News reports shocked the world just a few days ago when news leaked that Amityville: The Awakening star Bella Thorne earned approximately $2 million dollars in less than a week on OnlyFans. Before joining the platform, Thorne had already starred in a short Pornhub-exclusive drama and performed in other adult films as well. So the fact that she made an account on a sex worker site is really no surprise.
Lo and behold, though, Thorne’s actions on the site sparked many arguments regarding the celebrity’s understanding of sex work.
She first announced her account on Instagram, then proceeded to charge followers $20 per month for subscribing to her feed. She told the Los Angeles Times that she made the OnlyFans account to research for a film she prepared with Sean Baker and that all proceeds would go to charity or her production company. When asked if she would provide nude photos, she replied with, “No. I’m not doing nudity.”
Over the past week, though, Thorne’s actions completely counteracted her statements. Many of her followers tweeted that she allegedly promised her subscribers nudes at $200 per pay-per-view message. This means that she will share her content via private message, which the user pays to view.
Guess what? The “nude” photos ended up not being nudes at all.
Not only are users requesting refunds, but Twitter is blowing up with commentary:
While scams are bad enough, the bigger issue here is the fact that Thorne used the platform for her own earnings, which altered the market for the sex industry. OnlyFans has experienced a massive increase in creators during the pandemic. Unfortunately, this influx of creators is leaving actual sex workers with less income and massive misrepresentation.
With celebrities like Thorne now taking advantage of the site, sex workers worry that this exploitation of OnlyFans will bring the site down for good.
Some content creators have even reported that this action “can threaten the likelihood and… make a mockery out of the work they do.” Others stated that Thorne’s decisions were completely unfair and perpetuate inequity. For example, Jenna Foxx, an OnlyFans user states that Thorne is a well-known actress and already makes a lot of money on “top of the $2 million [from Onlyfans].” For someone who solely relies on OnlyFans for their earnings, having someone else who uses the site to make extra cash on the side creates unnecessary competition.
As a result of Thorne’s actions, OnlyFans has now updated their policies on the website. The new rules state that no content creator can charge over $50 for PPV content and no user can tip more than $100. Depending on the location, some users have to wait up to 30 days to receive payment from the site.
After these announcements, OnlyFans’ creators feel like they may lose their accounts and income.
Before the Bella Thorne and OnlyFans controversy, sex work already had a negative stigma among society. However, Thorne’s action of signing up for an account and using it to earn money has caused more disputes. Many people who rely on OnlyFans for their main source of income are unsure of the site’s updated policies. This reaction was due to Thorne’s decisions that may have caused dilemmas for the community. On top of facing judgement, content creators will now have to navigate an oversaturated website and bear the burden of Thorne’s renege.
What are your opinions on Bella Thorne’s actions? And what are some of the ways for us to be more aware of the stigma of sex work? After all, Thorne’s actions should not be taken lightly as they have affected many people socially and economically. What can we do to stop the stigma and such situations from occurring? Please let us know in the comments below.
Feature Image via Century Black Flickr
