Sex Sells: How OnlyFans Turned Fetish-Friendly Celebs and Porn Stars Into a Multibillion-Dollar Juggernaut That Rivals Legacy Studios
For the same amount of money it takes to buy one of Hollywood's five remaining major studios, some investor may walk away with the nine-year-old porn-friendly platform OnlyFans.
While Skydance's bid to buy Paramount in a deal valued at $8 billion continues to spark daily headlines, little-known Hollywood player The Forest Road's efforts to buy OnlyFans for $8 billion is playing out with far less fanfare. That's a stunning juxtaposition considering the Paramount portfolio consists of CBS, Showtime and the 'Godfather' trilogy, while popular content on OnlyFans includes pictures of Carmen Electra's feet and nudes of 'Wizards of Waverly Place' alum Dan Benson. It also signals an economic shift in the entertainment industry.
More from Variety
Quiver Distribution Buys Bella Thorne Thriller 'Saint Clare' (EXCLUSIVE)
OnlyFans Owner Is in Talks to Sell Porn-Friendly Site in Deal Worth $8 Billion
'Spring Breakers 2' Set With New Cast: Bella Thorne, 'Stranger Things' Star Grace Van Dien and More (EXCLUSIVE)
'The name of the game is streaming and online content, and the OnlyFans $8 billion valuation could exceed the price tag of some legacy Hollywood studios, speaking to a new world for the industry where headwinds abound,' says Wall Street analyst Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities.
But do the numbers add up? Many in Hollywood's private equity space are skeptical that Forest Road, which is led by Zachary Tarica and reportedly manages $127 million in assets, could raise $8 billion. The Century City-based film financier has occupied a niche space in Hollywood since 2017, backing such films as Maggie Gyllenhaal's 'The Kindergarten Teacher' for Netflix and Guy Nattiv's 'Skin' for A24. Few outside the AFM set are familiar with the company and its slate of films, which also includes 'The Manson Brothers Midnight Zombie Massacre' and 'Chronicle of a Serial Killer.' In 2019, Forest Road invested in Yale Productions, which churned out low-budget movies like the 2023 Uma Thurman-Samuel L. Jackson pairing 'The Kill Room.'
Last month, Yale filed for bankruptcy, listing more than $55 million in liabilities against $18 million in assets. And in 2023, former Disney COO Thomas Staggs and onetime TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer stepped down from the Forest Road board. According to the SEC filing, Forest Road 'has expanded its specialty finance platform across blockchain, digital assets, technology, entertainment, real estate, renewable energy tax credit lending, film tax credit administration, and tax credit brokerage.'
But a source who has dealings with Forest Road says the company is legit. 'They are very much in touch with BlackRock, Ares and these monster funds,' the source says. 'They would not have any problem raising huge money on a deal like this.' (In October, Forest Road and Ares Management founders David Kaplan and Bennett Rosenthal bought a Formula E team.)
Forest Road did not respond to a request for comment on this story.
On the seller side, even less is known about Leonid Radvinsky, the 43-year-old majority owner of OnlyFans. The Soviet-born billionaire, who bought a 75% stake in OnlyFans' parent company Fenix International in 2018, has reportedly donated millions to causes involving Ukraine and Israel. (Radvinsky has denied that he pledged $11 million to Israel lobbying group AIPAC.) The father of four, who is partly based in Florida, does not do press. OnlyFans declined comment for this story.
While a potential Forest Road-OnlyFans transaction is shrouded in mystery, plenty is known about the parade of random celebrities who have migrated to the platform and how they are monetizing their brands. OnlyFans allows content creators to upload videos to their subscribers and takes 20% of their fees.
Initially, the content was mostly explicit, earning OnlyFans a reputation as a purveyor of pornography. Bella Thorne was an early adoptee, making $1 million on her first day on the platform, but faced backlash from the sex worker community, which labeled her a 'tourist.' More recently, a wide range of notable names have joined. 'Harry Potter' alum Jessie Cave, catering to a fetish community, posts videos of and sounds made by her hair. In response to criticism for taking the OnlyFans plunge, Lily Allen wrote in an X post: 'Imagine being an artist and having nearly 8 million monthly listeners on Spotify but earning more money from having 1,000 people subscribe to pictures of your feet. Don't hate the player, hate the game.' Others, like rappers Cardi B and Trey Songz, offer behind-the-scenes content (including adult-oriented material in Songz's case). At one point, Australian rapper Iggy Azalea was among the top earners, but she has mostly left the platform in favor of Telegram.
The two biggest areas of growth for OnlyFans come via the comedy world and sports stars. While Whitney Cummings is the most high-profile comedian on the platform, having debuted two specials there, newbies are benefiting most.
In 2023, OnlyFans launched the grassroots comedy show 'LMAOF,' which highlighted up-and-coming comedians whose humor might be too risqué for mainstream audiences.
Some earnings have been wildly exaggerated. Blac Chyna reportedly pulled down $240 million from OnlyFans, but later said the true number was closer to $2 million.
Still, there is real money to be made. On June 11, model Sophie Rain, who is believed to be among the highest paid on the platform, posted a screenshot of her earnings from subscriptions alone since she joined in 2023. The figure was more than $76 million. (An OnlyFans source did not dispute that figure.)
'The Sopranos' star Drea de Matteo says she staved off foreclosure on her Laurel Canyon home by starting a page and posting racy content.
'I got myself out of a lien on my house. I was in foreclosure,' she tells Variety. 'But then the men are fickle and they drop off, and, you know, I'm not like super freaking naked all the time. People know that. Like it's more of a me-and-my-panties vibes. So if you really want to make the big bucks, you gotta go full-on.'
Adds de Matteo: 'I was a moderate success. But to be totally honest, I wasn't Bella Thorne. It saved my life, and now I have to think about doing other things because it won't sustain.'
Best of Variety
New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Warriors player savagely taunted Caitlin Clark as she struggles
Caitlin Clark had a rare off night shooting with the Indiana Fever's loss to the expansion Golden State Valkyries, making just 3-of-14 from the field and 0-of-7 from distance. And there was one moment where Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski got in her ear. It turns out he's been VERY supportive of the new WNBA team in the Bay Area, and while he was courtside, he showed it. Advertisement Clark was whistled for a travel violation during the game, and as she began walking to the other end of the court, Podziemski popped up and mimicked the travel call as she passed by. It was high comedy. What's even better about this is Podziemski responded to all the attention to his taunt on X (formerly Twitter): No good [laughing emoji] we goin the other way [purple heart emoji] with it Love my Valkyries [heart emoji] There are other clips of him being a huge fan, which you have to love. Check out this one pumping up the crowd! How many points did Caitlin Clark score against the Valkyries? She ended up with 11 points, nine dimes and seven boards. She also had six turnovers and a steal. The Fever lost 88-77 to Golden State. This article originally appeared on For The Win: Caitlin Clark taunted by Brandin Podziemski in Fever loss to Valkyries
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
8 Unique Funeral Themes for the Most Meaningful Send-Off
There's plenty of beauty and meaning in a traditional funeral or memorial service, but that doesn't mean the usual funeral style is right for everyone. If your loved one had some specific interests or just a unique perspective on the world, we have some awesome ideas for funeral themes to make your tribute super personal. Everything from the decorations to the eulogies can follow the theme or relate to it, and you'll find this actually makes it easier to plan and create a really meaningful event. For many people, having a theme makes the event even more special and lets you really show what was important to your loved one (or how they loved to have fun). Things like birds and balloons can be very important symbols of letting someone go or fly away, and you can use these symbols as a theme for the entire funeral. Choose decorations that emphasize the air, such as bird cut-outs or ribbons that can move in the breeze if you're outside. Select readings that touch on the subject of birds or other things that fly. You may even want to fly kites together after the service. For someone who valued nature and the environment, a touching tribute can be a funeral with an environmental theme. Choose natural, local decorations that can be reused (living plants, for instance). Serve farm-to-table food that is locally sourced. You can ask guests to donate to an environmental charity or organization instead of giving flowers. If you're hosting a themed funeral, be sure to communicate the theme to everyone who is involved. The time after a loss can be challenging, and no one wants to be surprised. The night sky and all the points of light in it can be very comforting when you're facing the loss of a loved one. Let the stars inspire your funeral theme by decorating with star cut-outs, asters and other star-shaped flowers, and even star charts or space telescope photos. You can use the stars to inspire your readings and also host an evening star-gazing event after the service. Funerals are already formal, but you can take your formality to the next level with a black-tie attire service. Have people dress in gowns and tuxes as a way to show their respect in the most stylish way possible. This is especially fun if the person you're honoring loved dressing up. For an added touch, host a formal cocktail party as a reception after the service. Related: Most funerals are held during the day, but you could host an evening event by candlelight. This can be very touching, especially if you pass candles around and let everyone light theirs. After the service, release sky lanterns together in a safe place to give your loved one a beautiful send-off. It may sound like a weird funeral theme, but centering the whole event around your loved one's favorite movie can be a light-hearted but still very personal tribute. You can use cardboard cutouts of characters from the movie (like Star Wars, for instance), have guests dress in costumes if they wish, and even do readings from movie scenes that seem especially fitting. You could also show a small clip or the entire movie after the service. A special funeral theme for a book lover could involve all things reading related. Have book-themed decorations or flowers made out of book pages. Read parts of your loved one's favorite book at the service, and have guests bring books to exchange with one another. You could also ask for children's book donations to take to a local library or school. Another wonderful and unique idea is to let their cultural heritage inspire your themed funeral. If they're Irish, for instance, you could decorate with flowers like bells of Ireland, read an Irish blessing, sing an Irish song, and serve Irish food. Your loved one's cultural heritage is a rich source of inspiration for everything from the funeral flowers to the food. There are so many wonderful unique funeral ideas to choose from that it can seem a little overwhelming to pick one. This can be even more challenging if you're in the midst of dealing with grief. These tips can help you keep the stress to a minimum and choose a theme that's perfect: Think about what your loved one really appreciated in life. Let that inspire you. Ask a few friends or family members for ideas if you're not sure what you want to do. It can be healing for people to have input. Don't choose a theme that's going to make things more complicated for you or that involves a lot of set-up. One of the great benefits of funeral themes is that they can make the whole process easier. Consider the formality level you want at the service. Some themes are casual, and you may want a more traditional event. Your wishes matter here. Remember that the theme you choose is to honor your loved one, but it's also to comfort the people at the funeral. If you think a theme might be upsetting, consider tweaking it a little so everyone will be comfortable. A memorial service or funeral doesn't have to be totally traditional. There's no rule that says you can't have an event as unique as your loved one. The perfect funeral theme will make the whole event more meaningful and special for everyone involved.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Video: Golden Retriever Won't Let Owner Have ‘Peaceful Morning'
For people who dream of quiet mornings and slow wake-ups, living with a dog can be a harsh reality check. This is especially evident if that dog is a 70-pound fluffball with no concept of personal boundaries or patience. One Golden Retriever's very hands-on approach to waking up his owner in a morning video has gone viral for being as annoying as it is adorable. Bodie has no concept of 'five more minutes.' In a morning video uploaded by his owner, Sophie, the Golden Retriever is seen in bed with her, doing everything in his power to make sure she's awake. The text overlay reads: 'waking up with a golden retriever,' setting the tone for what unfolds next. Despite Sophie clearly wanting to sleep a little longer, Bodie has other plans. He presses his head against hers, leans his full weight onto her body, and keeps nudging her persistently. Even when she tries to gently push him away, he responds with playful nibbles on her hand, turning the moment into a funny, if not slightly chaotic, game of resistance. The interaction goes on for a while before Bodie finally gives in (sort of) and snuggles beside her, clearly satisfied that his mission is complete. In the caption of the morning video, the Golden Retriever's owner jokes, 'Is a peaceful morning too much to ask for?' The internet wasted no time jumping into the comments with full support for Sophie. One user joked, 'He's like 'if I'm up, you should be too!'' Another wrote, 'Brodie [sic] let momma sleep my boy,' showing sympathy for Sophie's struggle. Others affectionately dubbed Bodie the 'Golden Retriever Alarm Clock,' a nickname that feels perfectly fitting. Living with a dog means giving up a bit of personal space, and sometimes a peaceful morning. But for most, it's a trade-off worth making. The post Video: Golden Retriever Won't Let Owner Have 'Peaceful Morning' appeared first on DogTime.
