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Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing is a Netflix docuseries that dives into the hidden dangers of child influencers. It is set to be released on April 9, 2025. This series is based on true events, focusing on the real-life story of YouTube star Piper Rockelle and the allegations of exploitation tied to her mother, Tiffany Smith.
This three-episode series follows Piper Rockelle and her group, known as The Squad. Influencer Piper, now 17, built a massive following with millions of fans. The Squad included teens like Sawyer Sharbino and Gavin Magnus, creating fun content together.
Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing shows how former The Squad members and their families accused Tiffany Smith of abuse and manipulation. It gives an overview of their rise to fame and the fallout that followed.
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The story behind Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing
Piper Rockelle started her YouTube channel in 2016 at age 8. She began with dance videos and small acting roles before shifting to pranks, challenges, and crush content. Her mother, Tiffany Smith, managed everything. They formed The Squad, a group of teen influencers.
The Squad’s videos—staged pranks and friendship drama—got viral online. Piper hit over 10 million YouTube subscribers, earning up to $625,000 monthly from brand deals and views by her peak, according to The Sun article dated March 26, 2025. Their content was lighthearted at first, aimed at kids and teens.
The group’s success was huge. Billions of views rolled in, and Piper became a social media superstar. Tiffany cast aspiring kid stars to join, promising fame. But behind the scenes, trouble brewed.
Bad Influence reveals a darker story. Former The Squad members claimed Tiffany controlled their lives, pushed them into uncomfortable content, and exploited them for profit. The series highlights how this unregulated world blurred lines between parenting and producing.
Accusations piled up—hundreds of them. Teens and parents said Tiffany’s management turned abusive. The Squad started breaking apart as members left. Lawsuits followed, exposing the chaos.
Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing shows the rise and fall of this influencer empire. It focuses on the emotional toll on the kids and the lack of oversight in kidfluencing. Piper’s channel still exists, but The Squad’s golden days are over. The series shines a light on the cost of fame for young creators.
What went wrong between Tiffany Smith and The Squad members?
The main people involved were Piper Rockelle, her mother Tiffany Smith, and Squad members like Sawyer Sharbino, Lev Cameron, Emily Dobson, and Ayden Mekus. Issues started surfacing around 2020-2021.
Former members and their families accused Tiffany of exploitation and abuse. They said she forced teens into s*xualized content—like suggestive outfits or crush storylines—for adult male viewers. Parents claimed Tiffany controlled their kids’ schedules, pay, and lives, acting more like a dictator than a manager.
The collapse came fast. In 2022, 11 ex-Squad members and their families sued Tiffany in California. They alleged emotional distress, unpaid earnings, and a toxic setup. Sawyer Sharbino’s family spoke out—he left in 2021 after years with Piper.
Ayden Mekus exited too, citing the same problems. The lawsuit claimed Tiffany earned $625,000 monthly at peak, but did not pay fairly. Court filings included texts and emails where Tiffany allegedly threatened kids who complained.
Piper and Tiffany fought back, denying everything. They settled the lawsuit in 2024, paying $1.85 million—details stayed private—but the damage stuck. The Squad dwindled. Piper kept posting, but her views fell. The docuseries, coming on April 9, 2025, uses interviews and old footage to unpack the story.
Tiffany’s boyfriend, Hunter Hill, helped run things but was not directly sued. Now, Piper is at 10 million subscribers, but The Squad has mostly become history. The case revealed kidfluencing’s risks—no laws shielded these teens. Netflix’s Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing wraps with their accounts, leaving Tiffany’s current status vague and the industry unchecked.
Stay tuned for more news and updates and watch Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing as it releases on Netlifx.
