Drea de Matteo Says OnlyFans Helped Save Her Home Amid Hollywood Fallout

Drea de Matteo says joining OnlyFans became both a financial lifeline and a form of independence from Hollywood after the “Sopranos” actress faced foreclosure and declining acting opportunities.

Speaking on Jamie Kennedy’s “Hate to Break It to Ya” podcast, the 54-year-old actress said she turned to the subscription platform after financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. She said she had declined roles requiring vaccination and was eventually dropped by her agent, leaving her with fewer opportunities to earn income.

De Matteo said she had taken mortgage forbearance during the pandemic but later received foreclosure notices. After resolving the foreclosure, she was left with a $75,000 lien on her home.

She launched her OnlyFans account in August 2023, initially intending to use the platform as a home for a podcast because she feared being censored elsewhere. She said that after posting a bikini photo, she received enough income within 75 minutes to pay the lien.

“I put a picture up, and, within 75 minutes, the lien was paid,” she said. De Matteo added that she sometimes earned about $100,000 a month, although she emphasized that she did not pay off her home with the proceeds.

The actress said the income also gave her the freedom to pursue independent projects, including her Ultrafree clothing line and podcast. She described the decision to use OnlyFans as a rejection of what she viewed as Hollywood’s corporate system.

De Matteo also addressed earlier reports that her teenage son helped edit content for her account. She said he edited only one photograph of her dressed as a superhero and has no ongoing role in producing OnlyFans material. She said the controversy caused her son to be teased at school and strained their relationship.

De Matteo said she now views the account partly as an “Adriana fan page,” referring to Adriana La Cerva, her popular character on “The Sopranos.” She said the platform has allowed her to build a source of income outside the traditional entertainment industry.