James Fishback’s proposed “Sin Tax” on OnlyFans creators has drawn backlash and a public response from Sophie Rain.
James Fishback, a Florida gubernatorial candidate, has sparked backlash after proposing a "Sin Tax" on OnlyFans creators, while directly calling out Sophie Rain to "pay up or quit".
Fishback said the funds raised would help public education initiatives. Creator Sophie Rain was quick to criticize the proposal, saying she never expected Fishback to “start beef with me for clout.”
What is the Sin Tax proposal, and how is it related to OnlyFans?
James Fishback, a candidate for Florida governor, has proposed implementing a Sin Tax if elected. This tax would target OnlyFans models and their earnings on the platform, requiring creators to pay a 50% tax on income earned through the platform. While promoting the Sin Tax proposal, he mentioned Sophie Rain, noting that she would be contributing over $42 million.
In an interview with Newsweek, Fishback said the tax would discourage what he described as women “selling their bodies to sick men online.”
The revenue will be used to increase public school teachers’ salaries and improve school lunches. He also plans to fund crisis pregnancy centers, which are religious nonprofit organizations that seek to deter people from having abortions, and what he calls "the first of its kind mental health czar" for men.
Who is James Fishback?
James Fishback was born and raised in Florida and is now a candidate for the Republican nomination in the 2026 Florida gubernatorial election. He gained wider attention after posting a video on X announcing his Sin Tax proposal.
In the video, he directly refers to Sophie Rain, one of the most successful OnlyFans models. "For Sophie Rain, who is a proud resident of Florida, that means she is going to pay 42 million dollars," Fishback said. He aims to increase teacher pay and improve school lunches with the tax revenue.
Sophie Rain’s influence extends beyond OnlyFans. The 21-year-old has a combined following of more than 27 million across X, Instagram, and TikTok. She recently participated in the “hey Grok” AI-altering trend on X, generating more than 50 million impressions in less than 24 hours.
The candidate has been actively posting about OnlyFans and outlining how he plans to preserve Ron DeSantis’ legacy and "restore decency," as he wrote on his personal page. He argues that women should not be exploited by the platform, and his goal is to prevent "smart, capable women" from being forced to sell their bodies online. "I want every single woman in Florida to succeed," he explained.
Sophie Rain reacts to the "Sin Tax" proposal
It didn’t take long for this topic to become widely discussed across social media. Sophie Rain also commented on the Sin Tax. In a response video, the model accused the candidate of "targeting a group of individuals using their job to survive when there are multibillion-dollar corrupt businesses that don't pay any taxes," she wrote.
The model explained that she already pays 37% of her income in taxes to the government. "I would be more than happy to pay that if multibillion-dollar corporations were also being properly taxed," she added.
Sophie went on to explain how many people ended up choosing to do OnlyFans because they are economically struggling. "There are people on this platform who are just trying to support their families. It’s sad," she said. "I’d rather continue donating directly to those in need, because we all know where our taxes end up."
Voters will head to the polls on August 18, 2026, to elect Florida’s next governor. Term-limited Governor Ron DeSantis cannot run again, and James Fishback is campaigning for the Republican nomination to succeed him. Democrats have not won a gubernatorial race in Florida since 1994.
