Inside Shannon Elizabeth’s Life Out of the Spotlight


Shannon Elizabeth is rewriting the script on her own terms and away from the Hollywood soundstage.

The American Pie star is settling into what she calls one of her “best chapters,” splitting her time between her wildlife conservation work in South Africa, a fast-growing charity and a buzz-worthy new OnlyFans venture that has already shattered her expectations.

After quietly separating from husband Simon Borchert in fall 2025 after four years of marriage, Elizabeth is leaning into a life that looks very different from the one that made her famous.

“I envision being very busy. I envision this being, like, one of my best chapters,” Elizabeth told Us Weekly in May 2026. “I want to be busy with projects. I want to be busy with my charity. I want everything to just grow and be successful.”

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From band camp to forever friends! American Pie became an instant classic upon its July 1999 release, in which viewers watched a quartet of high school seniors plot to lose their respective virginities before graduation day. Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Enter your email Please enter a valid email. Subscribe By signing up, […]

Keep scrolling for more on Elizabeth’s life after American Pie:

A Mission Rooted in South Africa

Elizabeth plans to remain based in South Africa “for the most part,” she told Us in May 2026, though she also travels to the United States, Canada and Europe several times a year for work.

“My dog’s here, so it’s easier to travel [internationally] with your dog,” she said. “But, I come over to the U.S. three or four times a year. I’m always in the U.S. or Canada or Europe, just depending on where the work is.”

The main focus of her life abroad is her Shannon Elizabeth Foundation, which she founded in 2018 to protect endangered species, preserve critical habitats and support rangers on the frontlines.

“When I started my charity in the U.S., it was called Animal Avengers. It was a dog and cat rescue that I founded in 2001,” she told Us. “This charity is just the next evolution of that. It’s the same nonprofit number. We just changed our mission.”

Although she worked on the foundation with now-ex Borchert, Elizabeth will continue working even after the divorce is settled.

“I [will] go forward and I mean, things are moving faster than ever,” she said, noting that most of the operations will resume as usual. “Now, actually, it’s like all of a sudden, things are actually happening and rolling, and it’s exciting to see.”

A New Platform, A New Direction

Elizabeth announced in April 2026 that she joined OnlyFans as a way to take back control of her own narrative after spending decades in an industry where “other people controlled the outcome” of her career.

“I’m choosing OnlyFans because it allows me to connect directly with my audience, create on my own terms, and just be free,” she told People. “I really do think this is the future.”

Elizabeth reportedly earned $1 million within a week of launching her adult content profile.

“[My manager told me], ‘You’ve now made more money in the span of a week or two than you did on American Pie, Scary Movie, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and Love Actually combined,” she exclusively told Us in May 2026. “Now, I can actually share even more of what I’m doing out in the field, more of what I’m doing with my charity, more behind the scenes on set when I’m working.

Elizabeth also hasn’t ruled out a potential OnlyFans collaboration with friend and Love Actually costar Denise Richards.

“I reached out to Denise, actually,” Elizabeth told Us. “Denise has been really helpful. She’s talked me through the whole thing. I’m sure sometime in the future, maybe we’ll do a collaboration together.”

Shannon Elizabeth Filed for Divorce From Husband Simon Borchert Days Before Joining OnlyFans Reports

Related: Shannon Elizabeth Filed for Divorce Days Before Joining OnlyFans

Shannon Elizabeth quietly filed for divorce from husband Simon Borchert before announcing she was joining OnlyFans, Us Weekly can confirm. “I’ve been separated since September of last year, and this has been a thoughtful, ongoing process-not something that happened in the past few days,” Elizabeth, 52, told Us in a statement on Thursday, April 16. “The […]

Moving On From Acting

Elizabeth, who rose to fame in the 2000 teen comedy American Pie before going on to appear in Scary Movie, Love Actually, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and That ’70s Show, confirmed in March 2026 she wasn’t asked to reprise her role as Buffy Gilmore in the upcoming Wayans family’s Scary Movie revival.

Producer Marlon Wayans, however, told The Shade Room a future return isn’t completely off the table.

Elizabeth also took up poker as a side career, competing at the World Series of Poker on multiple occasions, and appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2018.

‘One of My Best Chapters’

Elizabeth told Us in May 2026 that she’s in “one of [her] best chapters” yet.

“I’ve been separated since September of last year, and this has been a thoughtful, ongoing process,” she explained of her breakup. “The meaningful pieces are already behind me, and only the formalities remain. I feel stronger, clearer, and happier than I have in a very long time.”

This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. 



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