Netflix’s three-part docuseries Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing investigates the rise of 17-year-old YouTuber Piper Rockelle. Rockelle currently holds over 12 million subscribers on her YouTube channel. The series explores the influence of her mother, Tiffany Smith, and the culture surrounding child influencers.
Piper Rockelle’s Early Entry into Online Media
Rockelle began her journey in toddler pageants, according to her aunt Patience Rock Smith. Her mother, Tiffany Smith, guided her early rise, as seen in footage from Lifetime’s Dance Twins. In one scene, Smith tells her daughter, “This is a really good time for you to get first place. I would like that.”
Figure 1: Rockelle began her journey in social media early
The “Squad” Reveals Gruelling Work Conditions
Former collaborators on Rockelle’s channel shared their experiences in the docuseries. Sophie Fergi, also 17, described filming 10 to 15 videos daily. She said filming began at 11 a.m. and continued until 1 or 2 a.m. Fergi recalled sleeping for two to three hours before school and resuming filming. “We did not get a break at all,” she said.
Allegations from Former Participants
Former Squad members alleged they were excluded from the group after leaving. They believe Tiffany Smith influenced the decline in their online presence. In 2022, 11 plaintiffs aged 10 to 16 filed a lawsuit against Smith, Hunter Hill and Piper Rockelle Inc. They claimed abuse during participation in videos from 2017 to 2020. The lawsuit included claims of emotional, verbal, physical and sexual abuse.
Lawsuit Settlement and Denials from Key Figures
The lawsuit stated that the children were unpaid for their work. Plaintiffs argued their appearances generated revenue “oftentimes upwards of several hundred thousand dollars per month.” Tiffany Smith responded with a countersuit for $30 million. In October, the lawsuit settled for $1.85 million. Filmmakers confirmed Smith, Rockelle and Hill denied all allegations. They also refused interview requests for the series.
Rockelle Rejects Accusations Against Her Mother
Rockelle responded to USA TODAY in a statement, defending her mother. “Honestly, I just want to move on from all of this because it’s really painful to deal with every day,” she said. “My mom did not do any of those things that they said. And I’ll stand by my mom to the end.”
Current Status of Piper Rockelle’s Career
Despite YouTube demonetising her channel in 2022, Rockelle continues to upload content. Her latest video in November offers a behind-the-scenes look at her daily life. She has 14.7 million followers on TikTok and 6.1 million on Instagram. Rockelle stated, “Obviously I film vlogs like this, but I don’t really get a lot out of it besides the satisfaction from knowing you guys enjoy watching them.”
She added, “I have no room to complain about my life because things could be a lot worse. But what I do have to say is it is hard work on my end. I’ve never had a normal job, but whatever I’m doing right now, it feels like a job. It takes a lot out of me.”
Figure 2: Piper Rockelle’s intense Youtube presence
Tiffany Smith Avoids Public Attention
Tiffany Smith maintains a low profile. In a prank video posted on Hill’s channel, she said, “I do not want to be in a TikTok. I do not want people making little edits of me and making fun of me.” Hill created the video to capture her reaction to playful flirting.
Relationship Between Hill and Smith
Smith and Hill were portrayed as siblings on social media. However, they were in a relationship during the filming period. Hill, now 28, has 656,000 YouTube subscribers and 339,000 Instagram followers. His last video upload occurred in May 2024.
Child Influencer Culture Under Global Scrutiny
Bad Influence arrives amid increasing global scrutiny of child influencer practices. The series contributes to wider debates about consent, labour, and exploitation in digital content creation. Streaming now on Netflix, the documentary encourages further investigation into the treatment of children in influencer households.
