“Hetmantsev writes to us, but it’s not enough”: a frank interview with Ukrainian model OnlyFans about decriminalization of porn, fear, and exhaustion
5 May 17:21
While high-ranking officials have publicly thanked Ukrainian OnlyFans models for their taxes, the state has yet to officially recognize their activities. In Ukraine, girls working in adult content can be both taxpayers and potential subjects of criminal proceedings. The OnlyFans model, who asks not to be named and goes by the nickname “D”, speaks openly about the difficulties of working in the Ukrainian adult sector. These include not only social stigma and manipulation by agencies, but also legal threats that force many girls to leave the country.
Not about eroticism, but about the truth, which is often suppressed. About how the industry promises freedom, but often gives dependence, fear, and psychological exhaustion. How not to become a tool for unscrupulous agencies to make money is discussed in the article "Komersant Ukrainian".
MP Danylo Hetmantsev publicly thanked OnlyFans models for paying taxes, saying that he keeps in touch with them. Have you or your colleagues received any messages from him or representatives of the tax authorities? Is this really true?
I think it was a pretty loud statement. We all understand that the issue of decriminalization cannot be resolved by correspondence on social media with Mr. Hetmantsev – it is a matter of changes to the legislation, in particular to Article 301 of the Criminal Code, which must be adopted by the Verkhovna Rada. Yes, he does communicate with some models, but this is not enough. We need concrete steps, systematic informing of society, pressure on the parliament and real voting for the relevant amendments. Communication is good, but it does not change the legal status.
How is the idea of decriminalizing the production of adult content being promoted now? You have submitted a petition, but it seems that there are not enough votes. Do you hear any promises from MPs?
Unfortunately, the petition is going very slowly. And this is not the first initiative and not the first publicity. We, like society, are tired. We shout about the problem, but we are not heard. On the contrary, we are pushed aside, meetings are disrupted, as Yulia Tymoshenko did, for example.
We also do not hear clear promises from Hetmantsev. When we draw attention to the hypocrisy – taxes are paid, but criminal liability remains – he replies that he supports decriminalization. He says, “Girls, I’m for you,” but this does not solve the issues of fear, blackmail, and pressure on models. People leave the country, sell their property. So this “I support you” is not enough.
Do the girls still have the desire to start a career on OnlyFans, or is it the other way around – given the situation, no one advises against it?
Honestly, none of the girls who have already faced this reality would advise starting work in this field now. It’s scary, hard, emotionally exhausting. We have been living in hell for six months now – investigations, stress, uncertainty. This is not a business for those who want “easy money,” especially now.
Agencies continue to attract new girls without warning them about Article 301, about letters from the police or tax authorities. They are interested in profit – if you transfer a new model, you get a percentage. They sell courses, promise quick success, and this is no better than blackmail. It’s just another form of using women.
What are the biggest difficulties in the adult sector today – besides tax issues? How do you avoid unscrupulous agencies or manipulations?
First of all, it’s very hard work. The least amount of time is spent on content creation, and the most on communication with clients. And this means working with people who can be emotionally unstable or toxic. Often, the clients are foreigners, so we work at night.
To make money, you have to be available when they need you, not when it’s convenient for you. It’s exhausting. If you work alone, it can be 12 hours a day, seven days a week. And then there’s all the traffic, page management, and promotion. It’s not “take a photo and get paid”. This is a business that sucks you dry.
You mentioned the romanticization of the industry. Instagram often presents both OnlyFans and even escorting as an “easy way to success”. Is there an understanding in society that there is a different reality behind this? How can we fight this?
Romanticization is a marketing ploy by agencies. They promise: “You’ll buy a handbag in a week”, “you‘ll have a vacation in Dubai”. However, this is a trap. Society, on the contrary, devalues it. It believes that only those who have “fallen short of a normal life” go into the adult sphere. This is misogyny.
The biggest humiliation is not from the work itself, but from the reaction of others. It’s hard not so much to shoot content as to say it out loud: “This is what I do” and remain human in their eyes. And here you need to speak, explain, and remove the stigma – especially for young girls, so that they know the truth and don’t fall for fairy tales.
Are there situations when correspondence with clients goes beyond the platform – invitations, intimate proposals? How common is this?
It happens, but rarely. Most often, it happens when men start romanticizing communication, forgetting that it’s a show. They fall in love, offer to come to France, I’ll feed you here, we’ll go out, we’ll get married. But there are almost no direct offers like “let’s meet for money”. This is closer to escort. We have different specifics. Although, again, everything is individual.
“We became convenient for the state only when we started paying. But even now, we are not citizens, we are a resource.”
This interview is not about morality or eroticism. It is about women who fulfill the state’s requirements but are left without protection. It’s about legalized cynicism, when politicians declare “communication” with OnlyFans models, but give them no guarantees, except for promises in private messages.
Thus, adult models in Ukraine today are taxpayers who have no right to protection.
This is a business that employs thousands of people but is still at risk of criminal prosecution. This is not an “easy way out” – it is a job that is physically, morally, and legally exhausting. And if the authorities do not officially recognize this, no “communication with Hetmantsev” is worth the fear these girls live with every day.
