the dark side of kid influencing part III
episode 3 recap >>
In case you missed it: I’m watching Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing and recapping it for you. You can find the episode 1 recap here and episode 2 here. Let’s get started on episode 3, the description of which reads After Tiffany lashes out at kids who escape the Squad, a bombshell lawsuit sparks an FBI investigation. What will it takes to protect child influencers?
Piper and the remaining Squad members make a video refuting the rumors that ex-Squad members had left because of a “toxic” environment. In the video, Piper goes through and unfollows every ex-Squad member, who are totally hated on from current fans through what one mom calls “hate campaigns. This is a different level of bullying. This is the whole world.” Ashley, one of the moms, alleges that Tiffany was running fan accounts that would spread hate about the ex-Squad members.
Ex-Squad members report that their YouTube views and social media analytics totally tanked afte they left the Squad. “We felt like they were doing this to our channels,” Ashley says of the decline. The ex-Squad parents compare analytics and realize all the kids are tanking in their views. “The goal was to figure out what she’s doing to our channels and reverse it,” says Jenn, another mom. Through their research, they’re connected with an attorney, Matt Sarelson. It turns out that, allegedly, the kids’ videos were being embedded in violent or pornographic websites which would affect their ability to be able to monetize on YouTube, essentially black-listing them from ad sales. “The internet is written in ink. It’s not written in pencil,” says Sarelson.
Sarelson helps eleven plaintiffs and former Squad members file a civil lawsuit against Tiffany and Hunter Hill seeking damages in the millions of dollars. The lawsuit is filed in 2022 and it pulls the curtain back on real life in the Squad, says
. The attorneys speak to the kids and find that the complaints are just the “tip of an iceberg.” Through the discovery process, the parents become privy to the “empotional, verbal, and sexual abuse” the kids allegedly went through.
the Squad The parents seem totally shocked by the stories the kids have to tell. “It made me feel even worse for letting her stay,” says Corinne’s mom. Corinne remembers being 11 years old when Tiffany asked her if she had ever given a blow job and offers to show her how to give one using Hunter.
It gets even darker. Tiffany had this character named Lenny that she would speak through to the kids to say her most inappropriate things as “Lenny.” As the kids started telling their parents and the attorneys what happened, the moms all started crying. Reese, another former Squad member, shares a harrowing story in which remembers Tiffany as “Lenny” saying she had her pants down and did Reese want to come look? When Reese left the bathroom where she was hiding, Tiffany allegedly grabbed her and pinned her down. Reese says she was able to run out and get away from Tiffany.
Sophie says she, Claire, and Reese were “sexually assaulted a lot.” According to Sophie, she once woke up with Tiffany on top of her. “I remember being so scared,” she says. “And I started locking my door.” Sophie says to this day, she sleeps with a knife by her bed because she feels unsafe from her experiences. There’s more, she says, but she doesn’t want to talk about it on camera because it’s “too much.”
“We’re their moms. We’re supposed to protect them, but we didn’t,” cries Sophie’s mom.
When the lawsuit drops, influencers and commentators go bananas sharing all the details online. In the lawsuit, Tiffany is accused of encouraging minors to have oral sex and “dress sluttier.” Looking back,
says the parents of former Squad members ignored red flags and became complicit in their own child’s exploitation. The parents offer explanations of manipulation and cult-like tactics for why they didn’t get out sooner." “The bottom line is this. The parents didn’t know what was going on,” says Jeremiah Graham, one of the lawyers. “You might be able to fault them for that, for not knowing what was happening to their children at the time. That doesn’t excuse the defendants from what they did to these children.”
After the lawsuit is made public, ex-Squad members are accused of faking the allegations for clout or because they’re losing their own platforms.
notes that the abuse allegations against Tiffany Smith are not unique to just this mom in the kid influencer industry – just look at the Ruby Franke case (recap here).
Hunter Hill, Tiffany’s partner and collaborator, testifies that Tiffany was never verbally abusive against him. “I think he’s really just a weak man being controlled by Tiffany,” Sawyer says of Hunter.
Soon after, Piper makes a video defending her mom. “I thank my mom every day and I tell her how grateful I am for her,” she says through sobs. “I don’t even know how a person can go through what she has been going through or is going through still.”
After the lawsuit is filed, Piper’s channel is demonetized by YouTube, citing content guidelines, and her YouTube profits go from around $500,000 – $600,000/month to $0. Brand deals and sponsorships start to fall apart. Tiffany heads to platforms like Snapchat and BrandArmy – which is often compared to OnlyFans, except that the site doesn’t do nudity, says Mom.uncharted – to continue monetizing Piper’s content. “My heart hurts for Piper, seeing her on something like that,” says a former Squad member. “I’m kind of concerned a little bit,” says another former Squad member of seeing content of Piper in bathing suits. Piper’s content seems to be getting more and more provocative over time in response to what is alleged to be direction by Tiffany.
“The fact that Tiffany’s still operating, it boggles my mind.And it boggles my mind because shortly after the lawsuit, we were contacted by the FBI,” says Ashley, Tiffany’s sister-in-law. Reportedly, the FBI has visited each child who was involved in the lawsuit. "Ashley says she was told the FBI won’t try a case unless they know they have a smoking gun that will win the case.
In 2024, the parents take a $1.85 million settlement. “In many ways, a laqsuit is where justice goes to die,” says one of the lawyers. Tiffany, according to Ashley, has new kids and a new squad to make content with. “It’s still happening. It’s still going on. You’d think a lawsuit would make her stop. It’s not,” cries one of the moms. “And if something isn’t done, these won’t be the last kids either,” says another mom.
The episode – and the documentary – ends with the former Squad members hoping Piper can get out of what they see as Tiffany’s tangled web.
Guys. I need some time to collect my thoughts on this whole documentary because I’m legit emotionally drained from how dark it was. Please tell me your thoughts. Is this going to change how you interact with kid influencer social media content going forward? Tell me your thoughts.