Kids in the Spotlight
At just 17 years old, Piper Rockelle has had more eyes on her than most. The actress, YouTuber, and influencer has been a social media sensation since early childhood, during which her mother built an empire by uploading dance routines, prank videos, and vlogs—all under the watchful eye of her millions of subscribers. But much more was going on behind the screen, where viewers couldn’t see. A new docuseries on Netflix paints the picture using first-hand accounts from kids who had experiences with Rockelle’s mother and manager, Tiffany Smith.
Rockelle first became popular around 2014, quickly becoming popular with viewers her age. She amassed millions of subscribers and followers across various platforms, all while her mother put together a group of kidfluencers that she named The Squad. The cast of similar young creators made cameos in each other’s videos, but behind the influencer fog, the lifestyle was hiding something darker.
“Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing”
Released on April 9, 2025, Bad Influence, Netflix’s 3-part docuseries, dived into the rise of Rockelle’s online fame, along with the disturbing way she got there. At the forefront of the series are serious allegations against Smith, who has been accused by former Squad members of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse when they were only preteens.
11 former members filed a lawsuit against Smith in 2022. The case was settled out of court in 2024, and $1.85 million was won and split between the 11 members. The new documentary reopened the claims and centered around exclusive interviews, unreleased footage, and very moving testimony from those Squad members.
Piper’s Version
Before and after the release of the docuseries, Piper Rockelle has been mostly silent on the topic, speaking very cryptically, hinting on social media that she may soon release a tell-all novel about her side of the story. Her posts suggest annoyance with being portrayed through the others’ narratives, but she has to wait until she turns 18. However, Rockelle was making around $500,000 a month at the peak of her career, so many are concerned that she’ll continue on the same path that her mother put her on.
To this day, Tiffany Smith continues to publicly deny the allegations, attacking Netflix and the documentary for “a one-sided, manipulative story.” Throughout the careers of the children, Smith was manipulating all of them for views, forcing them to wear certain things, say specific phrases, pose inappropriately, kiss their friends on camera, and one creator even claims Smith made out with him when he was underage. Smith also heavily scripted every video that any Squad member posted, making it easy for viewers to tell that she is still behind the scenes of Piper Rockelle’s most recent posts.
Wake-Up Call or Too Late
The issue is deeper than just one creator and her momager, encompassing many problems within the world of child content creators. The social media industry, like we’ve seen in Hollywood, is missing restrictions and regulations that should be in place, raising important questions like “Who protects kids on set when the set is their own home? Who’s watching the managers when the managers are their parents?”
Child advocacy groups are looking for more regulations, especially in light of the documentary’s haunting discovery, including the disturbing demographics of Rockelle’s audience and its predominantly male nature.
What’s Next?
As Piper Rockelle continues to grow up and work on through this new chapter of her life, one thing is crystal clear: carefree kidfluencing is over now that these problems have been brought to light.
For more information on this story, check out “Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing,” streaming now on Netflix.
