Sofia Rivers or Sonya Rivers (birth name: Sofia Smirnova) grew up in her Ukrainian hometown in a regular family; her parents were not public figures and led ordinary lives.

She began her education at a local gymnasium (grades 1-4), then transferred to a lyceum where she completed her full secondary education (11 grades). After graduation, she moved to Poland and enrolled in a graphic design program at a university in Bydgoszcz.

After one year of study, she voluntarily withdrew from the university and chose not to pursue further formal education.

At the age of 18, she began her career on the OnlyFans platform, initially working as a nude model without explicit content. By the age of 19, her content had become more adult-oriented, starting with solo scenes and later including collaborations with other independent female creators.

At 22, Rivers made her professional studio debut by filming a solo scene for the adult studio Vampired. She also started working with other performers for Hentaied, an international studio based in Budapest. This period marked a breakthrough in her career, bringing her increased visibility and leading to her first mention on the adult industry platform Xbiz.