Forest Smith on Hustler, Drake Maye DMs, and Sobriety

Forest Smith is ten years into an industry that eats most people alive in six months. She started when she was 19, answering a Craigslist ad to fly from Pennsylvania to Miami with a broken heart and an empty bank account. Since then, she’s navigated the shift from mainstream sets to the high-stakes world of camming, eventually landing on the cover of Hustler and building a localized empire in the most unlikely of places: Utah.

On the latest episode of The Lexis Star Show, Smith sits down to pull back the curtain on a career defined by pivots. From changing her stage name three times to finding long-term financial stability through the fans who have followed her for nearly a decade, she’s a study in survival and brand evolution. But as she tells Lexis, the "freedom" of the modern creator era comes with a side of death threats and unhinged NFL fans.

The Cover of Hustler and the Craigslist Gamble

Most 19-year-olds are figuring out college majors. Smith was figuring out how to survive in Miami after a desperate leap of faith. "I had no idea what I was doing. I was very broke. I was in a bad relationship," she says of her early days. After a rough start in mainstream production, she pivoted to camming—a move she describes as grueling but ultimately the foundation of her current success.

The peak of that early era? Landing the cover of Hustler after being in the industry for only half a year. Smith, who then rocked a distinct pixie cut, admits that achieving that milestone so young almost made her feel like she had "done it all" before she could even legally drink. It’s a career trajectory that moved at breakneck speed, eventually leading her to the autonomy of OnlyFans, where she no longer feels the need to pander to audiences or shoot content that makes her uncomfortable.

"I don’t feel like I need to pander to certain audiences or do things I’m not comfortable with."

DMs, Patriots Fans, and Death Threats

The conversation takes a sharp turn into the "spicy" territory of mainstream headlines. Smith recently made waves—and enemies—by sliding into the DMs of New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. Her reasoning? She saw him with his wife after the AFC Championship and thought the vibe looked "awkward."

What Smith viewed as "just having fun" turned into a digital firestorm. "I’m getting death threats from Patriots fans," she reveals, laughing off the absurdity of sports culture. The stunt landed her on TMZ and brought in a wave of new attention, most of it hostile. For Smith, it was a social experiment that proved sports fans are often more protective of their quarterbacks' marriages than the players themselves.

Sobriety and the "Rich Wife" Backup Plan

Despite the chaotic headlines, Smith’s personal life is surprisingly grounded. Living in Utah among a heavy Mormon population, she’s found a quiet rhythm that supports her five-year sobriety. "I always tell people... I don’t drink because I would ruin your night," she says bluntly. The decision to cut out alcohol came from a place of losing control and feeling "like shit the next day," a sentiment Lexis echoes.

When asked what she would do if the creator world vanished tomorrow, Smith doesn't reach for a "backup career" in corporate America. Her answer is as honest as it gets: "I would marry rich. I'd literally do nothing and just be a little wife."

"I always tell people... 'Why don't you drink?' and I be like, 'Because I would ruin your night.'"

The Dark Side of the Digital Lens

It’s not all cover shoots and "rich wife" fantasies. Smith gets real about the dangers of the job, specifically the fans who don't understand boundaries. She recalls a chilling moment when a fan sent her a photo of her own apartment building—and shockingly, continues to email her to this day. It’s a stark reminder that for creators like Smith, the "messiness" of dating and the threat of doxxing are constant variables.

Whether she's blocking "promo girls" in her Instagram comments or ignoring unhinged comments about her "worthlessness" post-Drake Maye, Smith carries the armor of a veteran. She’s soft-spoken and shy, but after a decade in the game, she knows exactly where the line is—and she’s not crossing it for any amount of money.

• Started in the industry at 19 via a Craigslist ad.

• Cover model for Hustler magazine.

• Celebrated 5 years of sobriety.

• Subject of a TMZ article for DMing Drake Maye.

Chapters

• 00:00 — How She Got Started at 19

• 01:10 — Meet Forrest Smith

• 02:30 — Changing Names & Building a Brand

• 03:20 — OnlyFans vs Traditional Industry

• 05:10 — Camming: Money vs Burnout

• 06:00 — Personal Boundaries Explained

• 07:40 — Content Strategy & Work-Life Balance

• 09:30 — DMing an NFL Player Goes Viral 😳

• 10:30 — Hate, Backlash & Internet Reactions

• 14:30 — Quick Fire Questions 🔥