If you still picture Drea de Matteo as Adriana La Cerva—the tragic, leopard-print-wearing heart of The Sopranos—you might want to sit down. The woman who famously crawled through the dirt in the Jersey woods has traded the prestige TV circuit for something much more defiant. Honestly, what Drea de Matteo now represents is a complete rejection of the Hollywood machine that once crowned her an Emmy winner.
She didn't just fade away. She revolted.
While most actors are terrified of losing their SAG cards or being "canceled," de Matteo basically invited the controversy in. From launching a wildly successful OnlyFans page to starting a streetwear brand called ULTRAFREE, she’s living a life that looks nothing like the one David Chase wrote for her twenty years ago.
The OnlyFans Pivot: Five Minutes to Financial Freedom
There was a moment in 2023 where things looked grim. Really grim. De Matteo has been incredibly candid about the fact that she had exactly $10 in her bank account. Her home was in foreclosure. A pipe had burst, the house was flooding, and she was trying to sell the property before the bank snatched it out from under her.
At the same time, she was caring for a parent with dementia. The bills were piling up, and because of her vocal stance against COVID-19 vaccine mandates, her agent had dropped her. Hollywood had effectively closed its doors.
💡 You might also like: Who is Minka Kelly married to: What most people get wrong
Then came the pivot.
On the advice of her daughter’s friend, she launched an OnlyFans account. Most people expected a media circus, and they got one, but they didn’t expect the numbers. Within five minutes of going live, she earned enough to pay off her mortgage.
"It saved my life, 100 percent," she told the Daily Mail. "I can't believe I'm saying that, but it really did save us."
Interestingly, she hasn't just used the site for "steamy" photos. She uses it as a middle finger to the industry that she feels abandoned her. She’s even joked that her 13-year-old son helps her edit the content. It’s a unconventional, messy, and totally "Drea" way of handling a crisis. She’s making more money now than she ever did playing Gina on Joey or even during the height of Sopranos mania.
Why Drea de Matteo Now Calls Herself a Hollywood Outcast
If you follow her on social media or catch her on news segments today, you’ll notice her politics have taken center stage. She’s moved far away from the typical liberal leanings of the acting world. She’s been spotted at rallies for Donald Trump and was a vocal supporter of RFK Jr. during his 2024 run.
📖 Related: Pierce Brosnan House Malibu: Why the 100 Million Dollar Orchid House Is Still a Legend
She describes herself as a "common sense" advocate rather than a strict partisan, but the industry doesn't see it that way. To Hollywood, she’s a pariah. To her, she’s finally free.
She often jokes about her Sopranos character’s fate when discussing her political shift. "They're going to take me out into the woods and shoot me for not endorsing Biden," she told Jesse Watters. It’s dark humor, sure, but it speaks to how isolated she feels from the "cool kids" table in Los Angeles. She isn't looking for a way back in, either. She’s building her own table.
Building the ULTRAFREE Brand
With the money from her digital ventures, she launched ULTRAFREE. It’s a streetwear label born out of her desire to "make freedom cool again." It’s edgy, it’s political, and it’s very New York. She runs it with her partner, Chris Kushner, and the brand has become a landing spot for people who feel disillusioned by the current cultural climate.
It isn't just about selling t-shirts. For de Matteo, it's about reclaiming her identity. For years, she was a "day player" who worked her way up to a series regular. She was often the lowest-paid person on big sets, despite the fame. Now, she’s the CEO.
A Quick Reality Check on the "Big Money" of Television
Many fans assume that being on a hit show means you’re set for life. Drea has debunked that myth several times.
- The Sopranos: She started as a background character (literally "hostess") and took years to reach a "normal" episodic pay scale.
- Sons of Anarchy: She’s claimed FX barely paid her anything for her recurring role as Wendy.
- Joey: This was actually her biggest payday because it was network TV, but it was short-lived.
Today, her income is decentralized. She isn't waiting for a casting director to call. She’s monetizing her own image on her own terms.
Life Away From the Spotlight
Physically, she still looks like the Drea we remember, but she’s embraced a "heavier" look that she says works better for her current ventures. She’s vocal about not wanting to be "skinny" anymore, choosing to bulk up on steak and pasta before photoshoots because it makes her feel more powerful.
She lives in New York, the city that raised her. She still deals with the legacy of Adriana—fans still yell "Adriana!" at her on the street—but she carries it differently now. She doesn't hide her Emmy in the bathroom anymore (something she did for years). She’s proud of the work, even if she hates the business that surrounded it.
What’s Next for Drea?
Don't expect a big "comeback" movie anytime soon. While she has small projects like Mother Love Café in the pipeline, her focus is clearly on her business and her family. She’s found a way to survive without the permission of a studio head.
If you want to follow her journey, her "Gangster Goddess Broad-Cast" podcast is where she really lets loose. It’s raw, it’s unfiltered, and it’s exactly what you’d expect from a woman who survived the mob—both the fictional one and the one in Hollywood.
📖 Related: George C. Scott death: The quiet end of Hollywood’s most rebellious lion
Actionable Insight for Fans:
If you're looking for the most authentic version of Drea, skip the old reruns for a second. Check out her podcast or her streetwear line. She’s proving that there is a very lucrative "Plan B" for people who are willing to break the rules of their industry. You don't have to wait for someone to give you a job; you can build a brand around your own convictions, even if they're controversial.