Lana Del Bae first started camming at the beginning of 2017, since she was not earning enough at her minimum-wage job at a toy and game store to get away from a toxic and abusive home life. Inspired by her sister, who also works in the adult industry, she set out to become a cam model.
“I secretly cammed from the corner of my parents’ attic until I was able to save up enough to move into my very first apartment,” she recalled. “My first apartment was actually in low-income housing and I’m now a homeowner, so when I say camming changed my life and saved my life, it’s from the truest part of my heart.”
While those initial couple of months were a blur of figuring out the business, Del Bae counts herself fortunate to have found her “cam fam” fast during those early days, drawing fans to her room who still continue to be loyal today.
“I’m so grateful for the love and support of my fan base over the years,” she expressed. “They really showed me that the sky’s the limit. They are so encouraging and excited about any new adventure I decide to take on, from covering my body in glitter — and regretting it a lot! — to endless voting during awards season and supporting me during long streams at different expos I attend. We make an incredible team and I feel so blessed.”
Now, as a co-host of Chaturbate’s “Sex Tales” podcast alongside acclaimed model Melody Kush, and a proud standard-bearer of the brand, Del Bae counts more than 200,000 followers on the platform, with tens of thousands across social media as well. With content released on Chaturbate’s Peach platform and streaming greatness in abundance, Del Bae hit a new peak after being crowned Cam Model of the Year at the 2022 XBIZ Awards.
In this exclusive Cam Star of the Month interview, the queenly broadcaster tells all, reflecting on a life well-lived and a five-year adult career that has begun to truly blossom.
XBIZ: How has camming empowered you personally and professionally?
DEL BAE: Ah, I love this question! Camming has changed my life in so many positive ways. Personally, it’s interesting because you’d think being naked in front of hundreds of people every night would make you self-conscious, but it’s actually so freeing and wonderful to be accepted and loved in this natural state of existence. It’s also empowered me to be able to partake in one of my largest passions: charity work.
We do monthly charity shows where my cam room and I raise money for everything from wildlife organizations to children’s hospitals to veteran support. It’s incredibly heartwarming to be able to have enough to give back to the world in such a big way.
Professionally, being my own boss — and being good at being my own boss — is amazing and so empowering. To know you set the rules of the game and reach goals all on your own steam is so uplifting. Of course, some days it’s challenging to have to be in charge of everything but my gosh, it’s so rewarding.
XBIZ: Describe your relationship with Chaturbate and why it’s your platform of choice.
DEL BAE: Chaturbate is the best platform hands-down. They treat each one of their models with respect and dignity, no matter if they are top front-page or just began streaming two weeks ago. The community of both models and members is so kind and welcoming. It’s my first and only choice and where I suggest anyone that shows interest in camming should start.
What really made me choose Chaturbate as my forever home was back in 2017, when I first started, I needed documentation for proof of income to move and Shirley, the COO of Chaturbate, personally wrote and signed paperwork for me to show to my landlord at the time. It was so kind and she truly went out of her way to take care of one of her models.
Now, five years later, I work very closely with her on different projects including our podcast, “Sex Tales,” and I see that same kindness and care towards me and all Chaturbate models. It’s rare to find a cam site or any place without a pecking order, but Chaturbate has created a home of inclusiveness and love and it’s amazing to be a part of it!
XBIZ: What other business opportunities and revenues do you focus on beyond camming?
DEL BAE: I create content — pictures and videos — for Chaturbate’s new platform, Peach. It’s been fun to be at the forefront of a new platform and see it blossom into life. I am also a co-host with Melody Kush on our podcast, “Sex Tales.” Podcasting was never something I had considered before, but it’s been such an amazing and fun journey; I love every second of it.
As for future plans, I would love to start a pitbull rescue project. Pitbulls are such sweethearts, but unfortunately, people try to make them into these aggressive dogs and then abandon them when they can’t handle them. I would love to bring them into my house, rehabilitate them, socialize them and give them a second chance at a new and better life. That’s just a personal passion project I have in mind for the future, though … I don’t think it’d be a good source of income, just a good source of happiness.
