After weeks of following the news that Los Angeles underground artist Epicenia, formerly known as Will Griffith, once worked the street, gay clubs and seedy pay-by-the-hour motels as a transvestite hooker, QueerNews confirmed the story late Saturday night.

A new source has come forward who says the feminine, androgynous artist serviced a party of men, providing oral sex and performing bizzare sexcapades for cash.

While ArtChix Magazine and QueerNews have been in possession of photographs of the sexually submissive erotic artist performing oral sex on a male (which Epicenia has added to his gallery as a self portrait), riding a beer bottle, being penetrated by a motel room chair leg and smoking a cigarette on the bed of a seedy motel, taking a break in between ?clients?, the source claims Epicenia enjoyed being a boy-whore.

Known then by the drag name ?Pepper?, the underground artist was a young, struggling artist at the time and turning tricks was a part of his bohemian rebellion.

?Epicenia?s a great artist. His creative talent is amazing?, said the source, who agreed to the interview on the condition of anonymity, ?But he also boasted about how much he loved it. He was adventurous and a thrill seeker and he loved sex.?

The artist has refused to comment on the allegations, though in keeping with his artist-rebel manner, he added a series of self portraits to his gallery entitled: SELF PORTRAITS OF A TRANSVESTITE HOOKER.
Amazingly, the revelation that he once turned tricks has not hurt his art. His prices remain high and he continues to prove himself a prolific artist.

In a new development late tonight a former client of the hooker-turned-erotic art sensation signed a sworn statement to QueerNews stating that Epicenia serviced him, along with two of his friends after meeting in a small gay bar.

?After I bought him a few vodakas I asked him if he?d like some action?, said the source we?ll call ?T? for the purpose of this article, ?I told him my friends wanted to ?get on? and asked him how much for all of us. He said a hundred dollars each. I told him I?d give him two hundred and he said that was cool. So we went to our motel room where we were partying and he gave great head. While he was taking one in the mouth my dude was hitting him from behind. He?ll, we pulled a train on him and one of my friends just stroked himself and shot his load all over the bitch?s face. I hooked up with alone a time or two after that but then he just disappeared from the club scene and I read later his art was taking off. I was like, fuck, that?s the bitch?.

QueerNews withdrew a private settlement offer to the artist and pulled a retraction apologizing for breaking this story. Our original source changed his mind, saying he had never known Epicenia as a prostitute.

Then came the goldmine. After several leads, QueerNews tracked down ?T?, who called us back a few days later and agreed to a sworn statement to QueerNews, saying he had actually hired Epicenia for sexual services.

We asked ?T? to name names, places and we checked the motel registry to verify he had a room that night. The motel manager remembered the artist as a transvestite hooker who frequented that particular motel.

Epicenia?s ex-lover of three years told a close friend on the day the original story broke that she was livid and would not have been in a relationship with him had she known.

Poet and writer Alysyn Ayrica, who had a three year relationship with the artist, wrote the following email to a friend. (Excerpts):


??At the same time, I didn?t judge Epicenia about his giving some guys head while in a miniskirt. It?s just life allowing us some unique experiences. Of course, had I known before-hand of this penchant of his I would have opted out of a relationship with him. It?s just where I?ve always stood regarding my own needs in a partner?

So, to find out that he actually made a practice of taking money for his transvestite activities is upsetting? I am all for people trying to overcome their horrible pasts to become better or more respectable, but usually you walk into a relationship knowing these things?drug addiction, prostitution, pornography, anger issues?whatever. I am a forgiving person and open to helping where I can. But at least give me the option of making that decision?

?How was I to know? Everything about him was so strict and controlled. It?s not like I have all this experience with men, and I really did give our relationship my all. I went through hell with him during his drunken years, came through it with him, and now I?m finding out all this crazy shit he?s done!

And to think, he had the gall to accuse me of doing this, when all the time it was him!

Anyway, I just needed to vent. I?m sure you?ll get the best of him from here on. At least it?s all out in the open. Of course, you also know about his submissive sexual side, the one I had hoped WASN?T the case, since I was really needing a MAN in bed. I mean, how many times do I need to lie naked in bed before it becomes obvious that he doesn?t want me? Most men would have just dropped everything and screwed me silly. As it was, I was just beginning to feel ugly.

?I think I?ll stick to my women from here on.?

Our editor asked Alysyn Ayrica today if Epicenia had ever confessed to being a hooker. This was her response:


??He (Epicenia) initially didn?t give me a direct answer, but was somewhat evasive in how he denied his involvement, yet he allowed for much doubt in his conveyance.

I always give people the benefit of the doubt, and considering I have to place a certain amount of trust in him, I allowed for the shadow of doubt.

After all is said and done, the simple fact is that he did have some involvement in said escapades, and was party to this type of behavior. Yes, it?s kind of disgusting on one level when I look back at our history together??

The artist and his ex-lover remain friends. Alysyn controls The Griffith Center and is executor of his art works and finances. But the recent revelations have no doubt cause some stress in the relationship.

QueerNews has sent a formal request to Epicenia for an interview. So far we have not received a response.

-By Samireh Samadi, Gossip Section, QueerNews