‘Real Housewives’ Are OnlyFans’ Biggest Celebrity Letdown

The Real Housewives of New York are on their way to becoming The Real Housewives of OnlyFans. As the sex-worker-friendly subscription site gains mainstream appeal and continues to take over the adult industry, celebrities are slowly joining the service, hoping to profit off the sensationalism of appearing on “the sex app.” 

There’s a handful of A-Listers already on the app in a tongue-in-cheek fashion, like Michael B. Jordan and Cardi B. But really, it’s the reality stars and internet influencers, like Drag Race’s Shea Couleé, Too Hot to Handle’s Harry Jowsey and Blac Chyna, who are more active. However, they’re showing more sponsored content than skin: For example, Couleé’s most recent post, from October 30, 2020, is the music video for her song “Collide.” It’s the same video you can view for free on YouTube. (It’s worth noting that other Drag Race alums are actively making NSFW content with great success.)

To be clear, celebrities on OnlyFans are a minuscule presence. The app is dominated by thousands of everyday performers who depend on their grassroots profits as their income. Still, where there’s any thriving platform that looks like the next big thing, you’ll have reality stars in the wings wanting to hawk their wares and make a quick buck — albeit clothed. 

No celebrities boarding the platform show how cursory their presence is more than the women of RHONY. In January of last year, Dorinda Medley joined OnlyFans, while her pal Sonja Morgan created her own page in July. It created buzz, as they likely intended: Page Six ran the headline “‘RHONY’ star Sonja Morgan joins OnlyFans.” Given the platform’s popularity with queer people, it’s no surprise that two stars in the Bravo world with huge gay followings would hop on board the OnlyFans wave. 

However, any fanfare they might have created quickly subsided due to infrequent and largely uninteresting content. They both overplay the shock of seeing two TV stars on a platform largely known for sex work — Morgan, for example, posts fancams of old photoshoots and screengrabs of her most risque moments on the Bravo show.

This is par the course, frankly. Like Bella Thorne, neither woman is posing nude behind the paywall. It’s all rather unsurprising. (Morgan never followed through on her signature toaster oven, so who thought she’d actually commit to nudity on OnlyFans?) 

One could argue their presence is intrusive on OnlyFans where sex workers are continuously fighting to be treated fairly. They treat the site like an extension of their Cameo accounts, a place to interact with fans and give them the content they’re seeking. Except, it seems, no one is seeking it: Unlike Thorne, both Medley and Morgan have such little interaction their accounts barely register at all. Medley has over 270,000 Twitter followers and just under a million on Instagram, so it’s shocking to see she’s averaging around 10 likes on OnlyFans posts. It’s clear that even her most ardent Bravo fans aren’t shelling out $5 a month for superfluous bonus content.

The truth is, if you’re looking to see a scantily clad Sonja Morgan or Dorinda Medley, you’re better off watching the Real Housewives of New York City, where Morgan strips down and throws tiki torches into a backyard pool in the Hamptons. That’s content worth paying for.

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Joseph Longo

Joseph Longo is a culture and entertainment journalist whose work has appeared in The Associated Press, Entertainment Weekly and more. He's still trying to understand what it means to be a Gemini Rising.