00:00Netflix just dropped a doc exposing the dark side of kid influencers.
00:03Now one of the stars is clapping back, calling it all rumors,
00:07while the public fears there's something deeper going on.
00:10Bad influence, the dark side of kidfluencing, centers around now-teen influencer Piper Raquel,
00:16her mother Tiffany Smith, and the kid influencer group known as The Squad.
00:20The docuseries features real interviews with former child influencers and their families,
00:25along with sharp commentary on how platforms like YouTube and TikTok let this kind of content thrive
00:30with little to no safeguards in place.
00:33So why is Piper Raquel at the center of it all?
00:35Well in 2022, her mom Tiffany Smith was sued by 11 former members of The Squad,
00:41most of whom appear in bad influence, for emotional, verbal, and even alleged sexual abuse.
00:47Although reports state that Tiffany denied all allegations and the case was settled in October
00:52of 2024 for $1.85 million, with no admission of guilt and no jail time for Tiffany.
00:58Now Piper's responding in the most creator fashion ever, with vagueness and a brand partnership.
01:05Piper, who first blew up on Musical.ly and now has over 20 million followers across her socials,
01:10recently posted a video to Instagram where she's holding her phone asking what to do
01:15about all the rumors going around.
01:17The video is captioned with a poem that reads,
01:19Rumors Rumors Are Not Fun, Rumors Rumors Hurt Someone, Hashtag Tolan Partner.
01:25Which Tolan seems to be an alien AI app, the website states as quote,
01:30A cute alien companion who can make sense of your thoughts, help you with anything, and just have fun.
01:36Now although Tiffany did not go to jail for the alleged crime,
01:39the show suggests that the lawsuit caused financial issues for both her and Piper.
01:43Which according to the Times, court records show that Piper Raquel Inc.,
01:47the brand overseen by Tiffany Smith made anywhere from 4.2 million to 7.5 million dollars annually
01:54from social media advertising.
01:57And with Piper being online since she was 8,
01:59and was allegedly kept out of school to make content,
02:02and now looks like she and her mom are shifting gears into a more adult theme.
02:07In February, Piper sparked backlash after popping up in collabs with creators from TikTok's Bophouse,
02:14a collective known for their work on OnlyFans.
02:16And with Piper still being a minor,
02:18critics were quick to question her appearance in the adult content adjacent space,
02:23while Piper and the girls from the Bophouse clapped back with sarcasm in dance videos,
02:27brushing off the concerns and reminding everyone she's only 17.
02:31But depending on the platform you're on,
02:33you get a progressively spicier version of Piper's content.
02:37And let's not forget about her Brand Army account.
02:39A subscription service similarly ran like OnlyFans, but for teens,
02:44and is reportedly overly sexualized for a 17-year-old's content,
02:48and is mostly promoted with bikini photos on Piper's ex-account.
02:51Now, many online are predicting Piper is being prepped by her mom, Tiffany,
02:56to fully enter the adult industry the moment Piper turns 18.
03:00And these comments hit even harder,
03:02considering Tiffany has previously denied disturbing allegations,
03:05like claims she mailed Piper's underwear to men who like to smell them,
03:10according to People magazine.
03:11But what do you think?
03:12Drop your thoughts below, and follow us everywhere at What's Trending.
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