At Lifeinstyle, we recently had the pleasure of speaking with Lifeinstyle member Brianna Coppage, a courageous woman whose story is personal and resonant with the experiences of many in our lifestyle community.
Who is Brianna Coppage?
Brianna a dedicated 28 year old teacher, taught English at St. Clair High School in Missouri to ninth and tenth graders. However, her personal decision to start an OnlyFans page — a choice made outside the classroom — became controversial when a group of adults from another school discovered her account and shared it to a Facebook group. This exposure led to her unjust suspension.
Our beliefs at Lifeinstyle
We have always held the beliefs that our personal life, including choices made during our personal time, should remain separate from professional life.
But sadly, Brianna is not the first Lifeinstyle member to face prejudice. During our time as event organizers, many educators within our community have faced criticism and backlash for joining the lifestyle. Some of them have been pushed into a corner, compelled to simply resign to avoid confrontation with their schools and communities.
Today, Brianna stands tall, not only for herself but for every individual who has been judged unfairly. By choosing to share her story with us, she highlights the importance of personal freedom and challenges the biases that still fill our society. We are profoundly thankful to Brianna for her bravery and for reminding us of the values we hold dear.
Interview with Brianna Coppage October 13 2023
LIFEINSTYLE LOU: Good afternoon, Brianna. How is everything? Thank you for taking our call. How are you today?
BRIANNA: I'm doing great. It's important to note that I'm okay. I've received a lot of support, and I'd say it's been around 90% positivity and perhaps 10% negativity. Throughout this situation, I've tried to emphasize that it's okay for people to live different lives. Everyone has their beliefs, and that's what shapes our society. It's essential to embrace and accept differences.
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LIFEINSTYLE LOU: Absolutely, you've highlighted crucial points. I'm not sure if you caught the interview with Erika and Drew Swingz with The morning After STL? We were completely captivated in that conversation. From day one, that's precisely the message we've tried to promote at Lifeinstyle. However, many people find it challenging to join or engage in what we do because they feel repressed and scared.
Brianna : Right
LIFEINSTYLE LOU: That's amazing and I believe it's invaluable for people to hear that. As for the 10% who react negatively, they need to understand that these are our private lives.
We first came to know about your situation through @ErikaSwingz and Drew. They brought your case to our attention. We were immediately concerned because this isn't the first time an incident like this has occurred involving a teacher in the Lifeinstyle Community. Can you walk us through the events? How did it all begin? And more importantly, how did your school district discover your OnlyFans page?
From left to right, Lifeinstyle members: @TallgirlAlli, @ErikaSwingz and Brianna @bricoppage)
BRIANNA: Yes, that's right. Erica, Drew, my husband, and I became pretty good friends over a short span. We met last summer and attended the Lifeinstyle National Swingers Weekend (NSW) together among other events. We collaborated on some content, and their platform obviously has a lot of attention so someone likely recognized my OnlyFans from their pages. I came to know that residents of my hometown had seen the videos either on OnlyFans or Twitter. They screen recorded these and started circulating them among other adults in my town. And so my husband and I started hearing that adults were talking and sending it around. Everything came to a head at work. It was a day like any other; I was teaching, everything seemed normal. However, by the end of the day, two admins approached me. They began with, "We need to have a sensitive conversation with you." I had a gut feeling about what was coming.
They asked me what I was aware of, to which I replied that I knew about the circulating video of my husband and me. They informed me that they'd received a report from an adult associated with the Sullivan's school district, who pointed them to my OnlyFans content. They then probed into my sources of income outside teaching. When I admitted to having an OnlyFans account, they asked if I was posting during school hours, how long I'd been active on it, and such details. I clarified that I had started it during my summer break and had only been active for a few months. Their response was to place me on paid leave pending an investigation.
LIFEINSTYLE LOU: Were you scared? Were you worried about your job?
BRIANNA: My husband and I always had conversations weighing the risk versus reward. We were fully aware that if my OnlyFans ever came to light, there could be consequences, especially with the school's perspective. It was always lurking at the back of our minds, the idea that the school might disapprove of something that, in essence, is a part of my private life. There were moments of unease, moments when I'd wonder about the potential fallout.
I remember vividly the evening when it started. My husband and I were out for dinner when we came across a post in a St Clair, Missouri Facebook group—a group which included community members, fellow teachers, and even students. Someone had anonymously posted about a "teacher getting fired for having an OnlyFans account" and, to make matters worse, shared the link to my OnlyFans. It was a shock seeing my personal life put on display for the entire community, especially for the students.
But things escalated rapidly from there. By the next morning, I was fielding calls from newspapers wanting to get my story.
LIFEINSTYLE LOU: Facebook is such a big platform and we've seen information spreads like wildfire on there. After the post went up, did you receive any messages or backlash from parents or other adults? Were any threats or particularly nasty comments that stand out in your memory?
