Piper Rockelle is a 17-year-old social media star known for her massive online presence. She started her YouTube channel in 2016 at age 8 and now has over 12 million subscribers. On her channel, Piper posts pranks, challenges, and vlogs featuring her group of friends called “The Squad.” Her content often shows her navigating crushes and having fun in Los Angeles. She has built a huge following across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram with millions of views.
Netflix is releasing a documentary series due to Piper’s influence on kids. It’s called Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing. The three-part series premieres on April 9, 2025, on Netflix. Jenna Rosher and Kief Davidson directed it, and Decoy Productions produced it. The series dives into the hidden world of child influencers, focusing on Piper’s story.
The series will explore serious issues behind Piper’s success. It will shed light on allegations of exploitation and abuse linked to her mother, Tiffany Smith. Viewers will see disturbing stories from former Squad members about manipulation and troubling dynamics. The documentary also questions the impact of kid influencers’ online exposure, especially to adult audiences. It aims to reveal the dark side of this growing industry.
Who is Piper Rockelle and The Squad?
Piper Rockelle is a teenage social media influencer born on August 21, 2007, in Georgia, USA. She rose to fame through platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Her YouTube channel, launched in 2016, now boasts over 12 million subscribers. She began posting at age 8, focusing on pranks, challenges, and daily life vlogs. Piper also acts, sings, and dances, releasing music like “Butterflies” and appearing in short films. Her mother, Tiffany Smith, manages her career and plays a big role in her online presence. Piper’s content often features her friends, a group known as “The Squad.”
The Squad is a crew of young influencers who appear in Piper’s videos. Members include Lev Cameron, her boyfriend since 2020, and others like Jenna Davis and Sophie Fergi, though some have left over time. They create content together, staging pranks and filming dance videos in Los Angeles. The group gained attention for their fun, teen-focused content, attracting millions of views. However, their dynamic shifted when 11 former members sued Tiffany Smith in 2022, alleging emotional distress and exploitation. This lawsuit brought scrutiny to Piper’s operation.
Piper’s personal life often blends with her content. Her fanbase, mostly young kids, follows her for entertainment. Yet, the upcoming Netflix series Bad Influence will explore darker aspects of her story, including the Squad’s behind-the-scenes struggles.
What Went Wrong Between Tiffany Smith, Piper Rockelle, and The Squad?
Tiffany Smith managed her daughter Piper Rockelle’s YouTube career and The Squad, a group of young influencers. Trouble started when some parents grew unhappy with Tiffany’s control. They disliked how she told their kids to act on and off camera. They also didn’t like her habit of pushing back against anyone who challenged her decisions. Things got worse when some Squad members claimed Tiffany behaved inappropriately.
In January 2022, 11 former members filed a lawsuit against her. They said Tiffany exploited them and created an abusive environment. The lawsuit detailed emotional, physical, and sometimes sexual abuse by Tiffany while they worked on Piper’s channel from 2017 to 2020. Tiffany denied all the allegations in public statements. The Netflix docuseries Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing explores this conflict. It digs into the lawsuit’s claims and provides context about what happened.
The series, releasing on April 9, 2025, aims to show the real story behind the scenes. It includes interviews with former Squad members and looks at the broader issues of kid influencers. The lawsuit was settled in October 2024 for $1.85 million, though Tiffany admitted no wrongdoing. This section of the docuseries highlights the tensions and legal battle that rocked Piper’s online world.
Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing will release on Netflix on April 9, 2025.
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Arvind is a Senior Writer and Editor at Hilvaro, specializing in anime, entertainment, and pop culture. With a BSc in Transportation Technology, his passion for storytelling led him to a career in journalism. He has previously contributed to Sportskeeda and GameRant, covering anime and entertainment with a keen eye for detail.
Outside writing, Arvind loves gaming and is fond of anime, binge-watching movies and television series. He spends some of his free time listening to rock music and writing poetry. What Arvind appreciates most about pop culture is the theme that makes it more alive and engaging for this generation; thus the possibility of such content reaching readers across the globe.
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