ms. Mack find opportunity to flee.

The incident resulted in 36 counts against Koppenhaver, but that was little comfort to Mack. Due to injuries to her thigh, Christy was unable to walk for a full week. She also suffered a ruptured liver that prevented doctors from operating on Ms. Mack’s severely beaten face. The assault also left Ms. Mack with 18 broken bones, a broken nose, multiple missing and broken teeth, and a fractured rib.

Even now, after extensive reconstructive surgery, the face that greets her in reflections is not quite the same and it never will be the same again.

“Just feeling my face, I knew it wasn’t right. So when I’d look in the mirror, it’s not me — that person wasn’t me. It’s so hard to go every day without being you anymore.”

Koppenhaver is set to stand trial to answer for those 36 counts against him and he still has shown no remorse for Christy Mack’s injuries. Earlier today, he tweeted a rant to Mike Tyson.

“You of all people know about our corrupt system, and about vindictive women. Battery is being called ‘attempted murder’, and all of the sudden I was ‘raping’ my girlfriend during our relationship as well … I know what it is to hate yourself, I know what it is to hate those who love you.”

Meanwhile, Christy Mack really is moving forward with her life, recovering just a little bit more with each new day. Christy is even looking forward to getting a new tattoo. This tattoo will serve a special purpose. It will cover up the tattoo on her back that reads “Property of War Machine.”