BRIANNA: Well, there was one woman from the community who commented on Twitter, saying it was wrong and for me to be a teacher while engaging in these activities. But that was the only local individual I came across with that feeling. Although I wouldn't go so far as to label it a death threat, I did receive a message that hinted at consequences, with words to the effect of "you'll get what's coming to you" and "I hope you burn in hell." However, that was just one isolated incident.
LIFEINSTYLE EM: So, what happened to the person who shared your link? This is shocking to me. An adult found out about your OnlyFans and then shared your link with what seems all the children and adults in your community. What were the consequences for that?
BRIANNA: Precisely. The students wouldn't have had seen it if it weren't for all the adults who were circulating it.
LIFEINSTYLE EM: Absolutely. It's truly these adults who should be facing the scrutiny in this situation.
LIFEINSTYLE LOU: Em and I are no strangers to these situations. In our own town, some of her family have pointed fingers at us, suggesting we're do a terrible job with our kids because of the lifestyle community we're part of. It's tough when you're slapped with these labels in life, being told you should carry shame for it.
How do you feel about your life on OnlyFans? Do you plan to continue with it? Is this something you're looking to pursue further?
BRIANNA: Absolutely. The growth on my OnlyFans has been incredible. I jumped from the top 7% to the top 0%. While I haven't shared specific numbers, I now have thousands of subscribers. To put it in perspective, I've already made to a couple of years' worth of teaching salary.
LIFEINSTYLE LOU: So you ended up attending Lifeinstyle #NSW2023 (National Swingers Weekend). Was it Erika and Drew Swingz who convinced you to attend? How did that come about?
BRIANNA: We quickly became quite close with them. They suggested that we should give it a try, emphasizing how much fun it would be. So we decided to go, and honestly, we had an amazing time.
LIFEINSTYLE LOU: So about NSW, what was the vibe like for you? Were you taken back by the massive turnout?
BRIANNA: Honestly, given my background with OnlyFans and a dancer, I've always approached things with an open mind. So even though many were saying, "Wow, your first event and you're jumping straight into the deep end with the biggest one?" it didn't feel overwhelming for me. I've always believed in not judging, just embracing experiences.
From left to right: @ErikaSwingz and Brianna @bricoppage and @TallgirlAlli at #NSW2023
Lifeinstyle Em: I wanted to ask if anyone has approached you about joining initiatives or support groups that address issues like this. This was a form of cyberbullying, wasn't it? At the end of the day, I feel you were targeted. I'm curious if any initiatives focusing on online privacy awareness and support have reached out to you?
BRIANNA: No, actually, no one from such initiatives has reached out to me. However, I did notice a couple of things. There was a petition that gathered thousands of signatures urging the school to reinstate me. Additionally, some people suggested starting a GoFundMe for me. But regarding cyberbullying or online privacy initiatives, I haven't heard from any.
LIFEINSTYLE EM: It's often problematic when anything related to the world of adult content is involved. But when it comes to this specific niche, some individuals might be hesitant to engage or support. However, it sounds like you've received an overwhelming amount of positive support.
BRIANNA: It was very, very surprising for me to see the amount of people defending me through and all of the comments and the different articles that I was. I think that's what made this transition a lot easier for me.
From left to right: @ErikaSwingz and Brianna (@bricoppage)
LIFEINSTYLE EM: I can see why. I came across your article in River Front Times, and right below it, there was the story about Rachel Worcel who used to work at a law firm in Missouri. She had modeled for Hustler a couple of decades ago, and they fired her because of it. It's unfair. It's empowering to know that some of us women have the strength to move forward.
LIFEINSTYLE EM: Do you find that the people reaching out to you are primarily positive and open-minded? Or do you feel like they're just chasing the spotlight, wanting a piece of the attention you're getting right now since you're the current talk of the town?
BRIANNA: I think it's a mix of both. There are many who've told me they've never subscribed to OnlyFans before but did so just to support my situation. On the other hand, there's a good number who are perhaps just curious or want to chat, wanting a piece of the current buzz. The influx has been overwhelming; I wake up to at least 500 messages daily.
LIFEINSTYLE EM: Thanks for taking this call by the way. Is there anything you wanted to share that you haven't had the chance to, or that might have been overlooked?
BRIANNA: I truly believe the most crucial aspect is addressing that sense of shame.
If we could all just embrace the fact that each of us has the right to be our unique selves, the world would be a better place.
LIFEINSTYLE EM: I love that! I've always thought that when you have a great sex life, suddenly everyone wants a peek into your business. For a long time, society has seemed okay with unsatisfactory marriages or relationships, as long as the façade was maintained. But when a couple is enjoying themselves, suddenly everyone's eager to judge.
LIFEINSTYLE LOU: Thank you, Brianna, for your time and honesty today. It's so important we approach each individual's journey with empathy, not judgment. Stay open-minded.
See you at the parties!
BRIANNA: Thank you!
We live in St. Clair and our daughter goes to Sullivan schools. So sorry to hear about this happening and she has our full support, for what that's worth. Sounds like she's moving on to bigger and better though!