Latest news with #Rockelle
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
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.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
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.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Piper Rockelle Reveals Whether She's Watched Netflix's 'Bad Influence' Docuseries
Piper Rockelle spoke with about Netflix's and revealed whether she's watched it or not. The social media star opened up about the in-depth docuseries about her childhood and the impact it's had on her since its April 9 release. Rockelle discussed how much of the Netflix series is true based on the clips she's seen circle social media, especially her "For You Page" on TikTok. Piper Rockelle has thoughts on Netflix's Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing. Almost a month after the docuseries' release, the teen influencer, 17, broke her silence during a conversation with Rolling Stone published on May 1. Simply put, Rockelle hasn't seen the documentary; however, she shared that she can't seem to escape it since clips have been circling social media — particularly her "For You Page" on TikTok. Bad Influence extrapolates on the complaint 11 underage content creators filed against Rockelle's mom, Tiffany Smith in 2022, which accused her of "emotional, verbal, physical, and at times, sexual abuse" when they were active in the teen's viral group of friends nicknamed "Squad." Related: The 10 Biggest Bombshells from Bad Influence, the Shocking Docuseries About Tiffany Smith, Piper Rockelle and Her Squad The child abuse lawsuit that followed was settled in October 2024, with the 11 teens receiving $1.85 million. (All parties specifically disclaimed any liability.) Netflix's three-parter offered the former Squad members and their parents another way to share their alleged experiences working with Smith. "They're not making it up, but they're extending the truth,' Rockelle shared with Rolling Stone of Bad Influence, adding, "I was there. I witnessed every day." The influencer said that she doesn't believe it was as bad as it appears in the Netflix exposé, but shared with the outlet that everything wasn't perfect either. 'I think that they believe what they are saying, but I was there and I saw everything," she said. Related: Where Is Piper Rockelle Now? Inside the Child Influencer's Controversial Career It wasn't just the recent Bad Influence release that had an effect on Rockelle. She noted that she had an uneasy feeling about everything since the trailer dropped in March. Then, it gradually got worse. "I just completely fell apart,' she admitted. "I did not think I was going to get through it." The content creator said she had "awful thoughts," but didn't want to share them with her mother because she felt she was dealing with a lot herself. Negative public perception of her mom and potential legal consequences were among her biggest fears. "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," Rockelle said. "My father was never in my life so it's always just been her." Related: Piper Rockelle Teases She's Ready to Tell Her 'Own Story' After Bad Influence Doc Release As a result, per Rolling Stone, Rockelle is especially protective of Smith. Despite the challenge and backlash post-doc release, the popular influencer — who boasts 6M followers on Instagram and 15.6M on TikTok — won't be stepping back from social media, rather continuing what she enjoys doing. "I can't make it look like it's affecting me," she said. "I won't. Social media is about entertaining people and I want to entertain them and make them happy... I'll be fine. I'm getting the hard stuff out of the way. By the time I'm 30, I'll be Zen. I'll be good." Related: Piper Rockelle Speaks Out After Bad Influence Doc Release with Series of Cryptic Posts On April 8, Smith issued a statement to PEOPLE in response to the biggest claims made in Bad Influence. "This whole experience — from the claims and power plays from the stage moms to, now, the Netflix reality show — has been the most upsetting and difficult experience of my life," she said. "And it's been even harder for my daughter, Piper, who's become collateral damage in a mess of adults behaving badly." "I do believe Piper will want justice one day—and see that the truth is finally shared," Smith told PEOPLE. "But in the meantime, shame on Netflix for perpetuating a knowingly false narrative that puts kids in danger. I truly can't wait for this to all be behind us." Since the docuseries' release, Rockelle has dropped subtle hints on her social platforms in reference to it. "Can't wait to tell my own story and not have other people tell it for me," she wrote on Instagram on April 21. Read the original article on People
South China Morning Post
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Meet Piper Rockelle, the kidfluencer at the heart of a new Netflix series: the 17-year-old started with pageants before moving to YouTube – but her mum Tiffany Smith has been accused of abuse
