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Bella Thorne claims she paved way for celebs to join OnlyFans, Internet says Cardi B, Blac Chyna did it first

Thorne's OnlyFans has been controversial from the start. Sex workers have called her out for supposedly scamming customers and following her advent on the platform, OnlyFans introduced new monetary caps

Actor Bella Thorne is getting flak for her OnlyFans account again. But this time, it’s for claiming she was a trendsetter. “Everyone jumping on OnlyFans but I took the hit for doing it firsttttt coooool,” Thorne wrote on Instagram Stories over the weekend. In a series of posts, she added, “Legit everyone in my newsfeed following in my footsteps. But when I was getting heat y’all were scared. This keeps happening to me hahahah.”

For the unversed, OnlyFans is a content-sharing website launched in 2016. It is the most controversial because it lets creators upload any kind of content, including porn, and lock it behind a paywall. Users can subscribe to adult content creators by paying a monthly fee. The platform offers the creators the chance to post exclusive, racy, and even X-rated videos and photos. A subscriber can also get a chance to chat one-on-one for a price with their favorite creator. 

Thorne’s assertions were met with a strong backlash on Twitter, leading her name to begin trending. Twitter’s official description of the trend was: “Many weigh in after actor Bella Thorne says she 'took the hit' for joining OnlyFans and implies she paved the way for other celebrities to join the site.” The description added, “People offered counter-examples in response to a series of Instagram stories in which the actor said, ‘legit everyone In my newsfeed following in my footsteps.’ The discussion came after a controversial incident in which the site changed its policies in response to Thorne's content.”

One Twitter user said, “wow Bella Thorne gives me ‘b**** in primary school who would think everyone was copying her with colored pens, side fringe and Smiggle pencil case’ energy.” Another Twitter user, sharing screenshots of news reports of other celebrities like Cardi B, Blac Chyna, and Tana Mongeau setting up their OnlyFans account before Bella Thorne, wrote, "Bella Thorne: I’m the first celebrity to make an onlyfans. Reality:” One Twitter user said, “this the same Bella Thorne who showed up late as f*** to onlyfans and then screwed everyone over with the price cap? Why do celebrities think they're the first and only people in the world to do things?”

When Thorne joined the app in August, she broke a record by earning $1 million dollars on her first day on the platform. Talking about her account then, Thorne said in an interview with Paper magazine, “OnlyFans is the first platform where I can fully control my image; without censorship, without judgment, and without being bullied online for being me.” However, she was criticized shortly after when sex workers on the app accused Thorne of scamming her customers. She had reportedly offered a $200 nude picture for purchase, in which she was actually clothed.

A couple of weeks later, on September 1, OnlyFans initiated rule changes that could impact how much money creators make on the platform, as well as how quickly they get paid. The new rules included a $100 cap on paid private messages, compared to $200 before, and a $50 cap on pay-per-view posts for creators who don’t charge a subscription, compared to $200 previously.

A new maximum tip price of $100 for the first four months as a user was also instated. As per The Verge, after that point, it increases to $200, which was the standard for all users up until this point. The report added that OnlyFans was also lengthening the pending payout period from seven to 21 days for creators in 14 countries, including India, Belize, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Venezuela.

The former Disney Channel star had later apologized, saying, "I wanted to bring attention to the site, the more people on the site the more likely of a chance to normalize the stigmas, And in trying to do this I hurt you. I have risked my career a few times to remove the stigma behind sex work, porn, and the natural hatred people spew," Thorne wrote, adding, "behind anything sex related. I wrote and directed a porn against the high brows of my peers and managers because I WANTED to help with the stigma behind sex."

But her apology only angered people more. "Bella Thorne has no right to speak for us and could never know the daily challenges we face every day," Stephanie Michelle, a professional cosplayer based in Los Angeles told the BBC. Michelle also said that her OnlyFans work was the only way she can support her family due to the pandemic. 

Drag queen Shea Couleé, reality show 'Love & Hip Hop' stars Safaree Samuels and Erica Mena, television personality Farrah Abraham, along with the aforementioned Cardi B and Blac Chyna are just some of the celebrities who made their OnlyFans accounts before Bella Thorne.