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Time of India
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
After Ahaan Panday and Vedang Raina, influencer Tanzeel Khan joins the doppelgänger multiverse as Saiyaara release breaks the internet
Just when fans were recovering from the visual déjà vu between Bollywood's new heartthrobs Ahaan Panday and Vedang Raina, social media dropped a wild twist, Tanzeel Khan, the OG internet creator, joined the mix. And no, this is not a joke. It is giving triplet energy in high definition. First Ahaan, then Vedang... now Tanzeel? Internet declares a doppelgänger trifecta The memes were already thriving when Ahaan's Saiyaara stills were placed next to Vedang's brooding poses. Wavy hair, sharp jawlines, intense gazes, the resemblance was unreal. But now, Instagram reels are showing Tanzeel's close-ups... and the internet is spiralling. Fans swear these three are the same man just rebranded in different aesthetics. Who is Tanzeel Khan & why is everyone suddenly talking about him? If you have been on the internet since the days, you already know Tanzeel Khan. He was that smooth-transition king, part of the iconic DAMNFAM clan with Mrunu Panchal, Anirudh Sharma, Manav, and Unnati. But he didn't stop there, Tanzeel also dipped into music, dropping soulful tracks and carving a solid space in the indie scene. Fast forward to now, and Tanzeel is going viral for something completely different: looking like Ahaan Panday's twin from another timeline. Reels with side-by-sides of Tanzeel and Ahaan have fans screaming in the comments, claiming the resemblance is 'too damn uncanny to be real.' Social media is in meltdown mode after Saiyaara's release It started with people casually pointing it out. Now it is a full-blown meme war. X (formerly Twitter) is flooded with 'Ahaan-Vedang-Tanzeel' edits, wild conspiracies, and even movie plot suggestions. One user joked, 'Can we get a Bollywood thriller with all three playing conmen brothers who do identity swaps?' Honestly, sign us up. Finally we got the male counterpart of Raveena Tandon-Twinkle Khanna The viral caption that really broke the internet? 'We got the male version of Raveena-Twinkle. But now there's a third one. Is this a glitch in the matrix or Bollywood's best prank yet?' Meanwhile, Saiyaara is slaying the box office In case you forgot how this madness started—Saiyaara, starring debutants Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, is now the highest-grossing Hindi debut film ever with Rs 83 crore in just three days. And all this without traditional pre-release promo. Director Mohit Suri clearly knew what he was doing, just like Aashiqui 2 days. And while Ahaan and Aneet take over cinemas, Tanzeel Khan is taking over timelines. Maybe it is time for Bollywood to cast all three and give the internet the chaotic cinematic crossover it deserves.
Buzz Feed
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Tell Us: What Do You Think Is Undeniably Zillennial?
If you're reading this, odds are you — like me — are a Zillennial. You know, that weird, cusp age group that's too young to fully understand the Millennial experience, but also too old to be fully Gen Z? Like, you were technically born in the '90s, but maybe don't fully relate to all those "'90s kid" you also remember a time before smartphones and computers ruled the world, unlike most of Gen Z. Generally speaking, if you were born between 1993 and 1998, welcome! You're a Zillennial. As you've also probably seen, the Internet is pretty obsessed with talking about generational trends or patterns and pitting them against each other — for instance, the whole "Gen Z stare" thing or the thorough roasting of Millennial design trends like "Millennial gray". This got me thinking — what trends, pop culture moments, or other generational things do you consider to be Zillennial-core? For instance, in my opinion, the golden era of YouTube vlog culture is sooo Zillennial (even if most of the creators aren't). Whenever I reference YouTubers I grew up watching, my Millennial friends only know who I'm talking about, like, half the time, and my younger Gen Z friends say YouTube was less their vibe and they were more into apps like or Instagram. whole dystopian YA book to movie era? Sooo Zillennial. Being the same age as the protagonists in those books and movies as they came out just hit different, you know? I'm not saying no one else watched them, but I feel like this was to us what Harry Potter was to Millennials. Now it's your turn! What trends (social, fashion, design, etc.), pop culture moments (TV, movies, tropes, music, celebs), or other things do you think are 100% Zillennial? For instance, is there a tattoo trend that is to Zillennials like the mustache finger tattoo was to Millennials? Or a food trend like the Millennial rainbow food era? Tell us in the comments or via the anonymous form below, and your response might just be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed Community post!