Netflix just dropped its shocking new documentary, Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing, about teen influencer Piper Rockelle and her viral friends known as The Squad – but not everyone is happy about the chilling exposé. The Squad were teen content creators who were featured on her YouTube channel. They claimed that they were 'frequently subjected to an emotionally, physically and sometimes sexually abusive environment' perpetrated by Rockelle's mother, Tiffany Smith, during filming and that they spent time and energy on the videos 'without compensation', per People. They sued Smith, and the claimants received US$1.85 million as settlement in 2024. Rockelle told USA Today, 'Honestly, I just want to move on from all of this because it's really painful to deal with every day,' adding that her 'mental health has suffered more than anyone knows'. Advertisement Referring to the accusations against her mother, she asserted, '[The rumours are] mean, untrue, and honestly all about money. My mom did not do any of those things that they said. And I'll stand by my mom to the end.' Rockelle is estranged from her father, and a YouTube video in 2022 appears to show them reuniting – but his face and identity has been obscured. The Netflix docuseries reveals that their complaints remain unchanged. Speaking to People, Smith griped that it is 'unfair to Piper, who didn't do anything wrong and now struggles with her mental health because of all the unfair scrutiny and negative attention'. Before the release of Bad Influence, Rockelle received backlash for hanging out with the adult content creator crew Bop House. So what else do we know about Piper Rockelle? She got her start with pageants Piper Rockelle got her start in child pageants and reality shows, such as Toddlers & Tiaras, which also helped launch the likes of Honey Boo Boo. Photo: @piperrockelle/Instagram
Forbes
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Netflix Doc Reveals Risks To Kid Stars, As States Gut Child Labor Laws
Netflix pulls back the curtain on social media child stardom in its latest buzzworthy documentary, Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing, which premiered on April 9, 2025. The three-part investigative series follows Piper Rockelle's rise to fame as a YouTube child influencer starting at age nine. The series not only shines light on the hidden reality of child content creation. It also illuminates the inadequacy of child labor laws in the U.S. Rockelle's social media career was engineered by her mother, Tiffany Smith, who built a group of aspiring child stars into an online phenomenon known as the 'Squad.' At its height, Rockelle's YouTube channel was getting billions of views of the Squad's skits, dances, pranks, challenges, and 'crushes,' as its members grew from tweens to teens. Kidfluencing is a lucrative business. Rockelle's channel was raking in upwards of $620,000 a month from revenue streams and brand partnerships, for an estimated $4.2 to $7.5 million a year. Over time, the parents of some of the Squad's participants began to suspect a toxic behind-the-scenes experience. Multiple children from the Squad came forward with serious allegations of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. The children also alleged exploitative work conditions, often logging extremely long hours without meals or rest breaks, without on-set schooling, and without sharing fairly in the profits, according to a 2022 Los Angeles Times investigation. Bad Influence, directed by Jenna Rosher and Kief Davidson, follows the children's experience from the Squad's creation to the resulting lawsuit filed against Smith in 2022. The suit was brought by 11 former Squad members and their parents, seeking at least $22 million in damages. Smith paid $1.85 million to settle the lawsuit in 2024, without admitting wrongdoing, which she has publicly denied. The working conditions portrayed in the docuseries have renewed calls for increased child labor protections. But instead of updating child labor laws, many states are moving in the opposite direction. In the last five years, a record number of states have fielded bills to roll back existing child labor laws, in response to both industry and political pressure. These opposing trends—increasing child labor violations alongside decreasing child labor protections—are analyzed in a 2023 report by the Economic Policy Institute, authored by Jennifer Sherer, Deputy Director of EPI's Economic Analysis and Research Network, and Nina Mast, EPI Policy and Economic Analyst. Sherer and Mast explore what this conflict means for the future of child labor in the U.S. Employers must comply with both federal and state child labor laws. Federal law sets the floor, and states can impose higher (but not lower) child labor protections. Child labor law violations are on the rise in the U.S. The number of minors employed in violation of federal child labor laws identified by the U.S. Department of Labor in fiscal year 2024 increased by 43% over fiscal year 2021, and by nearly 300% over fiscal year 2015. The DOL imposed over $15 million in civil penalties against employers for child labor violations in fiscal year 2024 alone. This data likely captures only the tip of the child labor iceberg. 