The Sopranos star Drea de Matteo has spoken out about her decision to join the adult content platform OnlyFans.
Established in 2016, OnlyFans allows users to subscribe to individual content creators, and has become known for people selling access to explicit and pornographic videos and images.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, de Matteo, who played Adrianna La Cerva on the hit mafia drama, spoke about her payment from TV projects, and said she had started sharing racy content on OnlyFans to help “save [her] family”.
“People find that hard to believe that I was never really paid very much money for any of the jobs I’ve done,” the 51-year-old actor said. “People think I’m f***ing made of gold, and I’m not. I’ve worked job to job.
“Things have changed in the last three years. My kids have always been my No 1 focus,” she said. “I’ve turned down tons of jobs in the past just to be with my children because their dad [musician Shooter Jennings] is on the road, and he’s not around as much.”
A number of other prominent actors and musicians have also used OnlyFans to sell access to pictures and videos, including Cardi B, Bella Thorne, Tyga and Chris Brown.
Speaking about the judgement she has faced over her decision to join the platform, de Matteo replied: “I just don’t care. I don’t. I’d rather save my family than save face.”
She added: “I know some people have said some nasty things about me having joined OnlyFans. But, you know, the way we see it in this house is mommy’s a warrior, not accepting defeat.”
In The Sopranos, de Matteo’s character was the girlfriend of mobster Christopher Moltesanti (Michael Imperioli), who at one point becomes an FBI informant.
James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano and Drea De Matteo as Adrianna— (HBO)
After leaving the series in season five, de Matteo went on to be cast as Joey Tribbiani’s sister in the Friends spin-off Joey, and featured in series such as Desperate Housewives and Sons of Anarchy.
Speaking to Fox, she also reflected on being dropped by her agent during the pandemic over her stance on vaccinations, and described needing a source of income during the ongoing actors’ strike.
“I guess you could say I was a bad girl because I did not follow the rules a couple of years ago,” she said. “So, I don’t want to be at the mercy of mandates or strike or anything like that ever again.”
In the UK, The Sopranos is available to watch on Sky and NOW.
