ANNIE KNIGHT: 'I was sure my career didn't affect my bridesmaids. Then I received a phone call.'

When Annie Knight, 28, told her childhood friends that she'd joined OnlyFans, they were nothing but supportive. Or, so she thought.

Behind her back, eight people she thought she could trust arranged a meeting where they berated Annie's profession. Then, the 28-year-old got a phone call from the "ring leader".

According to Annie, the conversation involved "a whole lot of yelling."

"I was called 'an idiot', 'a slut', I was told I'd 'ruined my life' and that I was 'an embarrassment not only to myself but to my friends'," Annie told Mamamia.

"The things she said on that phone call were so abhorrent."

Watch: 'Australia's most sexually active woman', Annie Knight | No Filter. Post continues after video.

For Annie, who had known these friends since childhood, the conversation "felt like a stab to the heart."

"I was floored, I was honestly speechless," she said. "I'd known these girls for years, I'd grown up with them, they'd seen me blossom and grow as a person, they'd seen my struggles and hardships."

Over the years, Annie said she would "drop anything to be there" for her friends. So the realisation that she "wasn't worth fighting for" was heartbreaking.

"To be so quickly turned upon because of something I was doing in my free time was beyond devastating. It felt worse than a break-up," Annie said.

When Annie hung up the phone, she was hit with an emotion she hadn't experienced in a long time: anger. 

"I'd felt sad for so long, always blaming myself for not being good enough for these girls to love me back the same way I loved them. So it was almost empowering to feel rage for the first time," she said.

"It was that rage that gave me the strength to cut them off for good. I never spoke to them again after that, and they never tried to reach out."

One person who will always stand up for Annie is her fiancé, Henry Brayshaw, the son of former cricketer, James Brayshaw.

"Henry is super supportive of me and very protective," Annie said. "So any time any friends have been judgemental towards me, he has stood up for me."

Annie and Henry met in 2016, before she was known as "Australia's most sexually active woman".

As her OnlyFans career took off, so did the criticisms hurled at Henry.

"Of course, people are always judgemental," Annie told Mamamia. "He gets called names at cricket that are references to me and what I do for work. When he goes out, he has people approach him and say nasty things to him."

While Annie is used to the noise, it's "been an adjustment" for Henry.

Annie announced her engagement to Henry Brayshaw in March 2025. Image: Instagram/@henry.brayshaw

"It's definitely harder for him because he hasn't been doing this for as long as I have," she said.

"I can't remember the last time I cared what someone thought of me. It was probably three years ago. Whereas, for him, he is very much a people person and has never really had to deal with people judging or not liking him."

But "he's much better with it now."

"He's very mature and level-headed, and he thinks it's more embarrassing for them than anything," she said. "At the end of the day, he loves me and I love him and so the judgement of other people is so irrelevant to us."

When it comes to separating her career from their relationship, Annie has no troubles.

"It's really hard to explain that my work really doesn't have anything to do with my home life," she said. "We live in our beautiful big oasis of a home and, so, the outside world feels so far away. It doesn't really affect us at all."

The couple, who announced their engagement in March this year, are currently in the process of planning their wedding.

During this time, Annie received another difficult phone call from her then-bridesmaids.

The women told Annie that their employers were concerned about them being publicly associated with the OnlyFans star, meaning they could no longer be in the bridal party.

"They were devastated," Annie told Mamamia. "It wasn't a decision they made lightly. They were honoured to be chosen, but ultimately, due to their own careers, they couldn't be featured so close to me."

At first, Annie "started questioning everything" about their friendships, "almost in a paranoid way."

"I've obviously been burnt by friends before, so I do have a bit of PTSD when it comes to rejection from friends," she said. "But I was reminded by my friends how much they do love and value me and so those thoughts went away pretty quickly.

"Now it's easy for me to understand and accept. I know how important careers are. If there was ever a situation where my career was at stake, I'd do anything I could to save (it)."

Though not her original vision for her wedding, Annie still has six bridesmaids for her special day. And those who had to decline will still be part of the "getting ready" party.

Today, she finds it "pretty easy" to weed out fake friends.

"Someone who is a real friend takes me at face value, lends a hand to help me out if I need it even without me asking, always hypes me up instead of judging me, and never mentions my work negatively," Annie said.

"I want friends who bring out the best in me and push me to do things that are scary or intimidating. I want friends who tell me the truth and won't just lie to me because it's what I want to hear.

"The best friends are the ones who are honest, loyal, non-judgemental, generous and genuine."

Feature Image: Instagram/@anniekknight