At 18, she began dancing nude at the Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theatre in San Francisco. Although the O'Farrell's management considered her little more than a passably pretty bleach blonde with little dancing talent, she became popular as stripper "Eve" and made a few thousand dollars per month in tips (which she reportedly spent mainly on drugs). In late 1986 she quit working at the O'Farrell Theatre and underwent a "makeover" (i.e. detoxification and cosmetic surgery), reemerging as Megan Leigh. In the summer of 1987, she starred in Secrets Behind the Green Door (see Behind the Green Door with Marilyn Chambers). She became known for her ability to deep throat her partners, getting a starring role in 1989's Deep Throat III.

Her body was discovered on June 16, 1990 at her home in Solano, California. She had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. According to former porn performer and message board contributor Brandy Alexandre, an autopsy discovered a lethal dose of Valium in Leigh's system. Porn historians, including Luke Ford, have said that Leigh had recently entered a lesbian relationship and had moved in with her girlfriend, when her family reportedly denounced her for her decision to enter into a same-sex relationship. Reports claim that she had become despondent by her family's rejection, and had been abusing drugs before her suicide. She left behind a note mentioning unresolvable personal problems, a body of work numbering 133 titles, and a $500,000 (USD) house that Leigh had purchased for her mother just one month before her suicide.