Shannon Elizabeth joins OnlyFans: Why the actress said she did
Shannon Elizabeth, known for roles in “American Pie” and “Scary Movie,” has launched an OnlyFans account after saying Hollywood “controlled” her career.
Over a decade ago, she appeared in the “Harry Potter” films. Now, she’s on OnlyFans.
Jessie Cave − a British actress who played Gryffindor student Lavender Brown in three of the eight “Harry Potter” movies − has sparked headlines over the past year for her unconventional OnlyFans presence. In March 2025, the 39-year-old announced she’d joined the website − largely known for explicit, sexual content − but clarified she would not be posting any pornography. According to The Observer, which interviewed Cave for an article in April, she’s never appeared nude on OnlyFans, and her videos on the site largely consist of her brushing and showing off her long hair.
“It was only after I started that I realized that it’s an actual, official fetish, and it’s called ‘trichophilia,’ which is when somebody is aroused by hair,” Cave told The Observer. “At its heart, it’s about feeling like you’re talking to somebody and having a little bit of a connection.”
Cave also opened up to the outlet about what brought her to OnlyFans in the first place. She says it wasn’t about sexual liberation or women’s empowerment. It was out of necessity. A mom of four, Cave said OnlyFans has been a financial lifeline, one that’s made her more money than her nearly two-decade acting career.
“It’s just a job, at the end of the day,” Cave told The Observer.
To some, Cave’s journey says a lot about the financial pressure people, particularly parents, are under. It also speaks to society’s polarized views around sexuality. Cave has been open about the shame and stigma she’s faced for joining OnlyFans − yet, plenty of people also tune into her content.
“Women in general and mothers in particular face a great deal of scrutiny about how they earn a living and provide for their families,” says Jennifer Reich, a professor of sociology at the University of Colorado Denver. “The judgment she has faced is a clear reminder that women typically face a great deal more scrutiny than men and that their behaviors are often interpreted within social contexts that shape what kinds of work are acceptable.”
Jessie Cave and the stigma (and allure) of OnlyFans
Cave told The Observer she sees what she does on OnlyFans as, more or less, another form of acting. Yet, for her, it’s been far more profitable than film or TV. According to Us Weekly, she wrote on Substack last year that she felt a “sense of shame” over joining OnlyFans, because she had “nothing to show for 18 years of work in the arts industry.”
The cost of OnlyFans for Cave hasn’t just been shame − it’s also been monetary. In September, Cave shared on Substack that she was barred from a recent “Harry Potter” fan convention due to her OnlyFans presence. She told The Observer she previously relied on those fan events for steady income.
“They explained it was because it’s a ‘family show and OnlyFans is affiliated with porn,'” she wrote on Substack, per Collider and The Hollywood Reporter. “This was baffling to me, as some actors who do conventions (most actors, actually) have done TV and films in which they’ve done sex scenes and nudity. I’m just playing with my hair!”
Jordan Pickell, a trauma and relationship therapist, says it’s not unusual for parents to take on gig jobs in order to pay the bills − and most people support that. But when those gig jobs step into territory that’s highly polarizing − like sexuality − people are less likely to be supportive.
“Parents do gig work and that’s recognized as hustle or resilience, while anything resembling sex work is moralized,” Pickell says.
What Jessie Cave’s OnlyFans says about society
Cave got the idea for OnlyFans from a friend, after hitting a wall with her finances. Nowadays, she juggles OnlyFans with parenting, filming content whenever she has spare time.
“I basically sneak away whenever I can, or when they’re at school, and I do as much content as I can within 22 minutes,” she told The Observer.
Chris Belcher, an associate professor in the department of Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University of Southern California, says Cave’s journey to OnlyFans raises more questions about society than it does about her, or any particular individual.
“I think it’s quite clear that we live in a society that devalues caretaking,” Belcher says. “We could be asking more important questions about why it’s difficult for a mom of four to afford to feed her family, than whether it’s wrong that she brushes her hair for men who enjoy seeing it on the internet.”
