Coronavirus: Porn stars may work from home on OnlyFans as pandemic halts adult industry shoots and production
The coronavirus pandemic may force pornstars to work from home, as shoots and productions of hundreds of movies have come to a halt amid coronavirus concerns.
Pornstars could resort to OnlyFans, a social media app that helps you make money and interact with your fans, as adult shoots have come to a pause. COVID-19 has caused the adult film industry to shut down, while performers and other crew members have isolated themselves at home.
Many pornstars have taken to social media to reveal that the outbreak could devastate the adult industry. Michael Stabile, spokesperson for pornography company, Kink.com said that the lack of sick pay could lead to the stars working even while taking ill, risking the health of the actors they work with. "The last thing you want is a situation where the risk is relatively high and people are worried about making rent, and they go into situations where, you know, to shoot where they shouldn't, you know, or at a time when it might be more risky," Stabile said.
Cam sites are especially doubling payments for Italian performers, as they struggle to keep the stars in the business. Many adult stars are expected to turn to social media apps like Onlyfans to work from home, produce solo content and earn while in isolation, as a precaution against the outbreak.
"Sex workers, like all workers, are probably going to be hit by the climate of fear," British porn star and director, Vex Ashley, was quoted as saying by the Daily Star. “But unlike a lot of workers, they can't rely on sick pay or government subsidies to help tide them over because in some countries their work is still criminalized so they're one of the most vulnerable groups in a situation like this."
Alana Evans, president of the Adult Performers Actors Guild, told the Daily Beast that although she hasn't seen a specific decline in filming, many precautions have been put in place. The industry is acting on all the information passed around about hygiene, symptoms, and care.
“The adult industry is inherently good at taking precautions and relying on health screening—of course, it’s primarily STD screenings demanded by law every 14 days, but nevertheless we deal with things like cutting the risk of potential outbreaks or infections as a way of life,” she explains. “So, as an industry, we may be better equipped to take swift action and alert performers of outbreaks," adult actress Maitland Ward commented.