Australian OnlyFans star Lucy Banks loves her job, and for that, many of her online supporters are grateful. But for the select few who harbor animosity, jealousy, and outright hate for adult content creators, there’s trolling.

“When I first made the decision to start OnlyFans, I knew that not everyone in the world would be thrilled; that’s fine, I expected that… but I did NOT expect the extent of the backlash I received,” she says of the time, energy and attention she has received in her three years on the job.

“I could have run over someone’s Grandma with my car and received less backlash – and from people, I hardly knew, or people that are completely irrelevant to my life. Very bold of some people to even think I care about their opinion more than I care about running my own life and making my own decisions.”

Banks notes that harassment from “bored housewives” and “angry men” that perceive her as a threat to society’s gendered norms because of the way she freely expresses her sexuality on a public stage – and makes a successful living at it – “is so weird to me… I think people forget that online isn’t real life. This is my job; it doesn’t reflect who I am as a person or a mother.”

She cites examples of strangers “contacting my children’s school, the police, child protection services, my parents… I have had to get restraining orders for harassment,” she muses. “It’s strange how obsessed people get, and for no reason. They make themselves look so silly, thinking other people will join in with them, enraged about the Mum on OnlyFans. Most people don’t care, and so they shouldn’t… but that core group of people are STILL talking about me on social media years later.”

For all the lies said about her, the bricks thrown into her yard with ‘SLUT’ written on them and the outing of her identity and location that puts her and her children at risk, Banks insists that “I’m not interested in fighting back… I don’t have the time or the energy and I’m not in high school. I am more focused on growing my career and enjoying all the time I can spend with my children.

“But I think it’s really important to recognise ‘tall poppy syndrome’ – I don’t think it’s anything to do with me personally; people have this strange sense of self-importance and assign themselves a job to tear someone down. I’m thankful that I have very thick skin and confident in my choice to work in this industry. I have an amazing support network and my friendship circle is so empowering and uplifting. The mean comments are all water off a duck’s back to me, but I feel bad for those that actually struggle with receiving so much hate ; it’s a shame that other people’s terrible behavior can result in deadly consequences.”

You can follow Lucy Banks on Twitter at @itslucybanks.