LOS ANGELES—Jenna Starr remembers when she could sell a 30-second anal clip for $60 on Telegram. “It’s not like that anymore,” the California native laughed, adding, “Now, it’s like a 10-minute video for $4.99.”
“Back in the day, nobody knew about Telegram,” she continued. “Those of us who started there probably aren’t on there anymore. It’s oversaturated. It’s changed a lot—what fans are looking for, what creators are offering. There’s always going to be something that takes off, then there’s a boom, and then it flatlines. You’ve got to have your hands in multiple pots—have something else you’re working on, not just one thing.”
It’s a philosophy Starr has lived by since going into business for herself in 2016, when she launched a successful beauty salon in Texas from scratch. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, she left it behind and took a leap of faith.
“I never felt like an average person and people didn’t treat me like one,” she said. “I always knew there was something more out there, and that I would be famous in a sense because I was treated differently than other people. I would go on trips and photographers would approach me for shoots. It felt like I was being pushed in this new direction.”
Raised in a strict Christian household, the two-time divorcee never imagined she’d one day work in adult entertainment. Looking back, though, the path may have started earlier than she realized. Her first photo shoot came after a photographer who had captured her second wedding encouraged her to try modeling.
“She said, ‘Why don’t you try it out? It could be a pivotal point in your life.’ And so, I did,” Starr said. “I started doing photo shoots. I already had my salon, but I did it as a hobby.”
The turning point came during a nude photo shoot on a Miami beach, where a conversation with a photographer made Starr realize she needed to take ownership of her content. “A photographer I had met said, ‘You know, Jenna, there’s a lot of money in porn and you have a great look.’ And then he said, ‘I have a Patreon and I sell these photos on there.’”
She continued, “When it clicked in my head, I was angry and cried. I thought, ‘You can’t take pictures of a girl who thinks she’s doing it for herself and then put them on Patreon. I really didn’t know any better. I started thinking I needed to find something online to make money.”
Starr created a Patreon of her own and sold her first five photos for $50…to someone she already knew. “I got all excited because I believe if you can make one dollar, you can make a million,” she recounted. “Then somebody I knew bought the photos! He was the first. That’s when I realized anyone could see this and had to really think about doing it.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down her cosmetology business, Starr shifted her focus to online content full time, just as OnlyFans exploded in popularity in 2020. The success and exposure of her self-produced content caught the attention of powerhouse studio Brazzers. She made her debut for the company in March 2021 and saw her third scene become the most-watched of the year, exceeding a million views. Starr had finally arrived where she needed to be.
“I don’t regret a goddamn thing,” she said
Now back with Hussie Models, Starr continues working with the industry’s top studios while running her career on her own terms.
“I’m at a place where I’m ready for another level. I’m focusing on myself and regaining my energy and momentum. As a business owner you’ve got to act like you've got a nine-to-five, but you don't really have a nine-to-five.”
Photography by Jeff Koga
