Piper Rockelle, the 17-year-old influencer spotlighted in Netflix’s Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing, continues to make headlines.
The three-part documentary exposes behind-the-scenes manipulation and alleged abuse involving her mother and former manager, Tiffany Smith, along with the influencer group known as The Squad. The case led to a $1.85 million lawsuit settled in 2024.
Despite YouTube demonetising her channel following the controversy, Rockelle remains active online. She maintains a presence on TikTok, Instagram, and describes herself as an actress, dancer, and singer, still releasing music to her 33 million followers.
Ahead of the documentary’s premiere, Rockelle addressed the allegations in a statement to USA Today, saying, “Honestly, I just want to move on from all of this because it’s really painful to deal with every day… My mom did not do any of those things that they said. And I’ll stand by my mom to the end.”
Adding fuel to the fire, Rockelle was recently mentioned in a separate viral controversy involving The Bop House—an adult-focused content collective launched by OnlyFans model Sophie Rain. After fans suggested Rockelle as a potential member, backlash erupted due to her age and the adult nature of the house’s content. The creators quickly clarified she would not be joining, even releasing a comedy sketch about the legal implications. Rockelle cheekily responded, “dw girls I will bail you out.”
While seemingly light-hearted, the incident sparked deeper criticism over blurred lines between adult and teen influencer spaces on platforms frequented by minors. Critics argue platforms like TikTok must address the merging audiences of mature and underage content.
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