Influencer Piper Rockelle addresses mom Tiffany Smith's abuse allegations for first time since explosive Bad Influence documentary
Teen YouTube star Piper Rockelle has spoken out about the years-old abuse allegations brought against her mother, Tiffany Smith, by 11 fellow young content creators.
Smith, who helped her now 17-year-old daughter shoot to internet fame, was sued in 2022 by former members of 'Piper's Squad,' who alleged they suffered from 'emotional, verbal, physical, and at times, sexual abuse' while creating content for Rockelle's YouTube channel between 2017 and 2020.
The events leading up to the lawsuit were explored in Netflix's new docuseries Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing.
Addressing the controversies detailed in the documentary for the first time since its April release, Rockelle defended her mother against the accusations.
'They're not making it up, but they're extending the truth,' she told Rolling Stone in a new interview. 'I was there. I witnessed every day ... I think that they believe what they are saying, but I was there and I saw everything.'
Smith also denied the allegations, calling them 'terrible exaggerations' in a statement to the outlet. 'There's never been any kind of abuse. No physical abuse, no sexual abuse. No verbal abuse. Nothing,' she said.
The Independent has reached out to Rockelle and Smith for comment.
Among the bombshell claims included in the lawsuit was one that alleged Smith sent several of Rockelle's soiled training bras and underwear 'to an unknown individual.'
Ahead of the docuseries' premiere, Smith rejected those claims. In her interview with Rolling Stone, Rockelle repeated her mother's statement, explaining she 'had a Poshmark that I was selling my old clothes on because I had a brand deal.'
'I never sold any of my underwear,' she said.
Speaking further about the backlash she and her mother have faced in the wake of the lawsuit, Rockelle said: 'You know where I live. Come get me if you want to save me. If you want to 'Save Piper,' stop talking please. Because by hurting my mother, you're hurting a part of me.
'That's something I have to worry about is people coming and trying to take away my mother because they always envied my mom and I's relationship,' she added. 'My father was never in my life so it's always just been her.'
Months after the initial lawsuit was filed against Smith, she filed a $30 million countersuit and accused the plaintiffs' mothers of making false sexual abuse allegations to extort her. However, she quickly dropped the lawsuit voluntarily, with lawyers representing the mothers calling her countersuit 'baseless.'
Before they were able to go to trial, both parties agreed to a $1.8 million settlement. As part of the settlement terms, Smith denied any wrongdoing.
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