New member drops Lynnwood City Council appointment after Onlyfans scandal

LYNNWOOD, Wash. – Recent controversy surrounding “dark and bizarre” online activity has led to Jessica Roberts withdrawing her appointment to the Lynnwood City Council.

On Thursday, Roberts formally withdrew her consideration to the vacant city council position.

In a statement to FOX 13 Seattle, Roberts wrote:

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

The controversy behind Jessica Roberts

The backstory:

Roberts was appointed unanimously to the position, but was still awaiting a confirmation hearing from the rest of the council. FOX 13 Seattle last reported the council planned to convene Thursday to consider rescinding her appointment.

The controversy stemmed from an Onlyfans account linked to her social media profiles, as well as explicit content posted to Reddit that was linked to her, as well.

Sexually explicit content was publicly accessible on her Instagram profile, and council members took issue with the fetish content she wrote about on Reddit, which some described as “dark and bizarre.”

As far as her appointment, Roberts was among the final eight selected for interviews for the vacant . During her interview on Feb. 18, she focused on pedestrian-friendly initiatives, stating, “I think my voice would be useful, particularly in regards to walkability for pedestrians.”

The council has until April 5 to find a replacement, after which the decision falls to the Snohomish County Council.

The Source: Information in this story comes from a statement by Jessica Roberts, in addition to previous coverage by FOX 13 Seattle.