Former adult star Lana Rhoades says her biggest “flex” is going from school drop out to millionaire.
In a Q&A with Playboy, she revealed she gave up on formal education when she was around 13-years-old.
At the same time in her life, the Chicago-born star was already dreaming of flashing cameras and bright lights.
She started her own YouTube channel after quitting school and even picked up some roles as an extra in TV shows.
And as soon as she hit her teenage years, she was already considering a career in porn as she admired Playboy bunnies, watched them on TV and researched more into their lives.
These dreams were put on pause when Lana got caught up in a “gang” and spent time in prison as a teen – but jail time “changed her life” and she was ready to pursue a career when she was released.
Lana, whose real name is Amara Maple, told the Call Her Daddy podcast: “I new that I was going to be a porn star from the age of 12 or 13. I wasn’t even watching porn – I just knew.”
“I had a hard life at home… it was just very chaotic at home.
“So when those things would happen I would just dive into my favourite shows like the Girls Next Door of Playboy.
“I was obsessed. I wanted to be them growing up.
“That’s where my escape was and it gave me hope for the future. I thought I could do that when I grow up.”
So when Lana achieved her life-long goal of posing for the magazine, it must have a ‘pinch me’ moment.
Speaking to Playboy about her journey, the star revealed her pride at how much she’s achieved in her career.
She said: “My biggest flex is I dropped out of school in eighth grade and I’m a millionaire now…
“Shooting for Playboy is iconic for me. I love being able to be creative, I really love creating images.
“Every time a new Playmate used to come out I’d research them and be like ‘she’s so beautiful and successful’.”
Even though Lana’s porn career has been a springboard for her success, she recently spoke about the dark side of the industry.
After feeling pressured and “groomed” to star in extreme scenes, she quit her adult entertainment roles.
The erotic actress spent less than a year of her life shooting X-rated films – but this was enough to make her one of Pornhub’s most-viewed stars.
Nowadays, Lana calls the shots on her own career.
Dropping out of school hasn’t impacted her shrewd business sense – and she keeps up with current affairs by getting the Wall Street Journal delivered to her house and reading it religiously.
The star has 14.3 million followers on Instagram, where she earns around £21,000 per online post.
She also has a successful podcast, lucrative brand deals – and even a Playboy picture feature to her name now!
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