OnlyFans was dragged into Florida’s governor race this week after a long-shot proposal dropped not in a statehouse hallway, but on a podcast mic.
James Fishback, a Republican gubernatorial hopeful, said he would consider a 50 percent “sin tax” on income earned through OnlyFans. The idea surfaced during an appearance on a conservative podcast hosted by Joel Webbon, where Fishback framed the platform as an “online degeneracy platform” and argued the tax would be used to curb participation.
“As Florida governor, I don’t want young women who could otherwise be mothers raising families, rearing children, I don’t want them to be selling their bodies to sick men online. And I don’t want young, impressionable men who have strayed from Christ, who have strayed from our Lord and Savior to be told, and to be drawn into lust, and have their entire brain rewired,” Fishback said during the interview, according to People.
Fishback said the tax would be designed to “disincentivize and deter a behavior,” with revenue redirected to crisis pregnancy centers, mental health programs, and schools. In a recent social media post, he estimated the policy could generate $200 million.
The comments sparked swift pushback from creators, including OnlyFans star Sophie Rain. Responding after Fishback mentioned her by name, Rain told CNN, “I would be more than happy to pay that if multibillion-dollar corporations were also being properly taxed. But surprise! They’re not.”
Fishback’s candidacy has also drawn renewed attention to past reporting. NBC News previously reported that a Florida school district severed ties with Fishback’s debate organization, Incubate Debate, after a former student worker accused him of an inappropriate relationship when she was underage. Fishback has denied wrongdoing, stating, “I have never been arrested, charged, or convicted of any crime.”
The proposal, and the backlash, signal how culture wars are shaping Florida’s race for governor long before ballots are cast.
