Summary:
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Netflix’s Bad Influence spotlights abuse claims by former members of Piper Rockelle’s “squad.”
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The teens allege emotional and physical mistreatment by Piper’s mother, Tiffany Smith.
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The documentary explores the dark side of kidfluencing and raises questions about child labor protections.
What Did Piper Rockelle’s Former Squad Members Reveal in Bad Influence
Netflix’s latest three-part docuseries Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing, released on April 9, 2025, dives into the world behind viral YouTube fame. At the center of the series is 17-year-old content creator Piper Rockelle Smith and the group of young creators who appeared in her videos. These former squad members, once seen goofing around on camera, now claim they endured emotional, physical, and even sexual abuse—mostly at the hands of Piper’s mother and manager, Tiffany Smith.
The documentary revisits a January 2022 lawsuit, in which 11 teens sued Tiffany Smith, citing a toxic and abusive filming environment. While a $1.85 million settlement was reached in October 2024, the kids chose to publicly share their side in this docuseries. The episodes highlight the stark contrast between their cheerful online personas and the uncomfortable situations they say they were forced into off-camera.
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How Did Piper Rockelle’s Squad Begin and What Went Wrong
The documentary opens with how Piper Rockelle rose to online fame. She joined YouTube in 2016, frequently uploading challenge videos, crush reveals, and skits featuring her friends. Her mother, Tiffany Smith, played a major role in shaping the group recruiting aspiring child actors and encouraging their parents with promises of exposure and brand-building.
As Bad Influence details, Smith envisioned Piper’s group as a kid-friendly version of Friends. Known online as “Piper’s Squad,” the clique grew with more boys and girls who regularly appeared in lighthearted content designed for maximum clicks and shares. Behind the scenes, however, former members say the process was anything but fun.
Several kids say they were coerced into uncomfortable or cruel scenarios in the name of views. One clip in the docuseries shows Smith daring a young girl to lick smoothie off the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Another recounts how cast members were told to ignore a fellow squad member on her birthday as a form of content strategy.
“Tiffany absolutely wanted to do more questionable content to get more views and likes,” says Sawyer Sharbino, a former squad member featured in the series.
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What Types of Pranks and Scenes Were Called Out in Bad Influence
Much of the discomfort came from the pranks, a hallmark of Rockelle’s YouTube videos. In one, Piper pretended to have a stroke and was carted off in a fake ambulance. In another, an actor dressed as a police officer was hired to fake-arrest one of the kids, causing visible panic and tears.
Sophie Fergi, who was a frequent face in Piper’s early videos, says neither she nor the other parents were told these moments were staged. Her mother, Johna Ramirez, described how traumatic it was to watch her son, Jentzen, break down crying on set due to the prank.
“There are so many videos that made all of us feel uncomfortable,” says Fergi, who describes those years as “some of the hardest of my life and I’m only 12.”
The series also touches on how Piper’s public image added to the concerns. By 2021, many of her social media posts had begun featuring her in mature poses and clothing that raised eyebrows among parents and celebrities alike. In one notable moment, singer Pink tweeted about the dangers of child influencers being oversexualized—specifically referencing Piper.
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How Did Tiffany Smith and Piper Rockelle Respond to the Allegations
Neither Piper Rockelle nor Tiffany Smith participated in Bad Influence, but they have issued public denials in the past. Ahead of the documentary’s release, Smith told People that the accusations were false and financially motivated.
“Obviously we didn’t do anything that was alleged,” Smith said in a 2024 statement. “We made the decision to put this behind us because… prolonged litigation would be even more harmful and painful to everyone involved—which includes kids.”
Piper herself has also called the claims “ridiculous,” and the pair have continued posting content on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
The documentary, however, contextualizes their story within a larger trend of online child entertainers facing exploitation. From the 2018 case of Michael and Heather Martin—who lost custody of their kids after filming abuse-style pranks—to the 2024 sentencing of parenting vlogger Ruby Franke for child abuse, the docuseries lays bare the growing pattern of blurred lines between fame and safety in online child stardom.
As tech journalist and author Taylor Lorenz points out in the film,
“When it comes to new forms of work and new media, there are no labor protections.”
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Why Did the Squad Members Leave and What Is Piper Rockelle Doing Now
Despite the allegations, many of the former squad members make it clear that their main issue was not with Piper herself. While they describe Tiffany Smith’s behavior as controlling and abusive, they still express care for Piper.
The docuseries ends with several of them tearfully saying they still love Piper but had to walk away for their own well-being. For many, their exit from the spotlight was a choice made not out of jealousy or conflict, but out of concern for the environment they were in.
As of 2025, Piper Rockelle remains an active influencer with a massive audience.
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TikTok: Over 14.7 million followers
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YouTube: Over 12 million subscribers
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Instagram: Over 6 million followers
Though Bad Influence has renewed public scrutiny, Rockelle continues to post regularly, teasing new projects and content. However, her image is now tied not just to fun videos but also to a wider conversation about child influencer protections in the digital age.
Source: Time
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