I hate that women exploit their God-given sexuality on OnlyFans | Opinion

Everybody knows the adage "sex sells." But did you know how much?

I'm surprised, and to be honest, disgusted and sad.

On Jan. 26, OnlyFans star Sophie Rain stunned fans after showing them how much she's made so far from the adult content platform. I was shocked. "This is the last video I’m making about this," Rain, 21, said in an Instagram video. "I'm not lying about my income, and I’m going to show you guys right here, right now." Rain then proceeded to show fans that she has made about $101 million from the site, where creators have to be at least 18 years old to share content.

In 2024, Rain shared with the entertainment platform TMZ that she was a virgin and that her content is not explicitly pornographic.

Rain isn't the only one allegedly making that kind of money via OnlyFans. Influencer Piper Rockelle, an 18-year-old content creator, claims to have made $2.9 million in her first 24 hours on OnlyFans, after launching her account on Jan. 1. In August, influencer Lil Tay said she made over $1 million in just three hours after launching her account on her 18th birthday.

I support women earning money, and I'm no prude, but it saddens me to learn how much young women are making from a site that commodifies intimacy from a mostly male audience. The popularity of OnlyFans is a stain on our society, and I think it's toxic for men and women alike.

I wish for higher standards for our young women and the men who seek to objectify them through the low-risk, high-reward but morally bankrupt avenue of OnlyFans.

OnlyFans stats underscore huge demand

According to statistics, it is already one of the largest creator-driven platforms, hosting 4.63 million creators and has grown exponentially in popularity, underscoring demand: Between 2019 and 2025, the number of creators increased 1,222%.

A whopping 377.5 million people, 87% of whom are men, use the site. Users spent $7.2 billion to look at or interact with creators in 2024. In December alone, OnlyFans received 305.5 million visits.

While Rain and Rockelle may boast extraordinary earnings, this is rare. The average creator earns only $131 monthly after fees. Just the top 1% of OnlyFans creators earn about $49,000 annually.

I want something better for our men and women

Not all OnlyFans content is explicitly pornographic, but it is an adult-only content site, featuring a range of sexual or sexually explicit material.

And there's a dark side. In 2024, USA TODAY reported that child predators are exploiting kids on OnlyFans. Reuters documented 30 cases in U.S. police and court records involving child sexual abuse material on OnlyFans between December 2019 and June 2024. The problem appears to be ongoing.

That's not all. OnlyFans normalizes constant sexual availability and consumption. Both users and creators believe they are entitled to what they pay for or offer. Thanks to supply and demand, the cycle is continual. It hurts creators and users differently.

Nala Ray, a former OnlyFans creator, told singer Lecrae on his podcast, "Deep End with Lecrae," about her experience. It was lucrative at first, then quickly turned negative. "The money’s the trap," Ray said. "Our addiction to porn in America is ridiculous … and it’s gotten so much worse because of OnlyFans. … You're literally a pimped-out puppet, and your pimps are your subscribers."

Ray said she earned enough on the platform to purchase a nice home, drive a luxurious car and afford designer clothing, but it cost her so much more. She said her success on OnlyFans "comes with the price of your soul."

For content creators, mostly women, OnlyFans incentivizes showcasing intimacy, via their bodies, purely as a commodity – not something with inherent emotional or spiritual value and worth.

For male users, most of whom are married men, OnlyFans replaces real relationships with paid ones, eroding the ability for true intimacy and emotional reciprocity − much like porn. Porn is addictive, and research shows that it often has long-term negative effects on mental health, sexual function and personal relationships.

OnlyFans turns sexual attention, emotional validation and simulated intimacy into a transactional product with the tap of a button and the swipe of a card. It is digital porn on steroids, and it raises ethical questions about exploitation and illegal content, while slowly eroding sexual and relationship norms to eagerly commodify women for their God-given beauty and sexuality.

I hate that women do it, and I hate that men pay for it. I can't tell who is more problematic, but I wonder if the supply would be there absent the demand.

Is this really what we want for millions of our sons and our daughters, our husbands and our wives?

Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox.