Bella Thorne was trending on Twitter today. Why, may you ask? For abusing OnlyFans by releasing a $200 worth pay per view photo that she claimed was fully nude. The photo was in fact not what she said it was, and it is having a very real consequence on OnlyFans creators who rely on the platform for their livelihood.
So for those confused about the whole Bella Thorne /onlyfans thing and how she’s harmed hard working SW’s here’s a quick run down pic.twitter.com/DwWNRyiSMy
— Bria (IG: itsactuallybria) (@itsactuallybria) August 28, 2020
The Scam
Bella Thorne announced that she would be joining OnlyFans in an Instagram post on August 19th. The platform is a content subscription service where creators get paid for their monthly subscriptions as well as for their content. The layout is similar to Instagram, and creators can post any kind of content, but it skews more towards sex work. Creators are also allowed to create exclusive content for an individual subscriber as well as interact with them privately via in-app messages. The app has become especially popular during the coronavirus lockdown as it is a feasible revenue of income that can be done remote.
Since joining OnlyFans on August 19th, Thorne has claimed to have made $2 million using the app already. And that was from non-pornographic content. Earlier this week, Thorne took to Twitter to state that she wasn’t going to be using her OnlyFans to post nude photos.
Also nooooo I’m not doing nudity!!! ❤️ https://t.co/vJECHqF4uW
— BITCHIMBELLATHORNE (@bellathorne) August 26, 2020
So everyone was surprised last night when Bella Thorne promised subscribers nude photos for $200. But why not pay $200, it’s not like she didn’t post her own nudes on the internet before..oh wait…
Wasn’t Bella Thorne the lady who leaked her own nudes cuz somebody hacked her phone and threatened to leak em if she didn’t pay em?
— Wolf Fang Fudd (@FlashFudd) August 26, 2020
ADVERTISEMENT
The Consequences
When OnlyFans subscribers only received a lingerie photo that implied nudity, they demanded refunds. But this seems to have caused damage within OnlyFans, and although statements to press say otherwise, it seems like the app can not handle the volume of refunds. The app has since instated a “tip limit,” which caps how much a subscriber can tip a creator. Now you can no longer pay more than $100 for a tip. They also changed how often creators get paid, which is now every 30 days instead of every seven days. You can see why creators would be mad.
Onlyfans girls waking up today to find out they ain’t getting paid till October cuz of Bella Thorne pic.twitter.com/kgJZ10HUbe
— Haschwaulth (@FlatOutlook) August 28, 2020
A spokesperson from OnlyFans stated to Rolling Stones, “transaction limits are set to help prevent overspending and to allow our users to continue to use the site safely. We value all of the feedback received since this change was implemented and we will continue to review these limits.” But it’s interesting how these changes were made directly after Bella’s scam took place.
Why Sex Workers Are Upset
OnlyFans sex workers are enraged to say the least.
CW: Offensive language
ADVERTISEMENT
Bella Thorne really ruined a good thing for people who actually use onlyfans to make a living and pay bills.
— Sahlt (@AlyciaTyre) August 28, 2020
1. Bella Thorne is trash for scamming and ruining OnlyFans
2. OnlyFans is trash for changing policies for everyone instead of banning her
3. Her subscribers are stupid and y’all should have just subscribed to actual sex workers and you wouldn’t get scammed— Erika Hersteria Heidewald (@erikaheidewald) August 28, 2020
And can you really blame them? With around 16.3 million people in the U.S. unemployed in June, money is tight to say the least. Not only that, but with COVID-19, many are hesitant about taking an in-person job at the moment. As a result many people are turning to sex work.
Additionally, those who were sex workers before COVID-19 are now being limited to virtual sex work, such as OnlyFans. And many people like Bella Thorne, who are just using the platform for fun, do not seem to understand that for many, this is their only way of earning money right now.
https://twitter.com/LolaRuin/status/1299367285367472130?s=20
Back To The Bella Scam
Despite what OnlyFans officials are saying, Bella Thorne is definitely getting blamed for OnlyFans tip limit change.
https://twitter.com/say_sayria/status/1299292361177083905?s=20
There are many people who have a hard time getting behind Bella. She has had countless relationship scandals and personal drama in the media. This isn’t all her fault, but it also doesn’t really help her case. It’s also hard when she is constantly being compared to her Disney Channel counterpart, Zendaya.
i can’t be the only one who knew from day one that zendaya would make it and bella thorne wouldn’t right?? pic.twitter.com/Cgh2rOd3cv
— peanut (@DAISYJEDIRIDLEY) August 28, 2020
And then there are some people who just think OnlyFans as a whole is one big scam.
https://twitter.com/PblcSindecency/status/1299314828541124612?s=20
So what seems to have been all fun and games for Bella Thorne is turning out to have some very real consequences for sex workers. Are you still a Bella Thorne fan? And how do you feel about OnlyFans as a platform? Do you think they changed their policies because of Bella Thorne’s nude scam?
However, Thorne is not allowing all of the controversy and criticisms to get to her as she is up and about her business.
Beyond being a model and celebrity model, she is die die-hard fan of the San Francisco 49ers. She has voiced her frustration on her X account a few times when the 49ers are performing up to scratch on the grid.
She has not had to worry about the 49ers enduring a wretched season as they are in the Super Bowl already.
She and many other Niners would be going all the way to back their team to win the title. Those who fancy wagering on the Big Game are likely to put their money where their mouth is. This will be an even more attractive proposition with the various Super Bowl Betting Promos available across sportsbooks in America.
