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Kendra Bates, a dancer and former OnlyFans model who says she’s been grappling with her faith, left Los Angeles to experience life in an Amish community.
The 33-year-old is one of six participants featured on TLC’s “Suddenly Amish,” a reality TV series where people leave their modern lives behind to live in rural Pennsylvania.
“Suddenly Amish” is guided by a man identified on-screen as Bishop Vernon, whom the show portrays as welcoming outsiders — known as “English” — into Amish life, a premise the series presents as a departure from tradition. Cameras are given access to document what the network calls a social experiment.
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Kendra Bates, a former content creator from California, is one of six cast members who left their lives to experience life in an Amish community. (TLC)
“When I was presented with this opportunity, I was like, ‘This is literally an opportunity from God,’” Bates told Fox News Digital.
“This is a no-brainer for me. I have gotten so far away from my roots living in L.A. because it’s so drastically different. I’ve been in L.A. for about nine or 10 years now. I’m just not feeling it anymore — superficial, dirty L.A.”
According to TLC, the reality TV show “Suddenly Amish” offers six “outsiders” the opportunity to experience life in an Amish community. (TLC)
Most Amish people don’t pose for photos, PBS.org reported. They view it as a violation of the Second Commandment, which forbids “graven images.”
WATCH: ‘SUDDENLY AMISH’ STAR KENDRA BATES OPENS UP ABOUT HER ONLYFANS PAST
According to the outlet, the belief is that photos or other physical depictions, such as paintings or film, can encourage vanity and individualism — traits that conflict with their emphasis on humility. Practices can vary by community.
Bates said she saw a casting ad for the show on social media and signed up immediately, eager to explore a lifestyle that aligned more closely with her Christian faith.
Kendra Bates is seen here getting a makeover during filming. (TLC)
“I wanted to get back to small roots again,” the Wisconsin native shared. “This came at a point where I was questioning my career and the guys I was dating. Everything was falling apart, and now I feel morally aligned with where I am in my life.”
Kendra Bates, a Wisconsin native, lived in California for over a decade to pursue a career in dance. (Courtesy of Kendra Bates)
Bates said the lifestyle wasn’t foreign to her, explaining that her family had been part of a Mennonite community just a few generations ago. Mennonites tend to be more accepting of modern life than the Amish, though the two groups share similar beliefs and practices, People magazine reported.
As she pursued dance in California, Kendra Bates said her curiosity about the Amish lifestyle lingered in the background. (TLC)
As a college student in Ohio, Bates said she was invited to a gathering linked to what she described as Rumspringa, a coming-of-age period observed in some Amish communities, the outlet reported. The tradition allows young people to experience life outside their strict religious norms before deciding whether to commit to the church.
While Bates was intrigued about the Amish world, she identified as a “proud atheist” for years.
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Kendra Bates said her career as a dancer and content creator began conflicting with some of her Christian values after she was baptized. (Courtesy of Kendra Bates)
“Even in college, I was like, ‘God isn’t real,’” she said. “I was caught in these dark cycles of binge-drinking all the time. I was blacking out, trying drugs, sleeping with guys easily. I wasn’t respecting myself. There were so many dark paths in my life. I felt like I was losing myself. I didn’t have morals or standards for myself.”
Bates said she was later encouraged by friends to join OnlyFans in hopes of earning more money. The platform saw a surge of users during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many in-person venues closed or became riskier.
Kendra Bates said she turned to OnlyFans to help boost her career in California. (Alissa Rosenborough/Courtesy of Kendra Bates)
The subscription site has been highly lucrative for some creators, with top earners making thousands of dollars a month. It has also drawn celebrities looking to connect directly with fans on their own terms.
Kendra Bates said being comfortable “with my body and sexuality” made it easier for her to consider OnlyFans. (Nick Gilligan/Courtesy of Kendra Bates)
“I started doing OnlyFans because, yes, the money was very enticing,” she said. “You hear about all these girls making thousands of dollars a week. Was I that lucky? No … but I was comfortable with my body and my sexuality. As a dancer, that comes naturally. I liked showcasing that. I felt good in lingerie.”
“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.”
Kendra Bates (second left) admitted she didn’t think her outfit would raise eyebrows. (TLC)
Wanting to turn her life around, the content creator stepped into a church. By the end of the service, Bates said she was “sobbing.” She was baptized in January 2025.
Despite that spiritual turning point, her curiosity about the Amish never faded. Bates also believed she had much to learn from Amish women.
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OnlyFans, created in 2016, hosts erotic content, as well as fitness content, musicians and other creators who post regularly online. (Loic Venance/AFP via Getty Images)
“I think I was fascinated by the Amish because they live so differently than I do,” she said. “I knew going in I would learn a lot from them, especially from the women, because they don’t do what I do.”
“I needed to get out of my element to grow. I wanted to change,” Bates said.
Kendra Bates said she has gained a deeper appreciation for women in Amish communities. (TLC)
With her family’s blessing, Bates joined the series. While she said she was prepared to give up modern comforts such as her phone, makeup and indoor plumbing, she wasn’t prepared for the scrutiny over her appearance.
In-between filming “Suddenly Amish,” a producer took this snapshot of Kendra Bates trying on Amish attire. The participants of the show surrendered their phones. (Instagram.com/_kendrabates_/)
In the first episode, Bates appears in a short skirt and a plunging neckline, prompting Bishop Vernon to reprimand her for what he described as a lack of modesty, according to the show. Bates said California’s warm climate had conditioned her to dress in more revealing clothing.
“When he was talking to me, I thought, ‘He’s slut-shaming me,’” Bates recalled. “But he wasn’t. He was trying to have an open conversation with me. He asked, ‘Why do you dress the way you do?’”
In “Suddenly Amish,” six participants must submit to the rules and daily routines of Amish life. (TLC)
“I thought I was doing all the right things,” Bates said. “I was going to church. I wasn’t really drinking or giving in to lust. I was reading my Bible all the time. I was confused because I still felt like I was being treated as if I was doing OnlyFans or sleeping with a lot of people.”
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According to the network, Bishop Vernon wants to expand his community’s population. (TLC)
“Bishop Vernon told me, ‘I feel like I’m looking at you and something is missing in your heart — something isn’t aligned,'” Bates shared. “And I said, ‘You’re right. I’m not aligned.’”
“I say I’m living for God, but I’m not dressing in a godly way,” she said, noting she threw away “90% of my clothes” during her stay after that conversation.
As a college student, Kendra Bates said she interacted with younger Amish people. (TLC)
Bates said that while the show is reality TV, her experience and her close connection to God are the real deal.
Kendra Bates said she’s since embraced more modest fashion. (Courtesy of Kendra Bates)
“I no longer struggle with the fact that I did OnlyFans because I’m learning the grace and forgiveness of God,” she said.
“I have so much more in my heart to give, and that outweighs anything I’ve done in my past. My past is my past, and anyone who holds me to it isn’t someone I want in my life. I’ve completely changed my life, and I’m living for God.”
Kendra Bates (second left) learns how to churn butter. (TLC)
“Am I a perfect Christian? Absolutely not,” she reflected. “I’m learning and growing every day. But my values, how I carry myself and the people I surround myself with are different. Because I feel like I’m walking more closely with Christ, my past doesn’t define me anymore.”
“Suddenly Amish” airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. The Associated Press contributed to this report.