XBIZ: How do you manage your schedule as a creator, while making time for social media marketing?
DEL BAE: I am so anal about my scheduling and timing, haha. I get online at exactly 8 p.m. PST on nights that I cam and not a minute more or less. I know it sounds crazy, but holding myself to being on time makes me a better model. I know I have to be there and so I am. There’s no “Ah, maybe I’ll just take the day off.” Nope. I create my schedule a month in advance and stick to it!
Social media marketing honestly has never been hard to fit in for me. I used to be an event promoter for tons of EDM shows before I started camming so I was always posting about different shows, where people could get tickets and all that. When I became a cam model and realized online marketing was a big part of the job, I didn’t feel like it was something I had to learn or fit into my life. It kind of just came naturally.
XBIZ: What fun activities are you most known for on cam and how would your fans describe your overall vibe?
DEL BAE: Well, I’m known for putting frozen butt-plugs in my ass and fainting on the spot when you tip me 19 tokens, haha.
I think my fans would describe my vibe as laid-back and fun. We like to chill and enjoy each other’s company and see where the night takes us. Sometimes it takes us into six back-to-back cum-shows, sometimes we just sit and talk about life experiences and sometimes it leads into an evening of me wearing a llama head while dancing around naked … who knows?! The possibilities are endless.
XBIZ: Discuss a few of your favorite highlights from “Sex Tales,” as the show you co-host with Melody Kush releases episodes for its second season.
DEL BAE: “Sex Tales” has been such an interesting and fun experience from day one; learning how to navigate a completely new adventure has been eye-opening and life-changing in many ways. I love how much I’ve learned about the adult industry and the incredible people in it. I used to only know about the cam world, but learning the history of people that have been in all parts of the adult industry for 20-to- 30 years is amazing! These are the women that walked so I could run and it’s humbling to be able to interview them and learn about their journeys.
I can’t give away too much because I want you to be surprised, but I will say season two is a banger. The guests we have had the pleasure of working with have been amazing.
XBIZ: How was your X3 Expo experience, representing Chaturbate at the company’s massive exhibitor space?
DEL BAE: X3 Expo was amazing! Everyone there was so happy and kind. The fans that I met and the other models and exhibitors were all so sweet. I loved the layout of the event as well; it felt very easy to navigate and I loved the photo-op walls. They were so much fun! It was such a cool and great way to not only promote the X3 event on social media, but also to give everyone a way of interacting with the event in a new and clever way. Who doesn’t love taking pictures, right?
Representing Chaturbate is always great. I feel very taken care of and appreciated whenever I’m at the Chaturbate booth. They go out of their way to make sure their models have a happy experience. Which is why both days of camming at X3 Expo, I wore Chaturbate swag to flex my love of them.
XBIZ: What was it like to be crowned Cam Model of the Year at the 2022 XBIZ Awards in January?
DEL BAE: Absolutely insane! Honestly, I will never get used to the fact that other people know who I am now, haha. Truly though, it was amazing. I didn’t expect to win at all and started crying as soon as they called out my name. I am so humbled and appreciative of this community and I’m really proud that I have been able to work hard and be recognized for my achievements by such a well-known and respected company like XBIZ — it’s such an honor.
I remember the first year I started camming, seeing awards shows and thinking how cool that would be to even attend a show much less win an award. I’m thankful for Chaturbate for creating a platform for me to cam on and I’m thankful for XBIZ for recognizing the hard work I put into camming as my career — and I’m of course thankful for my fans who support me through thick and thin! Starting the year by winning this award has been such a wonderful experience. Even months later it still leaves me speechless to think about.
XBIZ: Any big goals for the year you’re excited about working to achieve?
DEL BAE: Well, last year I bought a house so I don’t know how I’ll beat that goal! This year, I think I’ll just relax a bit and go for something less lofty like traveling; I want to go to beautiful places and masturbate there. One of the great things about camming and content creation is that you can do it anywhere and for me, I want to experience that a bit this year … traveling is getting safer and I want to take advantage of that. I want to explore and I want to take my fans with me while I do it.
