Sex Workers Rebuke 'Euphoria' and OnlyFans Myths as 5 Oscar Wins Renew Spotlight

3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 1

Sex workers say recent TV and film portrayals — especially HBO's "Euphoria" — reduce their work to taboo caricatures and misstate how platforms like OnlyFans actually operate.
OnlyFans creator Maitland Ward said the biggest distortion is the "easy money" myth: while top accounts can earn $100,000 a month or more, most creators spend heavy time on filming, editing, branding and client management.
UK-based escort Elizabeth Romanova said dramatized depictions also erase ordinary realities, including banking problems, taxes and day-to-day business administration that can make sex work harder off camera.
The criticism extends to films such as 2025 best-picture winner "Anora," which dancer Marla Cruz said framed sex workers through customers' eyes rather than as workers performing labor.
Even so, workers said the surge in visibility from "Euphoria," OnlyFans-themed shows and awards-season films is opening broader conversations about stigma, labor and whether better representation could improve safety.