Forbes
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Where Is Piper Rockelle Now? Teen Influencer Slams Netflix Docuseries As ‘Untrue'
HOLLYWOOD, CA - NOVEMBER 21: Piper Rockelle participates in the 2nd Annual Toys For Tots Toy Drive ... More held at The Industry Loft Space on November 21, 2020 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images) Netflix's explosive new docuseries, Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing, exposes the unregulated and often dangerous world of child social media influencers. It centers on the rise of YouTube star Piper Rockelle and the troubling accusations against her mother and manager, Tiffany Smith. Directed by Jenna Rosher and Kief Davidson, Netflix's new three-part docuseries delves into the disturbing allegations made by former members of Rockelle's YouTube group, The Squad, consisting of up-and-coming influencers recruited by Smith to appear in Piper's videos. The YouTubers racked up billions of views, but the success came at a cost. In 2022, eleven former Squad members and their guardians filed a lawsuit against Smith, accusing her of creating 'an emotionally, physically and sometimes sexually abusive environment' both on and off set during their time with Piper Rockelle Inc. Meanwhile, Smith claimed that the lawsuit was driven by The Squad's 'financial jealousy of a 15-year-old girl.' If you're watching Bad Influence, you may be curious about Rockelle's current situation, her comments regarding the docuseries, and whether she continues to make videos after the serious accusations. Here's everything that has happened since the bombshell lawsuit against her mother was settled last year. EL SEGUNDO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 15: Actress/Influencer Piper Rockelle attends the New Interactive ... More Live Stage Show Of Disney's "The Little Mermaid" at the El Segundo Performing Arts Center on March 15, 2018 in El Segundo, California. (Photo by) Piper Rockelle is a 17-year-old social media influencer born in Atlanta, Georgia, on August 21, 2007. She got her start as a child actor, appearing in both scripted and unscripted shows, according to Netflix. From a young age, Piper became fascinated with beauty pageants after watching the TLC reality show Toddlers & Tiaras. She entered and won her first pageant at three years old. At the time, her mom, Tiffany, owned a pet grooming business but eventually shifted her focus to supporting Piper's pageant career," per Netflix. Rockelle launched her account in 2016 and quickly became one of the platform's top creators. After a social media manager approached her and her mom at a meet-and-greet in November 2016, they decided to take their advice and start a YouTube channel. As a result, Piper's online presence grew significantly. Piper and her mother then connected with Hunter Hill, an aspiring influencer they met at a conference in Los Angeles. Hill began helping with Piper's YouTube channel by filming and editing her videos, and he eventually became romantically involved with her mother. After Smith and Piper relocated to L.A., the trio moved in together. At one point, Rockelle was reportedly earning up to $625,000 a month from brand partnerships and other revenue streams, totaling between $4.2 million and $7.5 million annually, according to the Los Angeles Times. Smith began recruiting other aspiring young influencers to appear alongside Rockelle in her videos, forming a group called 'The Squad.' The Squad created fun and silly content, from lip-syncs and pranks to skits and viral challenges. However, tensions began to rise when parents of Squad members started raising concerns about Smith's behavior, both on and off camera, around their children. Tiffany Smith From Netflix's "The Dark Side of Kidfluencing." In January 2022, eleven former Squad members filed a lawsuit against Tiffany Smith, seeking $22 million in damages. The suit claimed that Smith fostered 'an emotionally, physically and sometimes sexually abusive environment' both on and off set during their time with her company, Piper Rockelle Inc. The complaint details multiple instances in which Smith allegedly touched the plaintiffs (all minors) inappropriately…such as 'sticking a finger in Plaintiffs' butts," commenting on how 'big' one Plaintiff's breasts looked and attempting to squeeze them, and offering to show an 11-year-old girl how to perform oral sex. The lawsuit also lists several sexually explicit things Smith allegedly said to the male teens about their private areas. She also allegedly 'mailed out several of Piper's soiled training bras and panties to an unknown individual' and said that 'old men like to smell this stuff,' according to the lawsuit. The Squad also claimed that Smith failed to properly compensate them for their work. While Rockelle reportedly made up to $625,000 a month, the other teens said that they often worked without meals or rest breaks and were not provided with on-set schooling. In 2022, The Los Angeles Times conducted an in-depth investigation into the allegations surrounding Rockelle's business, including claims of improper payment practices. Seven of the plaintiffs and their parents, who collaborated with Piper on hundreds of videos between 2017 and 2021, were interviewed by the newspaper, which notes that 'all of them quit the Squad because of their concerns over the work environment.' Ultimately, The LA Times found that Smith 'operated a multimillion-dollar