Adult star Alex Paige Moore has opened up about the dark side of so-called “whales” – the industry term for top-spending subscribers – warning that the biggest money can come with obsession, paranoia and real-world safety fears.
“A lot of people just think that [adult content] is sort of like taking photos and selling photos… But there is definitely a dark side,” Alex Paige Moore exclusively told the Daily Star.
Emotional obsession and guilt
The 29-year-old Aussie said some high spenders can become convinced they are in a real relationship – and she finds herself feeling “frightened and guilty rather than excited”. “For some people they have this real feeling that they’re in a relationship with you, it plays on your conscience,” she admitted.
She said: “There’s gambling addictions and there’s drug addiction and there’s alcohol addiction and there’s also now this [adult content]. People are losing their money and they can almost not control it even when you tell them to stop spending their money.”
Two types of whales
Alex said there are two types of whales. There are those who spend big but stay detached, and those who get emotionally hooked. In extreme cases, she says the behaviour can escalate from over-friendly to possessive – and then to financial guilt-tripping.
She revealed: “It usually starts with them getting a bit possessive, checking in, questioning you. Not long after that, they’ll be like, ‘I can’t afford to eat this week, I can’t afford to buy my son birthday presents, I’ve spent all my money on you.’”
Manipulative tactics and extreme cases
Alex believes some of the “I’m broke” messages can even be a tactic to try to get free content. “A lot of the time I will say, ‘I’m not sending you anything anymore because I need you to stop,’” she said – before describing how one would then send “another $100 (£74)” just to prompt a reply.
One subscriber, she said, spent an eye-watering $100,000 (£74,000) in a matter of five months and was on track to spend “well above $100,000 within a year”. Alex recalled one of her most intense cases: “He’s threatened to take me to the police for stealing his money because he gave it [to me]. He thought we were going to end up getting married. I think he’s given me like $100,000 (£74,000). And so he’s like, ‘Yeah, he wants it back…’ because we’re not getting married.”
Alex insisted she never promised a relationship or to meet him. She said: “I've got a partner, I’ve never said that I would meet him [the fan]. Unfortunately, they kind of make things bigger than what they are and they believe a different reality.”
Safety fears and precautionary measures
She said simply blocking isn’t always straightforward – especially when someone has paid for a long-term subscription, or believes they’re being “dumped”. And the safety fears can become very real.
Alex recalled: “I was flying to Gold Coast and one of my whales was trying to work out what flight I was coming on and he was waiting for me at the airport. I had to quickly say I’m actually flying to Brisbane, thankfully I got out of that.”
The content creator added she’s also changed her filming habits after viewers worked out where she lived from background details, adding she’s even changed parts of the interior of her home in the hope it throws people off.
Not all connections are harmful
Despite everything, Alex said not every emotional connection online is harmful. She acknowledged previously that some lonely customers can find “companionship” in the “girlfriend experience” while staying grounded in real life. Still, she believes creators have a minimum responsibility to take action when a fan exhibits particularly disturbing behaviour.
Alex said: “If you can genuinely see someone is not doing well mentally, I think you do need to step in. But we’re not therapists at the end of the day.”
