Thread by @bustle

On TikTok, the woman briefly known as Pornhub’s No. 1 performer is amassing a more supportive, more female fanbase. Creeps and jerks will be blocked.

Below, @miakhalifa speaks to @charoshane. bustle.com/life/mia-khali…

The list of female porn performers who’ve pivoted to girl’s girl influencers can be counted on one hand.

“All of this was very accidental,” @miakhalifa tells @charoshane. “I feel like I failed upwards.” bustle.com/life/mia-khali…

She’s in the midst of re-starting her career by transitioning away from the demographic that has controlled her trajectory for so long, i.e. straight men.

“I am growing as a woman,” @miakhalifa says, “and I want to grow with other women.” bustle.com/life/mia-khali…

Since 2020, @miakhalifa's career has exploded in the best possible way.

Much of her new momentum is fueled by her presence on TikTok — with more than 32 million followers. bustle.com/life/mia-khali…

"My Instagram is maybe 25% women," @miakhalifa
tells @charoshane, "but TikTok is in the mid-40s. That’s why it’s such a safe and fun platform for me." bustle.com/life/mia-khali…

In fact, it was women on TikTok who inspired @miakhalifa to start an OnlyFans account.

She found that the platform helped her understand the “difference between ethical and unethical ways to consume porn.”
bustle.com/life/mia-khali…

Jenna Lee, who travels with @miakhalifa to produce content for their respective OnlyFans, says the ability to shoot and distribute their own images and videos has been profound.

"We are ten times more successful because of how comfortable we feel." bustle.com/life/mia-khali…

What @miakhalifa posts on OnlyFans is titillating without being explicit, lewd but not nude, and she says she’ll “block someone if they even say one thing that’s annoying” or “tell them to shut up if they complain.”

"Respect the rebrand.” bustle.com/life/mia-khali…

The ability to enforce these boundaries is still new for Khalifa, who’s faced enough harassment to last multiple lifetimes.

"Over the years, I’ve seen a shift from very unpleasant encounters…to girls who come up to me to tell me they love my TikToks." bustle.com/life/mia-khali…

The repercussions of this change have been transformative.

"I’m thankful for TikTok," @miakhalifa tells @charoshane. "It gave me a bridge to that female audience I never had a connection to.” bustle.com/life/mia-khali…