Actress Drea De Matteo specializes in playing sexy characters, especially on “The Sopranos,” and recently posted on OnlyFans, an internet content subscription service most often associated with sexually explicit content. I am creating a completely new persona.
But De Matteo, 52, doesn't do porn. Instead, she joins a growing list of high-profile celebrities and other non-famous people who showcase their talents without nudity on exclusive subscription-based platforms to generate income for them.
Celebrities quickly open their own accounts, some earning millions of dollars in the process. Among them are TV personality Blac Chyna, who reportedly earned $20 million from her page, comedian Whitney Cummings, actress Denise Richards, 1990s sex symbol Carmen Electra, and “Real Housewives.'' ” including Sonya Morgan, Larsa Pippen, and even DJ Khaled.
“I basically make money doing cameos,” De Matteo said in an interview on “Impact x Nightline.” I'm referring to OnlyFans' Direct Him Messaging feature. “And they're not asking me to do anything crazy because they know it's me. I mean, I don't ask their friends, 'This person, that person. Can you make a video for me?’” Then there are guys who want some intense legs. ”
De Matteo said she first started feeling financial stress during the coronavirus pandemic, when Hollywood and other parts of the world shut down. When the situation started to improve, Matteo didn't want to get vaccinated, which left him unemployed.
“In my case, I just didn't even take Tylenol. I don't like putting anything in my body. So I didn't know enough either. I didn't know enough. My children were not fully vaccinated,” she said.
Mr. De Matteo was on the verge of losing his home. As my bank account dwindled, a friend of my teenage daughter suggested I try OnlyFans.
“Has registered [for] “When I heard about OnlyFans, I thought, wow, I never thought it would work,” De Matteo said. “But I didn't think anyone would care. I didn't think anyone would care. I'm Adriana from 'The Sopranos' 100 years ago.”
De Matteo told ABC News she was three days away from foreclosure, but OnlyFans saved her from financial ruin. She said that in some months, she makes more money on OnlyFans than she makes per episode of “The Sopranos.” De Matteo, who won an Emmy for playing Adriana La Celva on The Sopranos, did not reveal her total amount, but she recently said she earned $50,000 in tips from OnlyFans. It revealed that.
“I've never done full nudity,” De Matteo said. “There's a clause in my contract. I don't do nudity. So I've never been topless or anything. You're going to be pushed where I've been pushed too. You'd want to know.” Why more I guess I couldn't take off my clothes quickly enough. But I'm not doing anything groundbreaking here. ”
Like De Matteo, rapper Cardi B also joined OnlyFans and made it clear that she would not post nudes. Many celebrities also join OnlyFans for the monetization opportunities rather than the sexually explicit content.
OnlyFans was launched in 2016 and quickly gained attention as a popular site for people to view sexually explicit content for money. Many creators have used the app for exclusive sexual content that cannot be viewed on other social media apps such as Instagram or YouTube. But now the platform is becoming more diverse, with other creators joining in and offering different types of services.
In the case of comedian Jaoin Summers, she says OnlyFans called her during the pandemic after seeing her viral TikTok video.
“They said, 'We want to bring other content creators to OnlyFans, like musicians, comedians, fitness people,'” Summers said. I'm like, “I don't do porn.” Like, if I was smart, I'd do porn, but I'm not, so they were like, 'No, no, no, girl, this is about you doing comedy.' ”
Summers has been sharing comedic content on OnlyFans, where he says he has made about $1 million in just a few years. A single mother of her two children, she says the money she makes on her platform has allowed her to pursue her dream career as a comedian.
Many people wonder how OnlyFans creators make so much money.
Emma Hinchliffe, a senior writer at Fortune, said OnlyFans creators have a variety of ways to make money. One of the most common methods is subscription. Subscribers can pay $5, $15, or even $40 a month to access creator content.
Mr Hinchliffe said another option is to send a tip. Creators can also post locked content that fans can access by paying for specific videos or images. Additionally, fans can directly message their favorite creators and request personalized content, allowing for more direct interactions.
It's the same model that launched subscription platforms Patreon and Cameo, giving creators more control over their content and locking in more profits.
But unlike Patreon or Cameo, OnlyFans is still associated by some with sexually explicit content that comes with a degree of judgment. “The thing about OnlyFans is that it receives criticism from all sides,” Hinchliffe said. “Fans aren't the only ones who should support explicit and sexual content; some believe it's dangerous and actually harms people. Others believe OnlyFans is too innocent for the platform. And some creators think it's down.'' Too many of their videos get flagged for things that aren't dangerous or important. ”
“We're at an interesting crossroads in the entertainment world right now, where many celebrities are learning without an intimate connection with their audience and seem to be lacking brand,” Crisis PR said. Management Molly McPherson said. “Their relevance is missing.”
It's unclear whether involvement with OnlyFans will negatively impact a celebrity's reputation, McPherson said. And while the site has its critics, De Matteo says he doesn't care about the haters.
“I don't care what you think about me. I know who I am, and my children know who I am,” she said.
De Matteo recalled a touching moment when her teenage daughter told her she was proud of her, adding: “A lot of people asked me, 'What do you think about the haters?' I said,” he said. And I said, “I don't care.” My children are proud of me. ” That's all that matters. “
