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Lynnwood council member withdraws from position after OnlyFans controversy

Mar 14, 2025, 4:50 AM | Updated: 6:04 am

The OnlyFans logo is displayed on a smartphone screen with a photo of Lynnwood City Council candida...

The fallout continues after Lynnwood City Council appointed a council member who had an OnlyFans account. (Photo: Nikolas Kokovlis, Getty Images; screenshot of Roberts courtesy of the City of Lynnwood).

(Photo: Nikolas Kokovlis, Getty Images; screenshot of Roberts courtesy of the City of Lynnwood)

A Lynnwood City Council member has withdrawn from her appointment after some of her social media posts came to light.

The Lynnwood City Council was scheduled to meet Thursday to consider rescinding its appointment for the vacant Position 5 seat after discovering that its original choice, Jessica Roberts, reportedly operates an OnlyFans account. Before the meeting could take place, Roberts decided to bow out of the position on her own accord.

“My personal life and identity do not in any way affect my ability to do the job,” Roberts said in a statement to . “However, I have decided to withdraw my appointment, not because I am unwilling to serve the people in my community, but because the continued scrutiny of my personal life is a potential distraction from the council’s forward progress.”

OnlyFans is a subscription-based platform primarily known for allowing creators to share explicit content — pictures, videos, messages — with their “fans.” Roberts’ account, which has since been shut down, had a profile bio that read: “A bisexual transwoman” followed by graphic details of her body parts.

Lynnwood City Council blindsided by this discovery

Roberts was appointed by the Lynnwood City Council to fill the Position 5 vacancy left by Julieta Altamirano-Crosby. But people who recognized Roberts were quick to notify the city and its council about her alleged page.

“I have calls into the city clerk and executive assistant with similar questions, as well as questions regarding the ‘blind’ appointment process,” Council member Derica Escamilla, representing Position 1, said in an email to MyNorthwest. She was responding to questions about whether or not operating an OnlyFans account is allowed for council members. Escamilla voted to support Roberts’ appointment.

“We were definitely unaware,” she said of the OnlyFans account.

Patrick Decker, the Lynnwood City Council Position 2 seat, also told MyNorthwest that the council was not aware of the account or Roberts operating it.

“I certainly had no idea of the views Jessica held and do not feel those views and activities are in keeping with the gravity and seriousness of serving the people of Lynnwood on the City Council,” Decker told MyNorthwest.

More on MyNorthwest: Parents speak out after middle school student killed by runaway car

Roberts explains the OnlyFans account

Roberts claimed she created the account to help boost her self-confidence, according to a conversation she had with , and that it was an opportunity for just “a little cash on the side.” She deactivated the site after The Lynnwood Times reached out to her, the outlet reported.

“The reason the account was taken down was because I do not want to waste taxpayers’ money, or the Council’s time watching this turn into a debate on whether or not it’s socially acceptable for me to have an account,” Roberts wrote in an email to The Lynnwood Times.

This is not the first controversy around a Lynnwood City Council choice. Rebecca Thornton withdrew from the Lynnwood City Council four days after being unanimously selected to fill this vacant seat.

Related on MyNorthwest: Lynnwood council member under fire for posting shirtless photo

Lynnwood City Council’s meeting regarding her appointment

The City of Lynnwood still held its special business meeting on March 13 at 7 p.m., focusing on the next steps the council will take in order to fill the vacant council position.

The Lynnwood City Council will have to find a new candidate for the open Position 5 seat. Their first pick withdrew an hour before taking oath, causing a scramble to find someone new again, according to . The council has until April 5 to appoint a person to Position 5, or the Snohomish County Council will step in to handle the vacancy.

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest and producer of the Seattle Seahawks podcast, . You can read his stories here and you can email him here.

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Lynnwood council member withdraws from position after OnlyFans controversy