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Celebrities earning staggering money on OnlyFans after fame struggles

Silhouette's of three women around an OnlyFans symbol.
It’s a lucrative business for some celebrities, and has helped them in multiple ways (Picture: Shutterstock)

In 2026 it’s not uncommon for your favourite celebrity to have a side hustle – be it their own wine, a podcast, or maybe an OnlyFans account. 

That’s certainly the case for names like Lily Allen, who made headlines when she announced she was selling feet pics for £8 a month. 

She even revealed that she made more money from snaps of her trotters than from her music

So no wonder some artists have had the same idea…

Jessie Cave recently spoke about being on the adult paid-for subscription service, OnlyFans, and how it ‘saved’ her.

The former Harry Potter actress, 39, admitted work started drying up in her late thirties and she was questioning how she would make a living.

Jessie posts videos brushing her long locks (Picture: Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Now, she posts content centred around her long hair, catering to a ‘very, very niche’ fetish.

Speaking to The Times, she explained: ‘My rule is the hair is the main character. That’s how I justify it. It’s literally about hair: the texture of hair. The fetish.’

The actor once made £15,000 in a day and earned more in one year than she did during her entire acting career.

So which other celebrities are diversifying their income by posting exclusive paid-for content after struggling in their careers?

Shannon Elizabeth

Shannon Elizabeth has also earned money playing poker professionally (Picture: Kayla Oaddams/Getty Images)

American Pie’s Shannon Elizabeth recently said she feels like she was ‘put in a box’ for a long time as a ‘sexy girl in a movie’ after she starred as Nadia in the late nineties film.

Speaking on The Tamsen Show Podcast, she said: ‘Because there were a lot of offers for the same type of film, I fought it a bit.’

The now-52-year-old recounted only being paid a ‘couple of thousand’ for her role at the time, but now she enjoys raking it in on the subscription site.

A source told People Magazine that in her first week, she earned a whopping ‘more than seven figures’.

The insider noted that her posts don’t feature full nudity, but the actress told the publication: ‘I’ve spent my entire career working in Hollywood, where other people controlled the narrative and the outcome of my career.

‘This new chapter is about changing that, showing off a more sexy side no one has seen, and being closer to my fans.’

Drea de Matteo

Drea de Matteo is known for playing Adrianna La Cerva in The Sopranos (Picture: Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)

Prior to launching her OnlyFans account, The Sopranos star Drea de Matteo said she only had $10 in her bank.

She told the Daily Mail she was on the brink of losing her home when she started posting content on the content site aged 51 in August 2023 and it has since ‘saved her life’.

Earlier this year, she told People: ‘I made $75,000 in 75 minutes and was able to pay off the lien on my house.’

She also told the publication that she recently did a fully nude shoot for the first time, aged 54: ‘I’d never even taken my clothes off for television, but I actually went for it, and it was fine.’

Kate Nash

Kate Nash told MPs about the lengths she’d gone to in order to afford her tour (Picture: Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/WireImage)

Foundations singer Kate Nash announced in 2024 that she would be using an OnlyFans to sell pictures of her bottom to fund her lives shows.

After coming up with the creative slogan #ButtsForTourBuses, Kate’s side hustle selling her booty pics made up for any losses she incurred on tour.

Speaking to MPs at the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee earlier this year, Kate said she lost £26,000 on her last European tour, in part due to the increased cost of touring in Europe post-Brexit.

But showing her behind had helped her get ahead. She claimed: ‘The only reason it is possible for me to [tour] is because I sell pics of my bum on the internet.’

Maitland Ward

Maitland Ward starred in Boy Meets World which was available to watch on Disney Channel (Picture: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Star of ABC’s Boy Meets World, Maitland Ward, went into making adult content 20 years after playing Rachel McGuire on the show.

In an episode from earlier this year of Investigation Discovery’s docuseries Hollywood Demons, the now 49-year-old claimed she would make around $20,000 – $25,000 an episode.

Maitland was on the show for two years and said she was constantly scared about being fired during this time. She remarked: ‘You don’t have all the guarantees out there.’

The actress added: ‘In porn or OnlyFans, I can get six figures a month.’

Kerry Katona

Kerry said she makes millions from her OnlyFans (Picture: Mindhouse / SKY)

Like lots of media personalities and those who worked in the arts, Kerry Katona’s work dried up during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Earlier this year she spoke to The Times about how stressful this time was,and said she was ‘panicking’: ‘How could I pay the rent and the bills with five kids? Then someone mentioned OnlyFans.’ 

Kerry, who started out in Atomic Kitten, told the publication in January that she makes ‘millions’ from her account: ‘It all goes on the kids.’

When asked if she’ll still be doing it when she’s 75, Kerry replied: ‘Abso-f***ing-lutely. If my tits aren’t dragging on that floor and I am still making the money I am making, why would I not?’

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