Shannon Elizabeth is opening up about the financial struggles that followed her early Hollywood success, and how an unexpected new chapter changed everything.
The American Pie actress revealed that she spent much of the last decade relying on her savings before launching an OnlyFans account earlier this year, a move she says has completely transformed her financial outlook.
“For the last ten years I’ve been living off of my savings for the most part because I haven’t been as focused on work,” Elizabeth, 52, told Variety in an August 13 interview. “To be able to get myself back to the point where I’m not struggling and am able to choose projects because I like them and not because I need the money — it’s definitely giving me more freedom to do that.”
According to People, Elizabeth earned more than seven figures during her first week on the platform, despite not posting full nudity.
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The pivot is especially notable because Elizabeth has long spoken about setting boundaries throughout her career. In a separate interview with The New York Times, she said she believed she was blackballed after refusing to film a scene in Thirteen Ghosts that would have required her to go topless. She also alleged that producer Harvey Weinstein threatened her career after the two had a falling out, allegations Weinstein has denied.
Elizabeth said launching OnlyFans came during another major life change.
“I was going through a divorce here in South Africa and was chatting to my manager Joe about what’s next and how to restart things in my life,” she told Variety. “I had really neglected a lot of things… and I thought, ‘Yeah, why not?'”
People previously reported that Elizabeth officially launched her OnlyFans account on April 16 — the same day she quietly filed for divorce from Simon Borchert, whom she married in 2021.
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Elizabeth has also described the platform as a chance to reclaim control after years of feeling that Hollywood dictated her public image.
“I’ve spent my entire career working in Hollywood, where other people controlled the narrative and the outcome of my career,” she previously told People. “This new chapter is about changing that, showing off a more sexy side no one has seen, and being closer to my fans.”
The actress became a household name as Nadia in 1999’s American Pie before appearing in Scary Movie, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Thirteen Ghosts and Love Actually.