Mia Khalifa explains how adult industry ‘exploited’ her and why she turned her back on it

Mia Khalifa has revealed how she was left feeling 'exploited' during her short career in pornography, with the OnlyFans star now revealing how and why she quickly turned her back on it after just a handful of films.

Boasting tens of millions of followers on social media, Khalifa is well-known throughout the virtual world as an influencer. She also sells exclusive content over on her OnlyFans subscription account.

But she first became infamous online after starring in her first-ever porn movie, where she caused international headlines by wearing a hijab in the film while performing sexual acts.

The footage made her the most popular adult star on Pornhub, despite her relatively short career in the industry.

Indeed, Khalifa, now 31, said goodbye to pornography after only a handful of professional shoots.

"I became infamous by accident. I entered the adult industry in October of 2014, and very quickly I was pressured to perform in a video where the context was that I was an Arab veiled woman," Khalifa told The New York Times, recalling her instant overnight fame.

Khalifa quit porn and embarked on a career as an influencer before joining OnlyFans (Instagram/@miakhalifa)

"The intent was to exploit the fact that I was Arabic and spoke Arabic, and I went through with it.

"Not long after, I would say maybe a couple hours after it premiered, the avalanche started.

"Every news outlet picked it up, and everybody had an opinion. I was completely out of control of my image, my reputation."

Khalifa quit within weeks. She also revealed she couldn't even go back to her day job without 'being looked at in a certain way'.

She has earned millions through OF (Instagram / miakhalifa)

Ultimately, she explained, she quit to regain control - something she says she has found once again through OnlyFans where she is the star, creator, and publisher of all content.

Not only does she decide what she publishes, she can decide who views it.

"If someone says a word or describes a body part in a way that’s more crude than I’ll accept, they get blocked," she says.

Through OF, she reportedly earns up to $6.2m (£4.6m) a month.

She can control the content unlike in the adult industry (Instagram / miakhalifa)

Khalifa says: "I don’t do nudity past what I’ve done in a fashion magazine, which is like a see-through shirt or something.

"So I feel secure, and the audience that I’ve cultivated on that platform knows what they’re in for."

Ultimately, she says it allows her to be 'true to myself and be comfortable' creating her own adult content.