Lana Rhoades was once one of the biggest names in the porn industry but having been left traumatised by a number of scenes, the 29-year-old is now fighting for a better future.
The American adult star, whose real name is Amara Maple, may have only worked for eight months between 2016 and 2017 but established herself as one of the most recognisable faces in the business, as she was voted Pornhub's Most Popular Female Performer in 2019 despite stopping her videos years earlier.
Like many other former x-rated actresses, Rhoades has found success with OnlyFans, where she is more in control of her actions and finances, but that hasn't stopped her speaking out against the porn industry and the damage that it has caused her.
Speaking on Harry Jowsey's Tap In podcast in 2021, she admitted that if she had the power to delete all of her videos, she would.
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The 28-year-old said: "A lot of the videos I have no rights under, otherwise I probably would have deleted them all by now."
"I do," she confessed when asked if she has any regrets, adding: "I honestly tell people, if I could go back, I would give up everything to have my dignity and respect back, and for people not to be able to see me in that way."
Although she still earns a fair whack from her OnlyFans page and her work as an online influencer, it seems as if the ex porn-star is now committed to making things better and safer for other young women who might find themselves in a similar position as she once did.
She revealed on her Instagram that she's now the chief creative director at h1dd3n, a new alternative to OnlyFans which promises creators a fairer share of profits and better working conditions.
Rhoades is working alongside fellow x-rated creator Stella Barey to set things up, with the site already boasting hundreds of thousands of followers.
And they won't just be treated to sexual content either, with Rhoades previously promising that she would deliver feature films, educational content, live events and a clothing line in her new role as creative director.
"There’s a huge lack of transparency. Creators are often left guessing about shadow-bans, payout issues, or why their content suddenly stops performing," Rhoades said. "And because most platforms are built by people outside the industry, the policies and product decisions often feel disconnected from what creators actually need in practice.
She added: "Most of the corporate alternatives in this space were created by people who have never posted a single piece of content. They don’t understand the risks, the pressure, the customer dynamics, or the creative side."
Rhoades certainly has experience when it comes to making people feel safe in the world of pornography, after previously confirming that it was her own traumatic treatment that saw her quit the industry back in 2017.
"A lot of people have told me there will never be anything except OnlyFans," concluded Barey. "With all of these changes [around age-verification laws] and the rise of conservatism, it's been really nice knowing that I’ve already built this platform that we’re not all going to just get kicked off of tomorrow."
Topics: Lana Rhoades, OnlyFans
James Moorhouse