Disclaimer: The following article includes non-descriptive language regarding alleged verbal, physical, sexual, and labor abuses against children. Reader discretion is advised.
If you are acquainted with the world of social media, you might be aware of the subgenre of child influencers, otherwise known as “kidfluencers.” For the past decade, one has stuck out above the rest: actress, Youtuber, and social media star Piper Rockelle (17).
Rockelle has amassed 33 million followers across her Youtube, Instagram, and TikTok accounts. Many know her for her bubbly personality, trendy outfits, and collaborations with other notable internet personalities. However, she has dealt with some controversies over her career.
On April 9th, Netflix released a three-part exposé on the allegations against Rockelle and her mother-turned-manager, Tiffany Smith, particularly those levied by past members of the “Squad.” The docuseries, hauntingly titled Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing, dives into the non-glamourous reality of young internet fame. Here is everything you need to know before watching.
What is Piper’s “Squad?”
The Squad was a popular group of child influencers, each member hand-picked to be featured in various Youtube videos. The videos depicted their friendships, youthful crushes on one another, and activities, like pranks and viral challenges. Some notable members include former Dance Moms star Elliana Walmsley (17), Dancing With the Stars: Junior contestant Lev Cameron (19), and cast member of Disney Channel’s Raven’s Home, Jenna Davis (20).
Each members was under 18 years old at the time when working with Rockelle and Smith. Despite being minors, several of the members lived with Smith to efficiently churn out content. Everything seemed to be going well as their fame skyrocketed, but tides quickly shifted.
Rumors Turn Into Allegations Following Lawsuit Against Piper’s Mom, Tiffany Smith
In 2022, 11 members of the Squad and their families banded together to file a civil lawsuit against Smith, alleging multiple categories of abuse. They ranged from verbal, emotional, physical, and even sexual. With harsh working conditions, and several accounts of inappropriate sexual comments made by Smith, many fans began to notice patterns in the Squad’s videos— and many were not age-appropriate.
A notable example is in a Youtube video, that still remains posted, from Piper’s Youtube channel from May 2020. The video features former Squad members Sophie Fergi and, Rockelle’s boyfriend at the time, Lev Cameron, titled “Last to Stop KISSING BOYFRIEND Wins $10,000.” The comments have since been disabled.
The plaintiffs also claimed that the working conditions violated child labor laws, many of them not being paid for videos that they were featured in. The original lawsuit ordered for Smith to pay $22 million in restitution, however, she settled the case for $1.85 million two years later in 2024.
Smith did not admit to any of the allegations, and even attempted to countersue in July 2022 for $30 million. She swiftly terminated the lawsuit later that October.
In an statement to PEOPLE, prior to the announcement of the Netflix docuseries, Smith alluded to what she thinks was the reason for the allegations, saying, “Money is a big motivator for some personalities in this world.”
Bad Influence is Just One Shadow Within a Dark Industry
Unfortunately, Bad Influence is not the only docuseries to shed light on the mistreatment of child stars. In March 2024, the five part docuseries Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids’ TV. The producers focused on the disturbing allegations against various televisions channels catered towards children, particularly Nickelodeon.
The claims made in the docuseries, against Nickelodeon staff Dan Schneider, are very similar to those made against Smith. Young fans and parents are becoming increasingly wary of media involving the employment of child actors and influencers alike. It seems the truth behind many productions appear riddled with abuse and exploitation.
If you would like to watch Quiet On Set, it is available for streaming on Max and Discovery+.
Where do we go from here?
Following the exposure of shocking labor violations and unsafe working conditions, many wonder why adequate protections are not in place. Currently, 17 states do not have legislation that outline regulations for children who work in the entertainment industry.
California, where Piper and her Squad filmed most of their videos, has more provisions in place due to the percentage of children working in such fields in comparison to other states. According to state law, children under the age of 16 must have a legal parent or guardian within sight and sound while they work, though actors of 16 and 17 can be on-set unregulated.
However, considering that many of the Squad members were in their tweens and early teens during their membership, some of them even living with Rockelle and Smith, it is concerning they filmed videos without their parents present.
The world of kidfluencing is fairly new and complex. It is tricky to navigate what provisions children are entitled to, given the unprofessional “sets” or “hours” of YouTube and other social media platforms. As kidfluencing increases in popularity and revenue, new or amended laws might be able to help the situations of such children and their families.
Rockelle has continued posting on her social media following the settlement, but she has not been seen with former members of the Squad. Smith has since made her accounts private, and neither have made any public statements about the docuseries since its release.
Watch Bad Influence on Netflix for more in-depth and anecdotal statements from members of the Squad, their parents, and former coworkers.
