On January 18th, US TikTok users received the following message: “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.” Under the impression that they were losing their platform with millions of fans, many influencers took part in a trend designed to “expose” their content secrets.
Thousands of users made videos with an iconic Family Guy soundbite: “Since we’re all gonna die, there’s one more secret I feel I have to share with you.” Less than 24 hours later, the app was up and running again.
Influencer confessions spanned from the harmless Duolingo mascot reveal to the not-so-harmless fitfluencers who admitted to faking their workout progress. In the days and weeks since, fans have been flocking to the comments to either support their faves or express their feelings of betrayal. The following influencer confessions, ranked from least to most controversial, have certainly caused a stir.
5. Kenzie Ziegler
Former Dance Moms star Kenzie Ziegler first broke the internet with her adorable confessional quips on the show. Kenzie took part in the trend to reveal that her meme-worthy quotes were, in fact, scripted. “A producer told me what to say,” Kenzie confessed.
She even humorously captioned the video, “I did/do not in fact want to sit on the couch n eat chips.” Cue the heartbreak of Dance Moms fans everywhere.
4. Anna Sitar
Anna Sitar, best known for being the “another day, another Starbies” girl, admitted to not liking the coffee she first drank to amass her following. “I never actually liked coffee,” Anna wrote. “I only liked chai and then I got a little adventurous.”
During the pandemic, Anna would review Starbucks drinks recommended to her by baristas or fellow TikTok users. Although her content has since shifted toward day-in-the-life and podcasting, her coffee review videos were foundational to her platform.
Comments on her video range from “my whole life is a lie” to “this is shocking but I love you.” Starbucks even commented, “We loved being on the journey with you, Anna.”
3. Kit Keenan
Anyone who has ever watched The Bachelor knows it’s a cardinal sin for contestants to admit to being on the show for “the wrong reasons.” Four years after being a contestant on Matt James’ season, Kit Keenan did just that.
“I was there for the wrong reasons,” Kit admitted. In the video’s caption, she elaborated, “There was no way I was getting engaged at 21.”
The internet’s response has been shockingly positive. “I’ve always thought this but I respect the hustle,” commented one user. Since her Bachelor days, Kit Keenan has used her platform to become a content creator with a following of a few hundred thousand.
2. Griffin Johnson
Was Hype House drama on your 2025 bingo card? If so, you’re in luck. Griffin Johnson recently admitted that Lil Huddy’s infamous tweets from July 6th, 2020, were true. Shortly after Griffin’s video went viral, Lil Huddy (Chase Hudson) posted a video of his own. “You couldn’t pay me to lie on social media. It’s just not who I am,” he said.
At the time, Lil Huddy was accused of cheating on Charli D’Amelio with Nessa Barrett. Lil Huddy responded by tweeting about his fellow influencers’ cheating scandals. Hype House and Sway House members united against him online to discredit him.
Some Sway House members went so far as to show up at Lil Huddy’s house to confront him for his “false” claims. In actuality, Lil Huddy said, “They pull up to my house, and they walk in, and they go, ‘Chase, can you just please delete that?'”
The full truth about July 6th has TikTok users feeling remorseful for canceling Lil Huddy. “You deserve the biggest apology,” wrote one user.
Despite the internet’s reaction, Lil Huddy captioned his TikTok response to Griffin Johnson: “Let’s move on and all be friends.”
1. Lexi Hidalgo
Lexi Hidalgo, a content creator best known for her coffee and fitness inspiration videos, caused a lot of internet buzz in the week leading up to the supposed TikTok ban. “I never once drank the coffee I made in my coffee talks, and only did like half the workouts I posted,” she confessed.
The viral video has now amassed 5.4 million views, and not all of the comments are positive. “I feel BETRAYED,” one user wrote. “This is why I say stop comparing urself to others cuz social media isn’t always real,” another commented.
In response, Lexi posted a follow-up TikTok: “The coffee was always for my mom. I drink the coffee now—just not when it was iced and super sweet in 2020. I did the workouts, just not always when I posted them. I was a kid on a brand-new app. I didn’t know better yet.”
We listen…and we judge?
Many TikTok users felt the trend was a lesson in click-baiting and the lack of online authenticity.
“This trend is sickening in so many ways. The amount of influencers that have come forward saying ‘oh I never actually did those workouts I told you guys to do’ or ‘I never even liked coffee, I just forced myself to drink it for videos’ etc. So many influencers just admitted to profiting off of society’s own insecurities and they think it’s totally fine.”
@elissaleanne
Others took to starting a new trend—the POV of influencers who were now scrambling to apologize and/or defend their statements. The videos use the trending “hey…hey…how y’all doin’” soundbite to poke fun at influencers who took part in the dramatic confessions as they return to the app they thought was gone for good.
Though some influencers have issued apologies for their confessions, not everyone is convinced. One user wrote about the trend, “It’s like when someone says bye and then walks the same way as you.” All in all, the trend serves as a reminder that there’s always been a fine line between entertainment and honesty.
Which influencer confession shocked you the most? Let us know in the comments!
Abby
February 6, 2025 at 11:43 pm
This was such an interesting article! I learned so much about the tik tok drama. Very good.
Debra Laughman
February 7, 2025 at 12:09 am
Wow! Nailed it.