'These numbers represent just a tiny fraction of violations, most of which go unreported and uninvestigated,' according to Sherer and Mast. The challenge of uncovering child exploitation is compounded for child influencers, whose work is often controlled by parents and takes place largely behind private doors. It's unclear whether the work of kidfluencers even counts as 'labor' under existing laws. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 is the federal law governing child labor for employers nationwide that meet certain size thresholds. The FLSA sets minimum ages and maximum hours for child workers, with greater restrictions for minors working in hazardous industries. However, the FLSA excludes child actors from its coverage, leaving their protection up to the states. Historically, most states enacted their own child labor laws imposing a higher level of protection. Some state laws specifically protect child actors. This includes several states with so-called 'Coogan laws,' which require a certain percentage of a child actor's earnings to be placed in a trust until adulthood. California and Illinois have extended their Coogan laws to apply to children making money on social media. Otherwise, state laws protecting child actors typically have not been applied to kidfluencers. This gap in existing child labor laws—along with the rise in child labor violations in conventional workplaces—has renewed long-time calls for strengthening legal protections for child workers. Despite growing concerns about the welfare of child workers, many states have been pushing for less, rather than more, child labor protections. Since 2021, over 60 bills to weaken existing child labor laws have been introduced across 29 states, according to a 2024 report by the State Innovation Exchange and the Economic Analysis and Research Network of the EPI. At least 17 of those bills have been successfully enacted across 13 states. This includes eight states that adopted child labor rollbacks during just the first half of 2024, according to EPI data. These state bills are targeting the full range of child labor protections. Some states bills would eliminate youth work permits and parent or guardian permission requirements, remove or lower age restrictions, expand permissible work hours, or extend work hours allowed before breaks. Some state bills would permit a lower minimum wage for children. And some state bills would reduce restrictions on minors working in hazardous industries, or in jobs that require driving or serving alcohol. The recent push to deregulate child labor is being fueled by both industry and political forces. Across the country, the primary proponents of laws to roll back child labor protections are business groups and their state affiliates, including the National Federation of Independent Business, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the National Restaurant Association. Lobbyists from the hotel, lodging, hospitality, tourism, grocery, construction, home builders, and agricultural industries are among the supporters. Conservative organizations have also been involved in efforts to weaken child labor restrictions, including Americans for Prosperity, The Acton Institute, and the Florida-based Foundation for Government Accountability. Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis supports loosening child labor laws as a way to replace immigrant workers with American youth. Last month, Florida's legislature advanced a bill to weaken child labor restrictions, including allowing children as young as 14 years old to work overnight shifts. Many of the proposed state bills are actually seeking to reduce child labor protections below the federal floor set by the FLSA. These laws sow confusion among employers, who may not realize that they are still required to follow federal law. The U.S. Department of Labor recently alerted employers that they remain legally obligated to comply with federal child labor protections rather than any newly enacted, weaker state laws. 'Where a state child labor law is less restrictive than the federal law, the federal law applies,' the DOL instructs on its webpage on child labor standards. Why would states enact laws that contradict federal law, knowing that employers must still comply with the higher federal mandates? 'The ultimate intent of the corporate lobby is clear: to pave a path to national deregulation of child labor, one state at a time,' said Sherer and Mast in their 2023 EPI Report. 'Industry lobbyists backing state child labor law changes appear to view state-by-state erosion of protections as a way to build pressure for eventual relaxation or elimination of federal wage and hour standards for the whole country.' As the effort to roll back child labor laws has gained momentum, some states have bucked the trend by passing laws in 2024 to enhance child labor protection or enforcement efforts. These states include Alabama, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, and Virginia. Organizational leaders should educate themselves on these legal developments, as companies may increasingly be pushed to take a stand on the battle over the future of U.S. child labor laws. Calls for companies to incorporate child labor protection into their corporate social responsibility plans will likely expand from an international to a domestic focus as child labor risks increase.
