Celebrity Sex Toys: How Stars Are Shaping Sexual Wellness

A lot of celebrities are sexy, because sex sells. But in recent years, some stars have been using their power for good and are endorsing — or even creating – their own branded sex toy lines. We’re always excited to see new products on the market, but more than that, we appreciate that sex toys are entering the mainstream. We’re here with our sex educator, Maggie Hart, to explore this trend.

Why Are Celebrities Getting into Sex Toys?

The most obvious answer is, because they can! If you had the social and financial capital to partner with any company that you wanted, wouldn’t sex toys be at the top of the list? (It should be. It’s a fine way to make a living.)

Sex toys are big business these days, and only getting bigger. The market is expected to grow at nearly 8% CAGR through 2034, topping out at $35.75 billion. People whose careers center around cultural trends are undoubtedly aware that this is a good place to be right now.

It’s also a great way to broadcast body positivity and wellness. Celebrities whose marketability often centers around their measurements are well aware of the mixed messages out there, and embracing products meant to bring pleasure to all bodies is a worthwhile use of the influence they wield.

The Trailblazers: Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop

Gwyneth Paltrow was one of the very first celebrities to throw their hat into the sexual wellness space. Paltrow launched her lifestyle brand, Goop, in 2008. This wasn’t exactly groundbreaking; celebrities have been promoting carefully curated collections for quite some time now.

But Goop was one of the first to feature a sex shop in the wellness section. Not only does it feature toys from high-end manufacturers such as Dame, Lelo, Womanizer, and We-Vibe, but there are items designed for and branded as “goop wellness.” As with the other products on her site, Paltrow is clearly putting her very personal touch on this category. (Does anyone remember the Smells Like My Vagina candle? A curious friend reported that it was more reminiscent of an herb garden than a lady garden.)

At its heart, Goop is an upscale women’s health and wellness brand, and we love that they acknowledge that sexuality and sex toys are very much a part of health and wellness. Goop features educational content as well as excellent products as they celebrate women feeling good in their bodies in every possible way.

Dakota Johnson: The New Face of Sexual Wellness

Dakota Johnson burst onto the scene (sort of — with parents Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, she was not exactly an outsider) in Fifty Shades of Grey, so her name has always been associated with sexual exploration. She is clearly comfortable with that, and in 2020, Johnson joined the pleasure product company Maude as an investor and co-creative director.

Maude is “a modern wellness company built on quality, simplicity and inclusivity… on a mission to make intimacy better for all people.” They design all their products in-house in conjunction with a medical advisory board, and the educational resources on their site include topics like how seasons impact your sex drive, is sex the secret to better sleep, and sex ed is lifelong. This is a company that values all aspects of sexual health and wellness, and now it has buy-in from Hollywood royalty to add to its credibility.

Cara Delevingne: Putting Inclusivity First

Model and actress Cara Delevingne identifies as pansexual and gender-fluid, and she has consistently advocated for the queer community. Like Dakota Johnson, Delevingne has also used her influence (and income) in the sexual wellness space as a creative advisor and co-owner of Lora DiCarlo.

Lora DiCarlo was an innovative startup that collaborated with Oregon State University’s robotics lab to create high-tech sex toys engineered to work with all bodies. Inclusivity was their focus, and the toys worked across all gender identities and combinations. This company was a perfect fit for Delevingne, and her involvement spotlighted how pleasure products can be a form of activism. Unfortunately, the company seems to have gone out of business as of late 2022 amidst some controversy.

Amber Rose: Power Through Pleasure

Model and influencer Amber Rose has made a career out of body positivity, sex positivity, and breaking down barriers. She partnered with Lelo in 2018, choosing her six favorite toys from their collection to feature in her ToyBox. Rose explained “Orgasms don’t judge, and neither do I. Pleasure is inclusive, and…  me and Lelo have you covered with a collection of products that turn up the heat.”

Rose is unapologetically sexual, and she wants other women to own their sexuality without shame. By declaring this collection of sex toys her personal favorites, she is letting other women know that sex toys are — or should be — a normal part of life, and so is talking about them.

Lily Allen: The “Liberty” of Sexual Freedom

British singer-songwriter Lily Allen teamed up with Womanizer in 2020 to announce #IMASTURBATE (do you?). This campaign featured a special edition of the Liberty by Lily Allen vibrator in vibrant shades of pink and orange.

Womanizer reached out to Allen after she mentioned them in her autobiography My Thoughts Exactly, and Allen took the mic: “I hope that this collaboration will lead to people feel that they can talk more freely about masturbation and if somebody like me can talk openly about it without shame then they might feel inclined to try it out for themselves – a whole new world awaits.”

More Celebrities Entering the Scene

We are excited to see more names in this space every year. The best way to erase stigma around masturbation and sex toys is to normalize them, and in today’s society, celebrity endorsements go a long way to “normalizing” products.

• Womanizer has quite a following because they have also collaborated with Iggy Azalea, Naomi Watanabe, and Marilyn Monroe’s estate.
• Harry Styles launched the Pleasing brand, which includes vibrators and lube.
• Charlie Brooks of EastEnders has produced a U line with Ann Summers.
• Naomi Watts’s beauty and wellness line includes “play oil” lube.
• Katy Perry included a Womanizer vibrator in her Woman’s World
• Mötley Crüe and Lovehoney released a line of eight vibrators.
• Demi Lovato and Bellessa Boutique created the Demi Wand vibrator.

Why Celebrity Endorsement Matters: Final Thoughts

We are, generally, not star-chasers. However, we admire and appreciate celebrities who use their platform and influence to spread the message that masturbation and sex toys are a “normal” part of life. If these beautiful, wealthy, powerful people acknowledge the joys of this kind of self-love, it sends the message that masturbation and sex toys are not just for losers who can’t get laid. It’s another form of sexual expression, and it’s just as valid as any other kind.

Practically speaking, celebrity collabs tend to sell very well. Sex toy manufacturers and retailers know this, so they don’t hesitate to invest in these toys. This means that even if you don’t care all that much about the name on the box, you can fairly assume that there’s a pretty good product inside it.

We’ll end this with more words from Lily Allen: “I think the only way to make taboo subjects no longer taboo is to speak about them openly and frequently and without shame or guilt… Embrace what makes you feel good and own your pleasure.”

Happy vibing!

Maggie

Maggie Hart has written about sexual well-being and sexuality in society for quite a few years now. She is active in communities that celebrate sex for older adults.

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