Suddenly Amish: Kendra Recalls Her 0nlyF@ns Days — Says “I Wasn’t Respecting Myself!”

Kendra Bates is one of the six cast members of TLC’s Suddenly Amish. As a native of Los Angeles, she answered the casting call for the reality show when LA life got too overwhelming. Before she joined the Lancaster community, she was selling raunchy photos on OnlyFans.

Kendra’s life changed drastically after living in LA for 10 years. She felt as if she were losing herself in the fast-paced LA life. Also, her morality felt different. As a part of the LA life, she thought she was embracing her body, but later she saw it differently. Read more about Kendra’s OF model life below.

Kendra Misses Home, Begs James To Let Her Phone Her Mom On Suddenly Amish

Kendra tells James she is homesick. On Suddenly Amish, Kendra reveals that she spoke to her mother every day. Now with no access to a phone, she is getting homesick and misses talking to her mom. She approaches James to ask whether there is a phone she can use. The former LA native also reports trouble sleeping since moving to live among the Amish. Kendra doesn’t ask for much. “I just wanna hear her voice,” Kendra says. James understands where Kendra is coming from.

As much as James would like to help Kendra, he fears the community still doesn’t have a phone. He says they are building a phone shanty, but does not provide a specific completion date. Kendra breaks down and says she wants to leave. Later, James finds Kendra a phone. They go to the edge of the cornfield so Kendra can speak with her mom briefly.

From OnlyFans To Amish Life: Suddenly Amish Star Kendra Bates Reveals Why She Needed A Complete Reset

Kendra Bates’ life in LA, before Suddenly Amish, was loud and fast. The Suddenly Amish star was living in Los Angeles for nearly a decade. The former OnlyFans model said she felt disconnected from her true self. She moved to LA from Wisconsin a long time ago, and she was neck deep in the fast-paced LA life, which she described as “superficial” and “dirty.”

Kendra attended college in LA, where she began her “atheist” lifestyle. The reality star described it as “dark cycles of binge-drinking, trying drugs, [and] sleeping with guys easily.” She said those dark times, she didn’t respect herself. Moreover, when her friends encouraged her to join OnlyFans, she did it. “Money was very enticing,” she added after hearing that models earn almost a thousand dollars a week. It felt like owning one’s body.

Kendra didn’t earn so much money, but in her head, by doing OnlyFans, she felt she was. “In my mind, I was like, ‘I’m owning my sexuality,’” she continued. “I’m owning my female empowerment.’ But I realize now I was doing the exact opposite of what I thought I should be doing.”

Later in January of 2025, she felt disconnected from the OF life and the LA life. She got baptized, and when the casting call for Suddenly Amish happened, she knew she had to take it. “I wanted to get back to small roots again,” as her family was also part Menonite. For more Suddenly Amish updates, follow TV Season & Spoilers.