Crystal DiGregorio-Bassette was a widely known star in the porn industry for over 10 years. Every major porn company knew her name. She was earning $30,000 per month, had several luxury cars and was living in a 10 million dollar mansion in Calfornia. Crystal thought she had it all.

Now, Crystal is a born-again believer who works only to serve Jesus Christ.

“When I was in porn, my life was all about being a sex object,” she told Fox News. “Now I focus on helping people.”

Crystal first sparked an interest in Christianity when she encountered God at an alter one Easter Sunday. She had been fighting a toxic and abusive relationship, and asked God to save her from the situation.

“That moment was a moment of giving every hurt and fear to God. I was bawling my eyes out crying and praying for God to release me from the abusive relationship I was in and all the bad things in my life: it was a full surrender,” she told CBN News.

After that service, Crystal walked out of the church and never went back to the relationship. From there, she felt that “God started changing me from the inside out.” Crystal was further inspired by another porn star turned pastor, Brittni De La Mora. She continued learning more about the Bible, and felt when “God removed the veil from my eyes, I started looking at the world differently.”

“I noticed how much people were being hurt by the porn industry and I never really thought of it before that.”

Leaving the porn star lifestyle wasn’t an easy task, however.

“Literally, my last two scenes were the most horrific I had to do. It felt like I was getting raped on the set. I was just sitting there reading the Bible, waiting for my scene, learning more about God”, she recalled.

Eventually, she reached a point where she could not live that way and decided to leave once and for all. She filmed her last adult film scene at age 31.

She had to file for bankruptcy and give up her luxurious items and lifestyle. Her reputation as a porn star followed her into her new life, and several employers turned her down due to her past. Her family was also bullied. In the end, it was all still worth it.

“I left the money and limelight of that world and I’m more peaceful now with the Lord because I don’t have to be the sex object, I don’t worry about money, I just worry about my soul and becoming a better person every day,” she told CBN News.

The mother of three now works as a Christian counselor, pastor, and paralegal in New York and attends the Lighthouse Mexico Church of God. She found that her lifestyle actually made others more willing to open up to her, because they knew she wouldn’t judge them for their own sins.

“Anybody feels that they can come to me, and that’s what I like about it. They can talk to me openly and not have to worry about me judging them,” she told Fox. “We all do wrong. Nobody’s perfect. It didn’t matter if you’ve been saved your whole life or you walk into my church with full-on tattoos. I accept them for who they are, not attack them.”

Crystal now works hard to help others in the sex-industry escape and find Jesus. She hopes she can give them encouragement and show through her life that it is possible.

“My story has given people hope that God can forgive and change us, no matter what your past is. I hope people learn more about the Lord and want to get to know him,” she said.

“I’m not perfect. I make mistakes,” she added. “I’m going through a divorce and at times I don’t understand why, but I know everything happens for a reason. God will put you through things to make you stronger, you just can’t ever give up. You need to leave your past behind. Your rearview mirror in your car is small for a reason and your windshield is much larger because the future is bigger than your past.”