Drea De Matteo Breaks Free From Hollywood'S Hustle: 'I Did It For Survival'

Drea de Matteo's Unplanned Hollywood Escape

Drea de Matteo, a household name thanks to her iconic role on "The Sopranos," is lifting the lid on why she stepped away from the Hollywood limelight. In a candid chat with Fox News Digital, de Matteo revealed that acting was never her passion but a means to an end. "I did it to pay bills," she confessed, describing her time in the industry as being stuck on a "hamster wheel" that she never truly wanted to be part of.

As the actress prepares to launch "The Ultrafree Podcast," she reflects on her past decisions and the unexpected turns her life took, especially during the pandemic. "I always knew that when I needed to pay the bills, it would happen," she said, until COVID-19 turned everything on its head.

“The breaking point was when I had to join OnlyFans to save my home,” the 54-year-old explained candidly about hitting financial rock-bottom during the pandemic.

From Pandemic Struggles to OnlyFans

The pandemic was a game-changer for de Matteo. With her boyfriend leaving his band and their financial situation spiraling out of control, she resorted to joining OnlyFans to stave off foreclosure on her home. "We were in foreclosure over the mandates," she shared, voicing frustration over government promises that fell through. The decision to join OnlyFans wasn't just financial; it stemmed from her outspoken stance on vaccines that made returning to acting difficult.

De Matteo's venture into OnlyFans was initially intended as a platform for a podcast, allowing free speech behind a paywall. "Thank God we never did it," she remarked, as she recounts finding a new voice away from Hollywood’s constraints.

The Birth of 'The Ultrafree Podcast'

De Matteo's new project, "The Ultrafree Podcast," aims to tackle pressing topics without celebrity guests, focusing on humanity rather than political divides. She has faced significant career setbacks, including losing her agent and manager over her vaccine stance and financial hardships. "I’m not allowed to do it anymore really because I… I guess I was too, I don’t know, transparent," she admitted.

Despite these challenges, de Matteo remains undeterred. "There's so many people out there talking about the same stuff," she says, aiming to ask the hard questions and shine a light on overlooked issues. Her journey from "middle class to no class" highlights her resilience and determination to break free from conventional paths, focusing on what truly matters to her: her family and speaking her truth.