The shock rise of women selling sexy pics
Adult content website OnlyFans has seen a surge in women signing up during the pandemic in the hope of earning easy money. Closer speaks to two women who have recently signed up and examines the dangers it poses…
I’M NOT MAKING A FORTUNE BUT THE EXTRA
MONEY DOES HELP
Sitting at the mirror, Jessica Hall,
21, carefully applies her make-up, before turning to the lingerie she’s laid out and choosing exactly the right outfit to impress. She wants to look perfect for a man – but she’s not heading off on a date. She’s getting dolled up to fulfil an order for pictures that a customer has requested through her profile on OnlyFans – an online platform where people subscribe to look at photos and videos that are posted, paying extra to request private content.
EXTRA MONEY
Jessica, who also works as showroom assistant for a furniture company, took the plunge and signed up six weeks ago while she was on furlough from her job. She says, “Someone I follow on Instagram had signed up and said she loved it. I started researching and read lots of positive testimonies from different women and made the decision to try it too. I’ve never done anything like this before, but I’m very open sexually and had a lot of time on my hands during lockdown.
“I needed the extra money, as I was only receiving 80 per cent of my salary. So far, I’ve earned around £500 through subscriptions and people asking for private pictures.”
Jessica is one of thousands of women on the site worldwide. In May 2020, an OnlyFans spokesperson claimed they had 450,000 content creators already online – adding that up to 8,000 more were joining every day. In the UK, they’ve reportedly seen a 42 per cent rise in sign-ups during the coronavirus pandemic.
In February, student Kaya Corbridge, from Colne in Lancashire, made headlines when she gave up her degree in international relations and global development and claims she now makes around £30,000 a month from the site.
Celebrities are also flocking to OnlyFans. Kerry Katona has recently joined, following in the footsteps of stars such as Danielle Lloyd and Love Island’s Megan Barton-Hanson.
But experts are concerned that the phenomenon could be detrimental to women’s wellbeing. Privacy is a concern, too, as it can be difficult to hide your identity and content can be stolen. Photos or videos on such platforms may be copied and shared elsewhere, not only taking away sellers’ incomes, but also “outing” them to friends, family or employers.
Closer’s psychological therapist Emma Kenny says, “The more you’re around glamour work, the more normal it seems, and boundaries can easily move. You might set out to only go so far, but then you’re asked to do something just a little more risqué and you think ‘why not’ – it can become a slippery slope.
“I can see that the money and validation you get from fans could become addictive, making it tempting to go down a more graphic route than you initially intended.
“But I’m also concerned that women say they feel empowered – and don’t realise they’re being manipulated by others and are at their beck and call. It’s still sex work, and women need to be honest with themselves about that.”
SELF-ESTEEM
She adds, “I believe self-esteem will be chipped away with every photograph and every video taken. It’s an insidious and exploitative site.”
And Teela Sanders, a criminology professor at the University of Leicester, said, “There certainly is a lot more that needs to be done – especially as we see new platforms popping up all the time, which don’t necessarily have the awareness that they need to be responsible.” She added that she expected the industry to grow as the UK heads into the worst recession seen in decades.
A spokesperson for OnlyFans said, “With a duty to help battle against illegal piracy, OnlyFans is firmly in the fight to protect user content. They added, “The safety of our content creators is a top priority.”
FULL NUDITY
But Jessica, who’s back at work part-time, is determined to continue her new career.
She says, “It’s not only the money. I feel empowered. Men are parting with their money to see me and that feels good. I’m pretty happy to try anything, including full nudity. A lot of men seem to like bondage pictures and feet photos, and some request videos of me touching myself. I do have boundaries, though – one man wanted a picture of me on the toilet, but I refused.
“I had a boyfriend when I first joined. He was fine about me being on the site, but we broke up because we’d been drifting apart for a while. It doesn’t worry me that future boyfriends might not want to be with me
because of what I do – if they don’t accept it, then they’re not the right person.
“And if friends, family or even a future employer saw me on the site, then they’d have to admit they’d signed up and paid to look, as that’s the only way they could access my pictures. I think it’d be more embarrassing for them than me.
“I’m not making a fortune, but the extra money does help – and I enjoy taking the pictures. I’m not harming anyone, and I think I’ll continue even when I’m back at work full time.”