company that did not pay the children who filmed popular videos with her daughter, and that the children worked long hours without scheduled breaks for rest or meals and were not provided with regular on-set education, according to a review of dozens of court filings, emails, casting calls, talent releases and filming schedules, as well as interviews with the plaintiffs and their parents.' The lawsuit was finally settled in October 2024 for $1.85 million, which is significantly less than the $22 million originally sought. Matthew Sarelson, the plaintiffs' attorney, told the Los Angeles Times that the settlement 'allowed the plaintiffs to avoid going to trial and having to 'testify about things that [they] have put behind them.' As of April 11, 2025, no criminal charges have been filed against either party involved. At the end of Bad Influence, Netflix states that Smith has publicly denied the claims made by former squad members and their parents. Both Smith and Hill have also denied any wrongdoing outlined in the 2022 lawsuit. LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 15: Piper Rockelle is seen on January 15, 2022 in Los Angeles, ... More California. (Photo by Wil R/Star Max/GC Images) Piper Rockelle is still making videos on social media for her millions of subscribers across multiple platforms. She has more than 12 million followers on YouTube, 6.2 million followers on Instagram, and her largest audience on TikTok, where she boasts 14.8 million followers. After the allegations against her mother, YouTube demonetized Piper's channel in 2022, meaning she is no longer allowed to advertise or generate revenue from her videos. Although she can't earn money from the platform, she still occasionally posts content, including recent videos like '100 Christmas Wishlist Ideas 2024' and 'Week in my Life As a Full Time Influencer,' where she opened up about what her life is like today. 'Obviously I film vlogs like this, but I don't really get a lot out of it besides the satisfaction from knowing you guys enjoy watching them, and I get a lot of fun memories that I can go back and watch, which I think is cool,' she said, adding that she makes money from brand deals, TikToks, etc. 'I have no room to complain about my life because things could be a lot worse,' she continued. 'But what I do have to say is it is hard work on my end. I've never had a normal job, but whatever I'm doing right now, it feels like a job. It takes a lot out of me.' "Bad Influence: The Dark Side Of Kidfluencing." Rockelle recently responded to the allegations against her mother featured in the Netflix docuseries, telling USA Today they the claims are 'mean, untrue, and honestly all about money.' The 17-year-old influencer continued, "Honestly, I just want to move on from all of this because it's really painful to deal with every day. And not surprisingly, my mental health has suffered more than anyone knows," she said. 'My mom did not do any of those things that they said. And I'll stand by my mom to the end.' Bad Influence: The Dark Side Of Kidfluencing is streaming on Netflix. Watch the official trailer below.
Forbes
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Where Is Tiffany Smith Now? Inside The Disturbing Scandal Involving Piper Rockelle's Mom
Netflix's new docuseries, Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing, dives into the troubling world of child influencers, centering on teen YouTuber Piper Rockelle. The series investigates claims that her mother, Tiffany Smith, created an 'emotionally, physically, and sometimes sexually abusive environment' for members of The Squad, a group of rising kidfluencers who regularly appeared in videos alongside Piper. At the peak of her online fame, Rockelle reportedly earned up to $625,000 a month from brand partnerships and other revenue streams. As her popularity grew, her mother started managing her and recruiting other aspiring young creators to join Rockelle in her videos, forming a group known as 'The Squad.' Rockelle and The Squad posted various fun and silly videos, from lip-syncs and pranks to skits and challenges. Members of The Squad have included Sophie Fergi, Gavin Magnus, Sawyer Sharbino, Hayden Haas, Corinne Joy, Jentzen Ramirez, Claire Rock Smith, Symonne Harrison, and others. Behind the scenes, Smith and her boyfriend, Hunter Hill, were the driving forces behind the group's content and success. However, several parents of Squad members began to raise questions about Smith's behavior both on and off camera. These concerns eventually led to a bombshell 2022 lawsuit against the momager. The lawsuit and Netflix docuseries shed light on the blurred and unregulated world of social media, where children spend long hours creating videos and branded content and have the potential to make millions. But because the content is made within their own homes, child labor laws are not consistently upheld. Tiffany Smith is the mother and manager of her daughter, Piper Rockelle. Smith raised Rockelle as a single mother while living with her parents in Canton, Georgia, according to the Los Angeles Times. 'I feel like she [Piper] saved my life,' Smith told the publication. 