The Bella Thorne OnlyFans refund meme originates from a massive controversy in August 2020 when actress Bella Thorne joined the platform and earned $2 million in her first week. The backlash began when she charged subscribers $200 for a pay-per-view photo she claimed was 'naked,' but was actually just her wearing lingerie. This led to an unprecedented number of refund requests, causing OnlyFans to change its payout rules and cap prices, which severely impacted the income of independent sex workers on the site. The meme is now used to highlight bait-and-switch tactics, celebrity greed, or the frustration of paying for high-priced content that fails to meet expectations.