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<\/p>\nA woman shrugged off her strict religious background to become a glamour model.<\/p>\n
Sapphire Howell was raised as a Mennonite member of the Protestant Church in Ohio, US.<\/p>\n
She worked from the age of 15 to help support her family \u2013 and later got into stripping so she could contribute towards the bills.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Gym babe shares posed and unposed bikini pics as she's 'proud of both' <\/b><\/p>\n
The 26-year-old told FEMAIL : "We just grew up in poverty so I got a job at 15. <\/p>\n
"My drive has always been there to survive and to provide for my family and that's really helped me through my career.<\/p>\n
"I want people to know that I didn't just do it because I felt like doing it. I did do it as survival."<\/p>\n
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Despite having a conservative background, Sapphire said she always had a "cool mum".<\/p>\n
So when she started working in the adult industry, she had her family's support.<\/p>\n
She landed jobs as a Playboy star and began using the name Elsa Jean.<\/p>\n
And after making a name for herself in the modelling world, she launched her own OnlyFans career. <\/p>\n
Sapphire claims she's made millions from the adult subscription site.<\/p>\n
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She's also got her own podcast called HeartBreakers, which she hosts alongside James Maas.<\/p>\n
In recent months, she's appeared on the front cover of Harper's Bazaar and Glamour magazines.<\/p>\n
And her successful career has allowed her to enjoy holidays in the Dominican Republic, Malibu and New York.<\/p>\n
But it's not all been plain sailing for Sapphire, who claims it's been a struggle to make genuine friends.<\/p>\n
She said: "I feel like sometimes it's even hard to make friends because people can be so jealous. I always say, just don't have friends.<\/p>\n
"Everybody laughs at that. But if I really feel like me if you want to be successful and work on your career, it's better to stay away from people. You never know what people want to do, you know, be dishonest or ruin things for you."<\/p>\n
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Even though Sapphire doesn't practice as a Mennonite any more, she hasn't completely lost her connection to spirituality.<\/p>\n
In fact, she's grateful to have been raised with religious values.<\/p>\n
She added: "I genuinely think that it helped keep me grounded by having a religion growing up.<\/p>\n
"Actually I use it now almost as a form of meditation to pray. I'm not necessarily religious anymore, but I like having that background."<\/p>\n
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