Rufi Thorpe, who wrote the 2024 novel of the same name that the Apple TV show is adapted from, tells Variety that she “started with the idea of wanting to write about a mother who was a sex worker.” Thorpe says that she felt drawn to exploring the stigma around sex work and motherhood, both which have haunted Margo throughout the season coming to a head in Episode 6, when her real-life identity is doxxed online. One-by-one, viewers have seen Margo’s friends and family disappointed by her choices: whether it’s her mothering techniques, or her decision to start posting on OnlyFans, the subscription-based platform that allows creators to monetize their work directly from fans through tips and pay-per-view content, most of which is typically explicit in nature. Popular on Variety
Writing about an OnlyFans creator was an idea Thorpe had for many years, yet when the time came to write the novel, there was one key problem: OnlyFans is a confusing, complex website, and one that Thorpe needed insider information to fully understand. She eventually made a customer account for research purposes, a move that Eva Anderson, an executive producer on”Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” would replicate while developing the series.
Similarly, there were elements of videos that Anderson and the writing team took inspiration from, whether it was a person’s mannerisms, costumes, or language being used.
Adding to the accuracy of the show, the OnlyFans interface was graphically recreated to use on-screen, down to the chatboxes Margo opens when DMing creators, looking for tips on how to expand her fanbase.
The questions Thorpe asked the creators were varied, depending on which stage of her writing process she was in. Most focused on the elements of the website that she had no way of answering herself.
While the creators were less likely to open up about the emotional or psychological fallout of doing OnlyFans, Thorpe read several think pieces written by models who had been doxxed or stalked, along with the hate messages they received.
Source: variety.com