'I didn't love myself at all. But when I had her, I just felt like I had a purpose in life.' Rockelle became fascinated with beauty pageants as a child after watching the TLC reality series Toddlers & Tiaras. According to Netflix, she entered—and won—her first pageant at just three years old. Tiffany, who owned a pet grooming business then, quickly shifted her focus to supporting Piper's pageant career full-time. While Smith said Piper was 'feeling defeated' in the pageant world by age seven and had taken an interest in an app called her entry into video-making—Smith's sister, Patience Rock Smith, claims it was Smith who pushed Piper to pursue social media, according to People. Rockelle launched her account in 2016 and quickly became one of the platform's top creators. She started a YouTube channel shortly afterward, following a suggestion from a social media manager who approached Piper and Smith at a meet-and-greet in Los Angeles in November 2016. Hunter Hill, Tiffany Smith's boyfriend, moved to Los Angeles at 19 with aspirations of becoming an influencer, according to the Los Angeles Times. He met Smith and Piper Rockelle at a conference in L.A. and soon after began assisting with Piper's YouTube channel. Though Hill initially appeared in Piper's YouTube videos playing the role of her older brother, he was heavily involved behind the scenes, handling much of the filming and editing, according to the Netflix docuseries. He was also romantically involved with Smith, and by 2017, after Smith and Piper relocated to Los Angeles full-time, the three began living together. In January 2022, several former Squad members—including two of Piper's cousins—filed a lawsuit against Tiffany Smith, seeking $22 million in damages. The suit alleged that Smith fostered 'an emotionally, physically and sometimes sexually abusive environment" on and off set during time spent with her company, Piper Rockelle Inc. The complaint described Smith as a 'mean-spirited control freak' whose interactions with the content creators 'were not only sexually inappropriate and confrontational, but often reprehensible and even illegal." The complaint also numerous instances where Smith allegedly touched the plaintiffs ( who are all minors) inappropriately, including 'sticking a finger in Plaintiffs' butts when they walked past her,' commenting on how 'big' one Plaintiff's breasts looked and attempting to squeeze them, and offering to show an 11-year-old girl how to perform oral sex. She also allegedly said sexually explicit things to the male teens about their penises. In another instance, Smith allegedly 'mailed out several of Piper's soiled training bras and panties to an unknown individual' and said that 'old men like to smell this stuff,' according to the lawsuit. An explosive 2022 Los Angeles Times investigation into Rockelle's business found that Smith 'operated a multimillion-dollar company that did not pay the children who filmed popular videos with her daughter, and that the children worked long hours without scheduled breaks for rest or meals and were not provided with regular on-set education, according to a review of dozens of court filings, emails, casting calls, talent releases and filming schedules, as well as interviews with the plaintiffs and their parents." The Squad also claimed that Smith failed to compensate them properly for their work. While Rockelle reportedly made up to $625,000 a month, the other teens claimed that they often worked without meals or rest breaks, and they were not provided with on-set schooling. The plaintiffs sought $22 million in damages, based mainly on claims that Piper Rockelle Inc. conspired to intentionally interfere with and sabotage the plaintiffs' individual YouTube channels, resulting in declining subscribers and financial losses. In October 2024, the civil lawsuit filed against Tiffany Smith by former Squad members was settled for $1.85 million. As part of the settlement, all parties explicitly denied any admission of liability. Although it was less money than the former Squad members were seeking, the settlement "allowed the plaintiffs to avoid going to trial and having to 'testify about things that [they] have put behind them,' Matthew Sarelson, the plaintiff's attorney, told the Los Angeles Times. 'This lawsuit was never about money,' plaintiff Sophia F.'s mother, Heather Trimmel, said. 'It was to make sure she couldn't do what she did to me to another kid.' As of April 10, 2025, no criminal charges have been filed against either party. At the end of the Netflix's docuseries, a text reads: 'Tiffany Smith has publicly denied the accounts of the former Squad members and their parents. Smith and Hunter Hill have also publicly denied the allegations laid out in the 2022 lawsuit. After the accusations against her mother, YouTube demonetized Piper's channel, which meant she could no longer run advertisements or generate revenue from her videos. (At her peak, Rockelle reportedly made between $4.2 million and $7.5 million a year, according to the Los Angeles Times.) According to court records obtained by the newspaper, the demonetization of Piper's content led to losses of between $300,000 and $500,000 per month for her and Smith's business. In the wake of the allegations against her mother, Rockelle also lost several brand deals and partnerships. In 2022, Smith told the Los Angeles Times she believed the claims against her derived from The Squad's 'financial jealousy of a 15-year-old girl.' She also feared the legal drama would ruin Piper's life. 'I don't care. Make me look like a monster. I'm used to it,' she added. 