Child star who made $2.9 million in first day on OnlyFans reveals creepy thing recruiter told her
Former child influencer Piper Rockelle has revealed the disturbing reality of joining OnlyFans at 18, opening up about the inappropriate things that have been said to her.
Rockelle rose to fame on the digital network Brat TV and would go on to gain over 12 million subscribers on YouTube.
In 2022, however, she was demonetised by the platform over abuse and exploitation allegations made against her mother Tiffany Smith, and Smith’s then boyfriend, Hunter Hillby, by former child actors in her 'Piper Squad' collective.
The parties agreed a $1.85m out-of-court settlement in 2024, while Smith and Hill denied the allegations and did not admit any liability - something that was explored in the 2025 Netflix series Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing.
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After losing her monthly income from YouTube, the content creator made the switch to OnlyFans shortly after turning 18, and earned $2.9 million within her first 24 hours.
Despite the paycheque, however, Rockelle has found that working in the adult industry isn't all fun and games.
Opening up about the darker side of the industry to The Guardian, she claimed recruiters are wanting performers to look younger than they actually are.
On why she believes her account became so successful so quickly, Rockelle admitted: “Honestly, the answer is kind of gross. It’s because I look so young.”
Rockelle said she is painfully aware that many subscribers are older men attracted to her youthful appearance.
“I mean, I am really young. I’m literally like fresh turned 18… and people kind of like that, unfortunately,” she explained.
One recruiter told her: “You’d be looking for girls who are posting provocative content that look young. They have to be 18, but the younger they look, the more money they make.”
Her content leans into a deliberately youthful aesthetic, featuring teddy-bear underwear, bunny-ear outfits and childlike bedroom settings.
Critics argue this contributes to the growing 'barely legal' trend online — content featuring adults who intentionally appear younger.
Despite the criticism, Rockelle insists she enjoys the financial freedom it gives her.
“The amount of money I get every single day is so incredible and so unreal,” she said. “It feels like it’s a game.”
“I wake up some days with the biggest stress because I just need to make sure that I’m doing well for myself,” she added.
“There’s a prime in someone’s life – 18 through 25 or 30 – and this is a prime year for me. Unfortunately, if you’re an older person, you’re more likely to look at a 21-year-old than a 45-year-old.
“I’m scared of getting old. Seriously, I really am. That’s why I don’t care about showing myself off, because I love my body right now and this is not going to be my body for the rest of my life: my ears are going to continue to grow, my nose is going to continue to grow.
"Nobody’s gonna want to see me when I’m f**king 40."
Celebrities who have joined OnlyFans
Lily Allen
The 'Smile' singer revealed in 2024 that she was 'dipping her toes' in the OnlyFans scene, telling the Miss Me? podcast that she’d thought about starting one because her pedicurist said she had a five-star rating on WikiFeet - a site where people post and rate pictures of celebrity feet.
“[My pedicurist said I] could make a lot of money selling foot content on OnlyFans, and I’m like, ‘Not no’,” Allen said.
Jessie Cave
Harry Potter actress Jessie Cave started her OnlyFans account in 2025, with it being tailored to people with hair-based kinks.
Although she said it wouldn’t be 'sexual', Cave said she wanted to expand her acting range and also facilitate content for those keen to explore her niche - which is very long hair.
Drea De Matteo
Best known for her roles in The Sopranos and Desperate Housewives, De Matteo turned to OnlyFans in 2024 to supplement her income when her acting career took a bit of a dive.
“I kept putting more pictures up. I was like, holy s**t. In five minutes, I was able to pay back Compass Real Estate who kept the sale of my house,” she told the New York Post.
Cardi B
The 'Bodak Yellow' rapper originally joined the platform in 2020 to promote her single at the time, 'WAP'.
“On my OnlyFans, I will be putting the [behind the scenes] of the music video — not only the day of that music video — but the whole process of it,” Cardi said.
“I want to know what my fans would like to see there — what type of content would they like you guys to see there. We will be talking about personal stuff… straight-up real-life content.”
Sadly for her fans, Cardi no longer uses her OnlyFans.
Bella Thorne
Former Disney Channel star Bella Thorne was the first person on OnlyFans to earn $1 million within just 24 hours of signing up - even though she no longer uses her account six years on.
Topics: OnlyFans, Celebrity, Adult Industry
Anish Vij