Mia Khalifa: From Adult Film Star To Empowered Onlyfans Creator

Reflections on a Tumultuous Past

Mia Khalifa, now 28, takes a candid look back at her younger self, describing a period of her life marked by a lack of confidence and a search for validation in all the wrong places. “I was looking to other people to put value on myself. I was looking for validation in every crevice that I could, without actually doing internal work,” Khalifa shares with Yahoo Life.

At the tender age of 21, Khalifa's brief stint in the adult film industry saw her starring in 12 films that collectively racked up over a billion views on Pornhub. However, her swift rise was not without controversy, notably involving a scene that featured her wearing a hijab, which drew death threats from ISIS and led to her decision to leave the industry. Reflecting on this chapter, Khalifa calls it a “lapse in judgment” that was never intended to define her.

“I was naive, vulnerable, and malleable. Very easily talked into things, especially if it was by a man,” she admits.

Life After the Industry

Determined to transform her experience into a cautionary tale, Khalifa speaks out about the exploitation she faced, aiming to protect other women from similar paths. Born in Lebanon, her family's move to the U.S. in 2001 presented its own challenges, especially post-9/11. “I tried so hard to be white for so long,” she reveals, touching on the internalized racism she grappled with, a struggle she began addressing in therapy at 25.

Her high school years were fraught with self-esteem issues, exacerbated by feelings of being an outsider. “I was overweight and I didn't really have very many friends. I didn't look like everyone else who was around me,” she recalls. These insecurities steered her into a relationship and subsequently, the adult film industry.

Reclaiming Power Through OnlyFans

Today, Khalifa is reclaiming her narrative and power through her presence on social media, amassing over 53 million followers on Instagram and TikTok. Connecting with fellow women who have navigated similar exploitation has been empowering for her. “TikTok has been better than therapy,” she asserts, crediting the platform with bolstering her confidence.

In a move that underscores her commitment to giving back, Khalifa launched an OnlyFans account following the Beirut explosion in August 2020, raising over $160,000 for the Lebanese Red Cross. Her venture into OnlyFans not only proved profitable but allowed her to retain ownership of her content. “It's really about the accessibility to just ending it all if I ever feel like it. I love that control," she notes, highlighting the platform's unique connection with fans.

Khalifa is acutely aware of the influence platforms like OnlyFans can have on young women and stresses the importance of informed decisions regarding sex work. Despite the challenges of her past, Khalifa remains inspired by other activists and content creators, channeling her influence to spotlight issues that matter.

“Pictures of my butt and cute photos are not what matters, but it's what my fans like, and that helps generate more people,” Khalifa says, underscoring her dedication to promoting meaningful causes alongside her content creation.