Denise Richards recently appeared on Tori Spelling's podcast for a candid interview, where she opened up about the controversy and backlash she faced after joining OnlyFans.
In the August 6 episode of misSPELLING, titled "Miss Wild Thing," the actor and former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star delved into her motivations, experiences and the public's reaction to her decision—saying: "I thought I was going to lose jobs. That didn't happen."
Richards, 53, who's known for her roles in films such as Wild Things and Starship Troopers, joined the subscription-based content platform in June 2022. The move received significant media attention and mixed reactions from both fans and critics. Many questioned why a successful actor would venture into a platform often associated with more provocative content. The furor surrounding the situation was amplified as Sami Sheen, Richards' daughter with Charlie Sheen, who was then 18, had also joined the platform.
"I'm going to explain this to you, what I thought. So I did not know what the hell it was. And then my daughter joined it, and my daughter got so much backlash from it, and I was upset because I did Starship Troopers and then, within four months, Wild Things came out. And it was such a risk for me as a young actress to do that, and I've thought, OK, this will go one way or the other. And thank God it went the way it did," the former Bond girl shared.
"After that, there was certain projects that people wanted to see me for, or people had a different perception and whatever. If the internet was the way it is now, it would have been so difficult, I think, for me to deal with that," she continued, adding, "I wish I had the confidence now, obviously, back then, but so I joined the damn thing."
Newsweek has contacted the respective talent agencies for Richards and Spelling and OnlyFans for comment via email outside normal working hours.
Richards went on to address her critics, saying: "I don't care anymore what people say because I have been through the wringer with press, with stuff with my ex, people saying stuff, rumors, this or that. It's like, say what you want."
She also addressed the stigma surrounding OnlyFans, saying the platform is evolving beyond its initial reputation.
"A lot of people think it's just naked stuff and all that. It's not," she said, adding, "What I think of it as is almost having a fan site where you can communicate differently than on Instagram, you know, that kind of thing."
Spelling, a longtime friend and former co-star of Richards from their days on Beverly Hills, 90210, praised Richards' decision and agreed that it had not affected her employability.
"I mean, you never stopped working, but I feel like since you joined OnlyFans you've gotten other things," Spelling said.
"Since I joined, I've been working a lot," Richards confirmed.
As the conversation wrapped up, the star shared a message of self-acceptance, resilience and defiance.
"Be you. Who cares? What do you have to lose?" Richards said, adding, "You might as well have them say cr*p with you being you and enjoying your life than trying to pretend to be someone else or do something else to please other people."
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