Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

The Sopranos’ Drea de Matteo says she’s been ‘outcast’ by Hollywood over Trump support

Actor joked: ‘They’re going to take me out into the woods and shoot me for not endorsing Biden’

Kevin E G Perry
Los Angeles
Wednesday 26 June 2024 20:02 EDT
Comments
Why 'Sopranos' star Drea de Matteo started her OnlyFans

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The Sopranos star Drea de Matteo has claimed that she is considered an “outcast” by Hollywood due to her outspoken support for Donald Trump.

Nodding to a famous plotline involving her character Adriana La Cerva, she joked: “They’re going to take me out into the woods and shoot me for not endorsing Biden.”

The 52-year-old actor, who also starred in Friends, Sons of Anarchy and Desperate Housewives, was asked by host Jesse Watters on Fox News whether there are “quiet” Trump voters in Hollywood.

“I think there is a lot of them,” she replied.

Watters had begun the interview by playing a montage of footage illustrating celebrity support for President Joe Biden, including a star-studded recent fundraiser in Los Angeles that attracted George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Barack Obama and raised $30m. Watters also showed clips of Robert De Niro clashing with Trump supporters outside the Manhattan courtroom that hosted Trump’s hush money trial.

In response, de Matteo said: “That was a hard intro to watch. I’m sorry. It’s the Italian, man. We’re talking about [Anthony] Fauci, we’re talking about De Niro. I am mortified right now by my people. I don’t understand what we’re doing here…Yes, there are a lot of quiet Trump supporters. I wonder how much these actors got paid to endorse Biden at this point. I am curious. I wonder if De Niro got paid a location fee because he traveled to the courtroom to do that.”

Drea de Matteo attending the MTV Video Music Awards in New Jersey in 2019
Drea de Matteo attending the MTV Video Music Awards in New Jersey in 2019 (Getty Images for MTV)

She added that she had always felt like an outsider in the entertainment business, saying: “I don’t really maneuver inside that industry. I never have. First of all, Sopranos, we were the outcast, even though we were critically acclaimed, we still were outcasts. So I’m still an outcast, here I am. They’re going to take me out into the woods and shoot me for not endorsing Biden.”

In February, de Matteo revealed that her decision to join OnlyFans “saved her life” after she found herself with only $10 in the bank.

She had previously said that she had been dropped by her agent for her stance on vaccinations and had been forced to find alternative means of income.

OnlyFans is a content subscription service, which allows users to subscribe to individual creators. Established in 2016, the platform has become known for creators selling explicit and pornographic videos and images.

De Matteo, who shares risqué content with subscribers on the platform, said she was reluctant to join the subscription service. She was, however, able to save her home from foreclosure within five minutes, according to the Daily Mail, as fans flocked to subscribe for $15 a month. She has since opened the streetwear label ULTRAFREE with the proceedings.

“They put me into foreclosure and my house had flooded, so I was trying to sell the house quickly,” she said. “I wanted to try and sell it before they took it.

“At the same time, I lost my mom, and my other mom, who has dementia, had run out of money for her caregiver. I didn’t know which way was up.”

She told the Mail: “It saved us. OnlyFans saved my life, 100 per cent. I can’t believe I’m saying that, but it really did save us.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in