Netflix’s ‘Bad Influence’ puts the world of child influencers under microscope
A new docuseries is putting the world of child influencers under a magnifying glass.
"Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing," a three-part series, premiered April 9 on Netflix and has already skyrocketed to the No. 1 spot in the United States in the television category on the streaming service.
What is 'Bad Influence' about?
"Bad Influence," directed by Jenna Rosher and Kief Davidson, introduces viewers to teen YouTube icon Piper Rockelle and her mother and manager Tiffany Smith -- the "momager," as the first episode describes her.
Smith was the brains behind Rockelle's rise to online superstardom, according to the series, which explains that she not only helped her daughter find multimillion-dollar fame and fortune, she also assisted other child influencers with their careers when they teamed up with Rockelle to become the "Squad."
The series features first-person interviews with Rockelle's and Smith's inner circle, including fellow influencers and those influencers' family members. It also features Smith's younger sister Patience Rock Smith, her sister-in-law Ashley Rock Smith and Rockelle's cousins.
Who is Piper Rockelle?
Rockelle first became a child influencer when she was about 8, joining a popular lip-syncing and social media app called musical.ly, the series says.
She and her mother were then cast in the TV show "Dance Twins," and Smith subsequently uploaded one of Rockelle's first videos on YouTube.
As her YouTube channel started to grow, Rockelle was cast as Sky in the drama "Mani," a YouTube show that ran for eight seasons.
The @PiperRockelle YouTube channel remains active and currently has over 12 million subscribers.
What is the 'Squad' in 'Bad Influence'?
Alongside Rockelle in her YouTube videos was a rotating cast of friends and influencers, who later became known as the "Squad."
The group included a young girl named Corinne, who appeared in one of Rockelle's first viral videos. Other Squad members included Rockelle's "Mani" co-star Sophie, her cousins Claire and Reese, and other friends who wanted to be content creators – Sawyer, Hayden, Gavin, Emily and Symonne – all of whom were between the ages of 10 and 12 in 2018.
Another notable member of the Squad was Hunter Hill. Although he was presented as Rockelle's older brother, he was an unrelated 20-year-old whom Smith and Rockelle met at a conference in Los Angeles, the series claims. Hill also served as an editor for Rockelle's videos, according to influencer and advocate Raegan Beast, who appears in the series.
Patience Rock Smith -- Rockelle's aunt -- claimed in the series that Hill went on to date Rockelle's mother.
What did Piper Rockelle's mother, Tiffany Smith, allegedly do?
Squad members and their parents alleged in the series that Smith grew more verbally and physically abusive as the popularity of Rockelle's YouTube channel surged. They claimed that she subjected the preteens to long workdays, filming over 10 videos a day for each of the kids' personal YouTube channels. They also alleged in the series that some of the children and their parents lived together in a shared home environment with dozens of cats and few rules in place.
What happened to Piper Rockelle, Tiffany Smith and the Squad?
"Bad Influence" explores what can potentially go wrong when it comes to content creation involving kids. It delves into allegations of abuse and exploitation as former Squad members and parents speak out in interviews about Smith's allegedly inappropriate behavior.
By the third episode, the docuseries focuses on a 2022 lawsuit brought against Smith and Hill. The series said that the lawsuit claimed that the defendants were responsible for multiple workplace violations, retaliation and sexual harassment.
According to a Vanity Fair article Wednesday, the lawsuit was settled in October 2024 for $1.85 million and did not include an admission of guilt.
The article also stated that Rockelle shared a written statement with the outlet, saying, “The Netflix thing makes me angry…because they know the claims were all fake. My mom didn’t do anything they said. I’ll stand behind her forever. Because if it wasn’t for my mom and my family, I’m not sure how I’d get through this.”
In a statement at the end of "Bad Influence," the docuseries says that Smith, Hill and Rockelle declined via their attorney to be interviewed and declined to provide a comment for the series. The statement also says that Smith has publicly denied the allegations against her by former Squad members and their family members.
