Tiffany allegedly exploited 'kidfluencers' for YouTube fame. Now she's responded.

Netflix's latest documentary about the problematic nature of kidfluencing is set to leave viewers deeply disturbed.

Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing has captivated viewers with its shocking exposé of the exploitative world of child influencers.

Through interviews with former collaborators and their families, the documentary uncovers allegations of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse tied to Tiffany Smith's management of 'The Squad', a group of teenage influencers who appeared in her daughter Piper Rockelle's YouTube videos.

Watch the trailer here. Post continues after video.

The three-part series delves into the rise and fall of Piper, a teen influencer, and her mother Tiffany, who managed Piper's career and has become the subject of criticism and controversy.

In response to the documentary airing, Tiffany released a statement to E! News.

"This entire ordeal — from baseless accusations to legal chaos to a Netflix reality series — has been the most painful chapter of our lives," Smith said. "And it's been especially devastating for my daughter, Piper. After everything she's already endured, she's now being exploited by Netflix under the guise of 'protecting' kids."

Tiffany has questioned the intentions of the parents involved in the Netflix docuseries. "The accusers were — and still are — stage mums pushing their kids into the spotlight," she claimed.

"Most of the kids in the Netflix special are still chasing online fame and fortune, fully supported by their parents… None of the parents had an issue with us — none of the kids reported anything negative — until they felt our YouTube channel was earning more than their own."

Who is Piper Rockelle's mother Tiffany Smith?

Tiffany Smith is best known as the 'momager' behind her daughter Piper Rockelle's social media empire.

A single mother from Canton, Georgia, Tiffany initially entered Piper in beauty pageants at the age of four before launching her YouTube career in 2016. Under Tiffany's management, Piper quickly gained millions of followers across platforms like YouTube and TikTok, with content ranging from pranks to choreographed dances.

Tiffany also recruited other child influencers to form 'The Squad', a group that collaborated on videos to galvanise each influencer's social media following.

Their on-screen personas projected a fun and playful dynamic, but former Squad members later revealed a darker reality behind the scenes.

The former members of The Squad made several serious allegations against Tiffany in a lawsuit filed in January 2022. These claims, which are explored in the Netflix doco, paint a disturbing picture of a 'cult-like' environment behind the scenes of Piper's empire.

'The Squad' of kidfluencers was created by Tiffany Smith. Image: Netflix.

The plaintiffs accused Tiffany of creating a toxic and emotionally abusive atmosphere. She allegedly made offensive and sexually explicit comments to the children, including remarks about their bodies and genitalia.

Some Squad members claimed that Tiffany engaged in inappropriate physical contact, such as touching their legs, thighs and buttocks.

The minors were allegedly pressured into filming videos with sexually suggestive themes, such as wearing revealing clothing, being made to kiss each other or participating in awkwardly romantic challenges.

These videos were reportedly orchestrated by Tiffany to boost views and engagement on Piper's YouTube channel.

Tiffany was accused of asking inappropriate questions about male Squad members' anatomy and making flirtatious comments to minors.

One of the most shocking allegations against Tiffany, featured in Netflix's documentary, comes from influencer Raegan Beast.

When he was 17, Beast claims that Tiffany forcibly kissed him during a livestream in 2017. The moment was played in the Netflix series but Raegan claims Tiffany wiped it from the internet.

Raegan Beast spoke openly about his experience with Tiffany Smith. Image: Netflix.

The Netflix documentary made more troubling allegations regarding gifts Piper received from an adult man who went by the online name 'Megan'. According to claims made in the series, Megan sent extravagant gifts to Piper and her mother, Tiffany, starting when Piper was as young as 10.

Nichole, a former squad member's mother, claimed that Tiffany referred to Megan as Piper's "stalker" and a "pervert", but encouraged his gifts by sending him photos from Piper's photoshoots. Smith denies these allegations, claiming she never encouraged Megan or sent him photos in exchange for gifts.

Tiffany was also accused of sending Piper's underwear to unknown men who had requested the items.

After leaving The Squad, several plaintiffs claimed that Tiffany retaliated by sabotaging their individual YouTube channels. This included allegedly using bots to drive down their subscriber counts, falsely flagging their content as inappropriate and embedding their videos on pornographic websites.

Despite the revenue generated from their appearances in Piper's content, the young YouTubers alleged they were not compensated for their contributions to Piper's channel. Some also claimed they were denied basic rights like meal breaks, rest periods, and on-set schooling.

In 2022, eleven ex-members filed a lawsuit against Tiffany. The lawsuit was settled in October 2024 for $1.85 million ($2.8 million in AUD) without any admission of wrongdoing.

Where is Tiffany Smith now?

Following the lawsuit and subsequent fallout, Tiffany has largely retreated from public life.

Her daughter's YouTube channel was demonetised in 2022 due to the allegations, cutting off their hefty income stream that once amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars per month for the mother-daughter duo.

Tiffany has denied all allegations against her and stated that settling the case was necessary to avoid prolonged litigation and protect Piper's mental health.

Tiffany Smith with Piper Rockelle in her younger years. Image: Instagram/@piperrockelle.

In a statement to PEOPLE ahead of the documentary's release, she took aim at the families of her detractors. "Obviously we didn't do anything that was alleged, but sadly, money is a big motivator for certain personalities in this world."

Following the release of Bad Influence, Tiffany criticised Netflix for what she described as promoting a "knowingly false narrative."

She called the documentary "the most upsetting and difficult experience of my life," and expressed frustration over its impact on her daughter Piper, who she described as "collateral damage in a mess of adults behaving badly."

Tiffany is currently in her early forties and she's stepped away from the spotlight while continuing to support Piper's social media career behind the scenes.

Now 17, Piper herself has maintained an active presence on platforms like Instagram and TikTok boasting millions of followers. More recently, she's faced criticism for her controversial and overly sexualised posts.

Feature image: Instagram/@PiperRockelle.