Coverage spread: 2 sources — 2 right
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Donna Mills, the 85-year-old actress best known for playing the scheming Abby Cunningham on the CBS primetime soap opera “Knots Landing,” has announced she is joining OnlyFans, the subscription-based content platform. The news was first reported by Variety and quickly picked up by outlets including Fox News and the New York Post. Mills says the move is meant to give her longtime supporters a more direct and personal way to connect with her, offering behind-the-scenes glimpses, daily-life moments and more meaningful fan engagement than traditional social media allows.
In a statement to Variety, Mills said she has always valued the encouragement she’s received from fans and that while social media has helped her stay connected, OnlyFans offers a chance for something more intimate: “I’ll be sharing moments from my daily life, behind-the-scenes glimpses and engaging with fans in a more meaningful way,” she said, adding that the platform is simply another way to spend time with supporters “while staying true to who I am.”
Andy Bachman, co-founder and CEO of the talent agency Creators Inc., which is involved in the venture, emphasized that the move is not a reinvention of Mills’ public image. “This is not about changing who she is. It is about giving her longtime fans more access to the personality, style and behind-the-scenes moments they already love,” Bachman said. He also shared that Mills approached the decision with characteristic boldness, reportedly telling him “YOLO — let’s do it,” which he described as capturing her fearless, ahead-of-her-time attitude.
What’s Known — and What Isn’t — About the Content
Both outlets note that OnlyFans, while widely associated with adult content, is also used by many mainstream entertainers, athletes and influencers to share exclusive photos, videos, livestreams and personal updates without explicit material. The New York Post specifically points out that Mills has not publicly stated whether her page will include nude or sexually explicit content, and that her announcement centered instead on lifestyle content, personal access and fan interaction. Neither source indicates a launch date, subscription price, or specific content plans beyond the general description of behind-the-scenes and daily-life material.
Health and Fitness Context
Fox News ties the OnlyFans announcement to recent comments Mills made about how she maintains her appearance and health at 85. On Kara Mayer Robinson’s “Really Famous” podcast, Mills said looking good “takes work” and that she didn’t simply wake up looking the way she does. She said she works out almost daily and regularly plays tennis, crediting her background as a dancer and her consistent exercise routine with helping her avoid hip or knee replacements that often come with aging. This detail is not mentioned in the New York Post’s coverage, which instead focuses more heavily on the OnlyFans business angle and industry context.
How the Coverage Compares
Both Fox News and the New York Post draw from the same original Variety report and largely align on the core facts: Mills’ age, her “Knots Landing” fame, her stated motivations, and the quotes from her and Bachman. The framing differs slightly — Fox News situates the OnlyFans news within a broader narrative about Mills defying age expectations, linking it to her earlier remarks about fitness, aging gracefully, and pushing back against a critic who targeted her makeup. The New York Post leans more into contextualizing OnlyFans itself, explaining its subscription model and noting that Mills joins a “growing list” of Hollywood figures using the platform as a direct-to-fan tool, citing actress Shannon Elizabeth, who reportedly earned more than $1.2 million in her first week on OnlyFans after launching her account in April, citing frustration with the traditional entertainment industry.
Why It Matters
The story reflects a broader trend of veteran entertainers turning to creator-monetization platforms like OnlyFans to bypass traditional media and studio gatekeeping, engaging fans and generating income directly. Mills’ entry at 85 is notable both for her age and her decades-long career, and it underscores how such platforms — once niche and stigmatized — are increasingly seen as viable tools for celebrities of all ages and career stages, from established Hollywood veterans to younger stars like Elizabeth, to control their own image, content and fan relationships outside conventional industry structures.
Sources
Featured photo: Alan Light via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)