OnlyFans model and porn star Layla Kelly worked in the banking industry for seven years before she switched tracks. She could not be happier about the switch, but Layla acknowledges that working in the adult entertainment industry comes with its own set of challenges – like banks rejecting her home loan application.

In a conversation with news.com.au, Layla, 34, opened up about having her home loan application rejected despite her six-figure income, her job before she turned to OnlyFans, and much more.

Work-life balance

Layla Kelly quit her corporate job of seven years to enter the adult entertainment industry. It was a gamble that paid off for Layla, who was voted New Zealand’s Best Porn Star in both 2023 and 2024, according to Daily Mail.

When she quit her job, Layla was living “pay cheque to pay cheque” despite working long hours.

“I didn’t want to be chained to a corporate desk anymore”, she told news.com.au. “I wanted a better work-life balance, and I wanted more time with my family and freedom to increase my income.”

Layla was earning $65,000 by the time she quit her banking job. She wanted financial stability, but her low salary made that look like a distant dream.

On loan application rejection

Switching career tracks allowed Layla to increase her income. While she was in banking, she had never believed she could own a home someday.

“I didn’t even think buying a house was possible on my banking wage,” she said. “The cost of living in New Zealand is really high, so even when you’re being paid what is supposed to be a liveable wage, it doesn’t feel that way anymore.”

For Layla, increasing her salary by $185,000 a year was nothing short of “amazing”.

She managed to save up a six-figure deposit when she decided to buy a house. However, there was one bank that rejected her loan application due to the industry in which she works.

“We had an incredible broker who went out to bat for us, and most banks were great, but there was one that wouldn’t assess our application because of the industry I’m in,” she told news.com.au.

“I was really annoyed. They just saw it on paper and didn’t even care to have a conversation with us,” she said, calling the bank “hypocritical.”