Television veteran Donna Mills has built a sizable audience on OnlyFans since joining the subscription site in July, but the 85-year-old actress makes it clear she still sets strict boundaries on what she will show.
In an interview with ABC News correspondent Kayna Whitworth for “Nightline,” Mills detailed some of the unusual entreaties she receives from subscribers, who often seek mundane glimpses into her daily routine rather than explicit material.
“I do the Peloton,” Mills said in clips from the interview reported by People and Page Six. “Just, you know, they’re the things of everyday life: having a cup of coffee, you know. They say they like it when you brush your teeth … I’m not going to brush my teeth.”
Mundane moments and vintage archives
Mills, widely celebrated for her turn as Abby Cunningham on the hit 1980s drama “Knots Landing,” explained that her approach focuses on subtlety rather than exposure. She told “Nightline” she believes leaving things to the imagination is more appealing than total nudity, pointing to past photography projects like her 1989 Playboy shoot, in which one favorite image featured her standing in a shower while wearing a dress.
The actress noted she is contemplating releasing previously unpublished images from that shoot directly to her subscribers. When asked about potential pricing for the rare archival pictures, Mills suggested she might charge “maybe $100,” according to Yahoo and Page Six.
Mills has also faced specialty requests that test her comfort zone. News reports have offered conflicting accounts regarding how she handles specific kink queries, such as stomping grapes at her home vineyard. Page Six and the Daily Mail reported that Mills expressed enthusiasm about filming a grape-stomping video for followers, noting that many people enjoy foot-related content. Conversely, HELLO! Magazine reported that the actress turned down kink requests, including squishing grapes on her property.
Conflicting takes on earnings and audience
The actress’s venture onto the digital platform has generated both substantial attention and mixed claims about its financial success. During an August podcast appearance with Creators Inc. chief executive Andy Bachman, Bachman stated that Mills had made “many six figures” during her opening month on the platform, according to reports from Page Six and Yahoo.
However, Mills offered a conflicting account in an interview with HELLO! Magazine, denying that her earnings were quite that high. Mills told the publication the sum was “not exactly” six figures, though she added that contractual rules prevented her from stating the precise payout. She also claimed she has had to push back whenever representatives attempted to doctor her photographs, stating that she insists on approving every picture beforehand.
Accounts also vary regarding who makes up her subscriber base. Speaking with “Nightline,” Mills said she believed the audience was predominantly male, while acknowledging that “sometimes you don’t know.” In her comments to HELLO! Magazine, however, Mills said she believed her followers were primarily women looking for inspiration on aging gracefully, asserting that life does not simply stop as decades advance.
Mills’ family has rallied behind her creative autonomy. Her longtime partner, actor and producer Larry Gilman, along with her daughter, Chloe, both encouraged her to join the platform after receiving assurances that she would retain complete control over her image. Mills noted to HELLO! Magazine that her daughter supported the move because she knew her mother would never post anything salacious.
What remains to be determined is whether Mills will follow through on releasing her archival 1989 photos or if she will continue to stick strictly to workout clips and everyday lifestyle dispatches.
