In August, actress Bella Thorne set a record on OnlyFans by earning one million dollars in her first 24 hours. OnlyFans is a social media platform where creators can host their content for a subscription price. The site has become a large source of income for sex workers, as it allows pornographic content.
On Aug. 25, Thorne shared an article from the New York Post that described her million dollar earnings, commenting “Also nooooo I’m not doing nudity!!!” However, on Aug. 27, a screenshot of a private message conversation began circulating around social media, in which Thorne claims to be selling three nude photos of herself for $200. She describes the photos as “Naked. NAKED?! Yes naked.” When the other person in the screenshot asks, “How naked is the question for $200?” Thorne responds with, “No clothes naked.”
When Thorne’s OnlyFans subscribers paid the $200 to see the photos, however, they were not naked, but instead featured Thorne in lingerie. In the aftermath, subscribers began requesting refunds. With Thorne having over 50,000 subscribers on OnlyFans, this naturally caused a stir. Shortly after this, OnlyFans changed their policy on exclusive content and tips.
OnlyFans has now placed a $50 cap on exclusive content and a $100 cap on tips. Previously there had been no caps on either, and one sex worker in an article by Vice says she had been receiving tips as high as $1,000 before the cap was placed. The article also states that the sex workers they interviewed were given any notice of the changes to the platform before they were put in place. Another change to the policy is a 30-day payout policy, meaning that creators on the platform must wait a month before they can receive any funds earned on OnlyFans.
Thorne has apologized on Twitter, claiming that she had aimed to “bring attention to the site” and “remove the stigma behind sex, sex work, and the negativity that surrounds the word SEX itself by bringing a mainstream face to it.” “In this process I hurt you and for that I’m truly sorry,” she adds.
Replies to the thread on Twitter make good points. “Nobody cares that you ‘risked your career’,” Twitter user @janewildexxx said. “What career? YOU can do anything you want to do. Sex workers RELY on onlyfans and maybe a couple other platforms. Why did you need to charge $200 for a scam if it was to ‘end the stigma’ you made us look like money hungry scammers thx.” In another reply, Jane continues: “Why did you feel the need to invade the platform knowing the massive attention you would get with your paper mag article and lie about doing ‘research’ or helping people? It was a cash grab.”
Another Twitter user, @lynn_krysta, adds: “I think it just sucks for us little people who are busting our butts without a following like yours. Some of us are trying to save up money to buy a house & build a life for our kids.”
Very few sites online welcome the sex industry, so OnlyFans has been a safe zone for sex workers to make money. With the rise in notoriety of the site, and the appearance of celebrities like Bella Thorne and Cardi B, many are worried they will lose OnlyFans as a source of income. As Jane pointed out, Thorne’s career is in no danger from this scandal. She will continue to be part of upcoming films like “Habit,” “Chick Fight,” and “Leave Not One Alive.” Actual sex workers face criminalization and discrimination for their careers. Actual sex workers are concerned that celebrities like Thorne joining the site will increase competition, rather than bring attention to the workers that rely on it the most. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, or in this case, greed.
If you are so inclined: Many of the comments on Thorne’s tweets concerning OnlyFans are made by sex workers promoting their accounts. If you’re interested in spending money on someone’s OnlyFans, follow an actual sex worker instead of a celebrity with a 12 million dollar net worth.
Categories: Opinion
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