Former Disney star Maitland Ward has claimed she makes 10 times as much money making porn films than she did while working Hollywood.
After earning her first acting credits in 1994, Ward went on to appear as Rachel McGuire in the '90s sitcom Boy Meets World and later had appearances in White Chicks, where she played Brittany Wilson, and in the comedy Rules of Engagement.
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Over time, however, she moved from family-friendly to more explicit content by becoming an adult film star; a move she has opened up about in her new memoir, Rated X: How Porn Liberated Me From Hollywood.
Her career in porn began after she shared risqué photos of herself online, which ended up being removed by the social media platform she'd used to post them.
Fans suggested instead that Ward start a Patreon account, and within a week she had 2800 subscribers paying up to $300 (£250) per month for access to her content.
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Her career has since grown and expanded, and she has set up an OnlyFans account as well as securing a yearly contract with the adult website Deeper.
Ward revealed she earns 10 times as much money now than she did during her time in Hollywood, saying: "Don't get me wrong. I was paid well in Hollywood, but nothing near what I am making now."
She claimed she 'never thought about content to make money', saying, 'I was just showing myself and showing who I am', and explaining that she wanted to have 'total control over what comes in and what goes out' when it comes to her career and brand.
Ward's earnings stem from the six figures a month she earns on OnlyFans, as well as another six figures from Deeper and five figures a month from a sex toy company.
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In an interview with Men's Health, Ward explained that she felt she had to 'fit nicely into this Good Girl box off-screen' after the series finale of Boy Meets World.
"I felt I had to... fit into Hollywood's narrative instead of my own," she explained. "I still felt pressured to be this person to please everyone who wasn’t even paying attention anymore."
The actress finally managed to 'break through' when she moved to New York, which gave her a 'breath of fresh air' and allowed her to 'explore [herself], far away from Hollywood'.
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Ward did eventually move back to Los Angeles, but by then she 'did not care' what people were telling her about who she could be, explaining: "I could now be my authentic self to everyone."
Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV, Disney
Emily Brown