Former Baywatch actress Erika Eleniak is reportedly earning a five-figure weekly income after launching a new page on subscription platform OnlyFans at age 56.
The 1990s television star joined the adult entertainment platform early this month and has already gathered more than 1,100 subscribers, according to sources close to her. Sources cited by TMZ indicate that the former Playboy model is making around $10,000 per week from the site and is projected to reach $40,000 by the end of the month.
Weekly subscriber earnings
When Eleniak first opened her OnlyFans account, she charged subscribers a monthly fee of $9.99. OnlyFans, an online subscription platform where creators post video and photographic content, retains a 20 percent cut from creator revenue.
Eleniak initially restricted her posts to photographs of her feet. However, she recently informed her more than 170,000 Instagram followers that her shared content will soon become "riskier." Representatives for Eleniak have been contacted by the Daily Mail for comment on her earnings.
Speaking to the Daily Mail at the start of her run on the platform, the Los Angeles native expressed enthusiasm for her new online endeavor. She said she was "genuinely excited about" launching the page as a way to interact with her long-time supporters.
"I've had people supporting me and following my career for more than four decades, and OnlyFans gives me this incredible modern way of communicating directly with them," Eleniak explained.
Transition from teen magazine fan mail
Reflecting on how fan communication has shifted since she began working in Hollywood in the late 1980s, the actress drew a sharp contrast with traditional fan mail.
"When I started my career, there was no internet, no social media, no Instagram, no YouTube," Eleniak observed. "If someone wanted to reach me, they would find an address in the back of a teen magazine, write a letter, put it in the mail and hope that eventually I would get to read it!"
She added: "In a funny way, I look at OnlyFans as the modern-day version of fan mail, except now it's immediate and personal."
Eleniak emphasized that she was entering the digital venture with "an open mind" to connect with fans across different generations.
"I want to have fun with it, reconnect with people who have followed me for years and hopefully meet a whole new generation of fans as well," she said. "I'm 56, I'm embracing exactly who I am today, and I think there's something really liberating about starting a completely new chapter at this point in my life."
Baywatch reboot cameo role
Eleniak gained international fame for her portrayal of warmhearted lifeguard Shauni McClain during the first three seasons of Baywatch, from 1989 to 1992. The beach drama series, which followed Los Angeles County lifeguards, became a global television phenomenon. Her tenure on the show overlapped with co-stars including Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhoff.
Beyond her digital subscription page, Eleniak's other acting work includes a role in an upcoming television project. She revealed that she will make "a very small cameo" in the new Fox reboot of Baywatch, which is scheduled to premiere in January 2027.
Teasing details of her return to the franchise on Instagram, the Girl in the Cadillac actress wrote: "Shauni has traded the lifeguard tower for a seat on the Santa Monica City Council."
Celebrities joining subscription sites
Eleniak's move to OnlyFans follows a similar decision by Knots Landing star Donna Mills, who announced her own page on the site at age 85 in late July. Knots Landing was a long-running primetime television drama set in coastal California.
Mills explained in late July that she "always appreciated the incredible support and encouragement I’ve received from my fans over the years" and was "excited" to build "a more personal and direct connection" with her audience.
Speaking to Variety, Mills said her subscription page would feature "moments from my daily life" and "behind-the-scenes glimpses" to engage with the public "in a more meaningful way." She did not provide specific details regarding how explicit her posted content would be.
Mills launched her page in partnership with Creators, Inc., a talent agency founded by entrepreneur Andy Bachman. Earlier this year, Creators, Inc. assisted American Pie actress Shannon Elizabeth, 52, and My Name Is Earl star Jaime Pressly, 49, with launching their own OnlyFans accounts.
Commenting on Mills' decision to join the site, Bachman said: "Donna has always been fearless and ahead of her time. She told me: 'YOLO - let's do it,' and that perfectly captures her attitude."
