AceShowbiz - Drea de Matteo, the actress best known for her role on The Sopranos, recently opened up about her unexpected financial success on the content subscription platform OnlyFans.

In an interview published on Friday, February 27, with People magazine, the 54-year-old actress revealed she turned to OnlyFans as a vital way to generate income after facing financial hardship. The loss of work opportunities due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike put her in a precarious position, even threatening the foreclosure of her home.

“At first I was petrified,” Drea de Matteo admitted. “I was like, holy s***. I just black listed myself. But all I really cared about was the implications it might pose on the kids.” The actress shares two children, daughters Alabama, 18, and son Waylon, 14, with her ex-fiancé Shooter Jennings.

Despite initial fears, her children were surprisingly supportive of her decision. “The kids were the ones who were like, ‘Do this. Show your feet. Do selfies! J. Lo and the Kardashians are always in their bikinis online, why not you?’” she recounted.

Drea de Matteo launched her OnlyFans page in August 2023 when she had only $10 in her bank account. Within minutes of starting, she made enough to cover her mortgage, a milestone that felt like a lifeline. “In five minutes, I was able to pay back Compass Real Estate who kept the sale of my house,” she explained.

She quickly saw a dramatic financial turnaround. Drea de Matteo said she made $75,000 in just 75 minutes on the platform, which allowed her to pay off the lien on her house. “My followers are mostly Sopranos fans,” she shared.

Now 54, Drea de Matteo humorously describes herself as “Granny Sports Illustrated,” but the experience has kept her in shape and given her a new sense of fun. “It turns out I like prancing around in panties and high heels! It’s hard, but it’s fun,” she said.

Her decision to join OnlyFans was motivated by a need to “save” her family after losing significant work during the pandemic. “I guess you could say I was a bad girl because I did not follow the rules a couple of years ago,” she told Fox News in a separate interview.

In 2024, Drea de Matteo revealed she took a bold step by doing a full nude shoot for the first time. “I’d never even taken my clothes off for television, but I actually went for it, and it was fine,” she said.

Initially, she had considered launching a podcast with Robby Staebler that would be “controversial” and fit the OnlyFans vibe. “That was what it was going to be originally,” she told the Daily Mail. “Like with him rubbing my feet because you have to add a little something for OnlyFans in there.”

Drea de Matteo announced her OnlyFans debut on August 23, 2023, sharing uncensored content with paying subscribers. She started with a revealing photo that captured attention and quickly went viral. “I did it, but I didn’t want to do it. I got a lot of heat for doing it and it went f***ing viral and people went nuts,” she recalled.

Alongside managing her OnlyFans career, Drea de Matteo has been caring for her ailing mother, raising her two children, and dealing with a house flood. The financial pressure was immense, but the platform provided a crucial solution.

Despite feeling comfortable with her choice, she acknowledged that not everyone will approve of her decision to join OnlyFans. “Anybody that wants to condemn me and put me down, go for it,” she stated. “I just hope you never find yourself in the position I was in to take care of two little kids.”

Drea de Matteo’s story highlights the serious challenges many artists faced during the pandemic and strikes and how unconventional methods became necessary to support their families. Her journey underscores both the stigma and the empowerment that can accompany platforms like OnlyFans for established performers.

For those interested in understanding the potential risks and mental health implications related to explicit content and “competitive sex” industries like OnlyFans, medical and mental health experts provide important insights, emphasizing caution and awareness.

Drea de Matteo’s candidness about her financial struggles and her path to recovery via OnlyFans offers a nuanced perspective on survival and reinvention in the entertainment industry today.