Chloe Cherry, the actress who parlayed a background in adult entertainment into one of the most unlikely Hollywood breakthroughs in recent memory, is now turning her story into a book. Simon & Schuster announced Friday that her debut memoir, “Somewhere Dark and Hot,” will be published on February 23, 2027.
The 288-page book traces Cherry’s path from fleeing an emotionally abusive home in suburban Pennsylvania at eighteen, to entering the adult film industry in 2016 — when PornHub was expanding rapidly while American Apparel was going bankrupt — through periods of eating disorders, insomnia, drug abuse, and psychotic episodes, before her life shifted with the premiere of “Euphoria’s” second season.
Cherry has described the show as a turning point in how she perceived herself. “I was, for the first time in my life, appreciated for my mind. I was appreciated for being funny,” she said. “It was the first time in my whole life that I felt appreciation for my brain. It just makes me realize it’s never too late to be what you might’ve been.”
Cherry told Rolling Stone that she rejects regret entirely, calling it “a genuinely pointless emotion for a human to feel.” The title itself reflects the idealized and ominous vision of Los Angeles she held growing up in a small, deeply religious Pennsylvania town — somewhere simultaneously dark and warm, full of excitement she couldn’t find at home. She said the memoir’s central question is “how far are you willing to go to start over?” and that she most wants to give readers an honest look into the inner workings of her mind rather than having the world project assumptions onto her based on her profession.
Cherry has cited David Sedaris, Ottessa Moshfegh, and Hunter S. Thompson as literary influences, and described the writing process as deeply therapeutic — a way to take painful experiences and convert them into something she can gain from.
Stuart Roberts, Vice President and Executive Editor at Simon & Schuster, called the memoir “both intensely personal and culturally significant,” adding that it captures the realities of American girlhood, performance, fame, and self-invention. “Like Chloe herself, the book is disarmingly honest, wildly funny, and full of hard-earned truths,” he said. The book is being positioned alongside similar confessional works from performers who have challenged conventional narratives about women and bad choices.
Cherry appeared in “Euphoria’s” third season earlier this year, with her role as the deadpan, keenly observant Faye considerably expanded from her breakout in season two. She has also appeared in recent film and television projects, with ambitions to take on emotionally grounded dramatic roles.
