OnlyFans has spent most of its existence being talked about, rather than talked about by mainstream celebrities in the first person. That’s shifted. A steady trickle of recognisable names – actors, musicians, reality stars – have opened accounts over the past few years, for reasons that have surprisingly little to do with what most people assume.
Who’s actually joined, and why
The reasons vary more than the tabloid framing usually suggests:
- Shannon Elizabeth, the late-90s film actor, joined in 2026 as a new professional venture at 52 – part of a broader pattern of creators joining well past the platform’s original, younger demographic.
- Cardi B joined in 2020 specifically to give fans behind-the-scenes access to a music video shoot – a promotional move rather than an ongoing content business, and she stopped posting relatively quickly.
- Lily Allen has spoken publicly about discovering her own high ranking in foot-fetish communities online before deciding to join and monetise that existing interest directly, rather than let it happen without her.
- Jessie Cave joined for hair-focused content specifically, and has been explicit that her account doesn’t feature adult material – using the platform’s subscription model for a niche, non-explicit audience.
- Drea De Matteo has spoken candidly about joining in 2024 for direct financial necessity, describing the income as saving her home within minutes of launching.
- Bella Thorne became the first creator to reportedly earn $1 million within 24 hours of joining in 2020, though she stepped away from regular use of the platform some time ago.
What this actually signals
Three things worth separating out, because they get conflated in most coverage of this topic:
It’s not all adult content. Jessie Cave’s example matters here – part of what’s changed is that OnlyFans’ subscription-and-tip model has proven useful for niche, non-explicit fan communities too, not just for the content the platform is best known for. That’s a genuine broadening of the platform’s use case, not just adult content gaining mainstream cover.
The financial motivation is often plain and direct, not aspirational. Drea De Matteo’s framing – immediate, practical financial need – is a more honest representation of why many creators (celebrity or not) actually join than the “quick millions” narrative that dominates headlines.
Celebrity crossover doesn’t fix the platform’s image problem on its own. Each new celebrity account generates a news cycle, but the underlying stigma and regulatory pressure facing the platform (age verification laws, payment processor restrictions) haven’t moved because a recognisable name joined. If anything, celebrity accounts draw more mainstream press attention to a platform still working through those exact pressures.
Why it’s worth tracking as a beat
Every time a new celebrity account surfaces, it’s a moment of mainstream visibility for the entire category – creators who’ve never had a single mainstream headline get a brief window where the platform itself is in the news for reasons other than a policy fight or a regulatory crackdown. Understanding who’s joining, and why, is a useful barometer for how the platform’s image is shifting – or isn’t – among people who’d never otherwise have looked twice.
