Did you know that some of the biggest Hollywood A-listers used to make a living by offering their bodies in exchange for money? Surprisingly, many actors, musicians, and models were sex workers and strippers in their early days. And even though they tried to keep their jobs secret after they got famous, the truth came out eventually. Check out our list of celebrities who worked in sex work before becoming famous!
Cardi B
Cardi BBelcalis Marlenis Almánzar or Cardi B was an exotic dancer before she became the Bodak Yellow hitmaker. When she was 18, she was fired from a deli shop in NYC’s Tribeca neighborhood. Her manager told her that a strip club on the other side of the street was looking for new dancers. Shortly after, she auditioned and got the job.
In an interview with the Complex, the rapper said that her stint as a stripper affected her life positively. Cardi B claimed that stripping saved her from domestic violence and poverty, especially after her mother kicked her out of their home. Stripping allowed her to pay for community college. However, she kept her job a secret. The star told her mother and others that she was a babysitter. Moreover, her career as a stripper ended when she went for her big break in 2015.
Chris Pratt
Even though Chris Pratt was known for his nerdy Andy Dwyer character in Parks and Recreation, he blew everyone away when he became a ripped superhero in “Guardians of the Galaxy.” However, it seems that Pratt was an aspiring stud way before his big “Guardians” reveal.
In 2015, the star said in an interview that he worked as a stripper to make extra cash when living in Hawaii. He lived in a van and mainly worked as a homeless waiter at age 18. According to Pratt, he loved to be naked most of the time. What’s more, nudity made him feel free. It also made him believe that he could be a great stripper. Unfortunately, his stripping career was short since he didn’t have the required dancing skills and couldn’t find many gigs in nightclubs.
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga came from a rich Italian family, and she even went to private school, but that didn’t stop her from exploring her sexuality at a young age. When she turned 18, she briefly worked as a burlesque dancer in strip clubs on the Lower East Side. She decided to stop taking money from her parents and took on some odd jobs to earn a living.
After a brief waitressing gig, Lady Gaga found out that she could make more money from stripping. In an interview, this star revealed that stripping allowed her to explore her body confidence and sexuality. And in true Lady Gaga fashion, her acts were quite impressive. She used to dress up in black latex and put on a rock ’n’ roll strip show while dancing to Guns N’ Roses.
Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt is undoubtedly one of the hottest guys in Hollywood! However, it seems that he was destined to become a celebrity sex worker way before he rose to stardom. Actually, Pitt briefly worked as a male stripper. That’s not surprising since his body is practically made for it!
When Pitt was studying at the University of Missouri, he joined a Chippendales-type dance crew with his frat brothers. They called themselves the Dancing Bares. The group frequently stripped for sorority girls on their birthdays and other occasions. Moreover, Pitt’s college friend claims that the dances were unforgettable. One night, they performed a carefully choreographed dance wearing nothing but pillowcases to cover their heads!
Channing Tatum
Channing TatumMost of us know Channing Tatum for his leading role in Magic Mike, the male stripper comedy. Part of the reason why he was such a natural for this role is that he had lots of previous experience with exotic dancing.
In fact, Tatum switched from doing multiple odd jobs, like roofing and to professional stripping. He worked at a nightclub in the Tampa area and was able to make a lot of money. He earned around $150 per night. Yet, the star said that he didn’t enjoy his job a whole lot. Either way, Tatum’s good and bad experiences inspired the story of Magic Mike. The movie ended up being a massive success, and it earned over $160 million at the box office!
Carmen Electra
When she was a teen, this Baywatch babe first dreamed of becoming famous on Broadway. She studied dance and landed some dancing gigs. But, in the early 1990s, she used her God-given talents for exotic dancing.
Before she took the name Carmen Electra, Tara Patrick loved to press herself against stripper poles. However, she abandoned exotic dancing when she became a sex symbol and a cultural icon of the 1990s.
Fortunately, the star stayed true to her beginnings, and she danced in numerous music videos by Lil Kim, The Pussycat Dolls, along with several other artists. Recently, she even launched a signature stripper pole brand and released striptease tutorial videos.
Summary
We’ll finish our list off with a few notable mentions of celebs who had a career in exotic dancing. That includes Amber Rose, Mark Consuelos, Blac Chyna, Azealia Banks, and even Roseanne Barr!