'They're using me. ... But they're hurting Piper.' As of April 2025, 17-year-old Piper Rockelle continues to create content on YouTube, where she has amassed over 12 million subscribers. She also remains active on Instagram, with 6.1 million followers, and has her largest audience on TikTok, where she currently boasts 14.8 million followers. Smith, Hill, and Rockelle, through their attorney, declined to be interviewed or provide a comment for Bad Influence, according to Netflix. Smith's Instagram account is currently private, and while she likely remains involved in managing her daughter's social media presence, the content creators who once regularly appeared in videos with Piper are no longer part of the picture. Bad Influence: The Dark Side Of Kidfluencing is streaming on Netflix. Watch the official trailer below.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Little Falls mom suing TikTok over data collection from 9-year-old daughter
The Brief A woman from Little Falls is part of a class action lawsuit against TikTok. In the lawsuit, Katherine Walters says the company violated federal laws regarding data collection of minors when it allowed her then-9-year-old daughter to create an account, and used her info for targeted ads. The complaint is seeking more than $5 million, with more than 100 people involved in the litigation, with at least one person from each state. LITTLE FALLS, Minn. (FOX 9) - A woman from Little Falls, Minnesota, is part of a lawsuit filed against TikTok that alleges the company violated federal laws regarding data collection of minors when it allowed her daughter to create an account at 9 years old, then targeted ads at her. What we know Filed on Feb. 21, a lawsuit on behalf of Katherine Walters brings a class action complaint against ByteDance, Inc. – the overarching owner of TikTok, Ltd. The popular social media app allows its users to create videos, then upload them to its platform and garner communication from other users in the form of both comments and "likes" (known as "hearts"). The lawsuit says that TikTok "failed to disclose that it collects and sells personally identifiable information of millions of minor children, without the consent of the minors or their parents, including, but not limited to: name, age, image, email, phone number, address, "approximate" location and contacts." It also collects messages sent to and received from other TikTok users, and info for payments such as credit card numbers, the lawsuit says. In doing this, the lawsuit alleges that TikTok has "repeatedly and persistently violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) which requires the platform to provide parental notice, and receive consent, prior to collecting the personal information. The backstory Established in 1998, COPPA is a federal statute and regulation that protects children's privacy and safety online. Congress passed COPPA in response to concerns that children's online activities were being tracked, with the intent of "maintaining the security of personally identifiable information of children collected" and to "protect children's privacy by limiting the collection of info from children without parental consent." Under COPPA, any operator of a website or online service directed to children that is collecting or maintaining personal information from a child under the age of 13 is required to notify them of the info it collects, and how it uses such information, plus receive consent to collect it. Big picture view TikTok's predecessor launched in 2014. As was gaining popularity among elementary school kids in the U.S., Beijing-based ByteDance created TikTok in 2017. On Nov. 9, 2017, ByteDance purchased for nearly $1 billion, and on Aug. 2, 2018, the two merged and consolidated their data into one application. Dig deeper When users create a TikTok account, TikTok uses an "age gate" and requires that they provide their birthday. Since March 2019, if a child enters a birthday that indicates they are 13 years old or over, they are provided with a "regular" TikTok account. But if a birthday indicates that they are younger than that, they are provided with a "TikTok For Younger Users" or "Kids Mode" account. TikTok does not notify parents or obtain parental consent for Kids Mode accounts, the lawsuit says, arguing that TikTok's "age gate" is insufficient, and other than asking for a user's birthday, makes no other attempt during the sign-in process to verify the user's age. Until at least May 2022, TikTok also allowed consumers to avoid the "age gate" when creating an account by allowing consumers to use login credentials from third-party online services, including Instagram and Google, the lawsuit says. Revenues and targeted ads In January 2024, TikTok reported that it had approximately 170 million monthly active users in the U.S. and earned $16 billion in revenue the year prior. The lawsuit alleges the platform "knowingly enriched revenues and profits from unjustly and illegally collecting and using the personal info of children under the age of 13 to build profiles and target advertisements to children." Those targeted ads actively violate COPPA, the lawsuit says. In August 2024, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a complaint alleging that TikTok was actively violating the COPPA rules. What's next The class action petition says it is seeking more than $5 million, with more than 100 people involved in the litigation, on behalf of at least one person from each U.S. state. The Source A lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court on Feb. 21, 2025.
