Harry Potter actress Jessie Cave says joining OnlyFans was embarrassing because of money problems

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Harry Potter actress Jessie Cave said she felt embarrassed about joining OnlyFans while trying to support her four children, even though she appeared in the huge film series.

During a Thursday interview on ITV’s This Morning, Cave, who played Lavender Brown, explained that she felt money pressure while raising four kids and dealing with an uncertain acting career before she signed up for the subscription site.

“I was in Harry Potter, but it was a small part and it happened 20 years ago. I have only had small roles since then, and most of my work is comedy,” she said.

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“People think I am rich and have lots of money, but I do not,” she said. “It was embarrassing because I would have liked a regular job. But you know how it is with kids – childcare costs a lot.”

Harry Potter star Jessie Cave opened up about why she found it “embarrassing” to join OnlyFans. (Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection; Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Cave started her OnlyFans account in March 2025 to post videos of herself brushing, braiding and styling her long waist‑length hair. She says the videos are for a niche audience that has a hair “fetish.”

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Cave said that raising four children makes it harder to afford acting jobs and live performances.

“Even going to the Edinburgh Festival, I can’t afford the whole run because I can’t pay the cost of taking my kids,” she said. “People say ‘don’t take your kids,’ but I want them with me.”

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“I have felt I have to apologise a lot,” Cave added. “I think having four kids is a choice. I always wanted to make art, and I also chose this odd job.”

“I couldn’t do anything else. I have managed to stay afloat as an actress, but only a tiny number of people work regularly,” she noted.

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“I have done odd jobs and kept afloat for 18 years. A few years ago I thought, ‘I don’t know what else to do,’ and this was an option. I am now very glad I tried it,” she said.

Jessie Cave first talked about joining OnlyFans in March 2025, saying she would try it for a year. (Keith Mayhew/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Cave later spoke to The Times about her OnlyFans work and said she earned more in one year than she had earned in her whole acting career.

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“I thought I’d make five grand, be on it for a few months, and it would give me time to decide what to do next,” Cave said. “It’s now been a year and a half and it has truly saved our lives.”

Cave charges $6 a month for non‑explicit “hair content,” which includes videos of her brushing, braiding and tying her hair while fully clothed and in costume.

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Cave said singers Lily Allen and Kate Nash inspired her to join OnlyFans after they opened their own pages.

Although motherhood is the most important part of her life, Cave decided not to share any photos or details about her children on social media.

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“I don’t post much about my kids,” she said on This Morning. “I didn’t want to post them, so I started making funny videos of me brushing and plaiting my hair. People liked them, and I was in a desperate spot. Lily Allen had just spoken about using her feet for money, and that sounded great to me!”

Jessie Cave has previously said she was inspired by Lily Allen and Kate Nash. (Mike Marsland/WireImage)

“Kate Nash funds her tours by doing it. I thought, ‘I mainly do one‑woman puppet shows,’” Cave continued. “Yes, I was in Harry Potter but I am basically a struggling artist.”

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“I took a chance, hoping to make a little money to pay back what I lost at an Edinburgh Festival because it is now very expensive, and I kept going,” she said. “It’s not art, but it’s artistic. My hair is long, so I can do many things with it. I think of it like a circus act now.”

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Cave said she found it hard to balance motherhood with her creative work after her fourth child, and first saw OnlyFans as a short‑term income source.

“After my fourth baby, who is now four and about to start school, I have struggled to find my way as an artist because I am at home all the time,” Cave said.

The mother of four said the platform helped her feel “more confident as a woman.” (John Phillips/UK Press via Getty Images)

“I have done jobs. I am mainly a writer and my mind has changed in the last four years. I have struggled financially as an artist, and this was a stop‑gap while I figure out my next show or tour, trying to earn some money on the side,” she added.

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“Now I see light at the end of the tunnel. My kids are about to start school and all four will be at school. I will have more time, though I still don’t know what I will do.”

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Cave stressed the platform has “really saved” her and helped her become more confident as a woman.

“There are many traps, but there is also a lot of beauty,” Cave said. “You meet people you would never normally talk to from all over the world.”

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“It has really opened me up and made me more confident as a woman because I have always been very awkward and weird. Now I can take a photo of myself and try to look hot, and that feels nice,” she added.

Ashley Hume is an entertainment journalist for Fox News Digital and Fox Business who covers breaking news, celebrity culture, major industry events and the business of entertainment.

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