❚ We may earn commission from links on this page. Our editorial is always independent (learn more).

Where is Tiffany Smith now? Mother of Piper Rockelle featured in Netflix's Bad Influence

The "dark realities" of influencing are explored in this new docuseries.

Piper Rockelle and Tiffany Smith smiling at each other

Netflix

Published: Thursday, 10 April 2025 at 2:57 pm

Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing is an explosive three-part docuseries that chronicles the shadowy world of child influencers.

Ad

Piper Rockelle, now a 17-year-old content creator, rose to fame on YouTube after staging elaborate pranks, competing in absurd challenges and comedic skits with what was known as "The Squad".

But behind all the glitz and glamour that influencing so often shares with audiences, something darker is said to have gone on.

Told by those who faced alleged abuse amid their rise to social superstardom, the series "exposes the dark realities of social media fame and the fight to protect the next generation of creators from exploitation".

But who is Tiffany Smith and what were the allegations made against her? Read on to learn more.

Who is Tiffany Smith?

A woman with wavy brown hair, looking ahead and smiling. She is wearing a pink t-shirt.

Tiffany Smith. Netflix

Hailing from Georgia, Tiffany Smith became a single mother at 26 years old to her daughter Piper Rockelle.

Smith first became popular in the public eye after entering her daughter into pageants and generating a large social media following after videos of her then three-year-old went viral.

She then moved to Los Angeles to pursue careers for herself and her daughter. When they moved, Smith began recruiting other budding child content creators to join "The Squad".

Who were the members in The Squad?

In 2018, when Piper was just 11 years old, The Squad began to form. In the years that followed, more than a dozen members have joined and left.

Below is a list of all the members who were in The Squad:

Why was a lawsuit filed against Tiffany Smith?

The Squad.

The Squad. Netflix

In 2022, 11 former members of The Squad and their parents filed a legal complaint against Tiffany Smith, and it was alleged that the content creators endured physical and emotional injuries from "harassment, molestation and abuse".

Smith denied all allegations, and in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, she said: "This whole case is based on lies that are driven by financial jealousy. Financial jealousy of a 15-year-old girl."

In October 2024, a $1.85 million settlement was reached, without any admission of liability from Smith.

"This lawsuit was never about money — it was to make sure she couldn't do what she did to me to another kid," one of the former Squad members said in the documentary.

Where is Piper Rockelle now?

Piper Rockelle is still a hugely successful social media star, with 6.1 million followers on Instagram alone at the time of writing.

She posts content daily, often based on social media trends and through pictures of herself and with her boyfriend.

Piper declined to take part in Netflix's documentary and told People that the "whole experience" had been "extremely painful".

She told the publication: "Not just because of the people making ridiculous claims about me and my family — but also how the media has been."

Where is Tiffany Smith now?

Details on Tiffany Smith's whereabouts are unclear, but she also declined to be part of the docuseries, and continues to deny the allegations made against her.

Ahead of the series's release, Smith told People in a statement: "Obviously, we didn't do anything that was alleged, but sadly, money is a big motivator for certain personalities in this world.

"We made the decision to put this behind us because, honestly, prolonged litigation would be even more harmful and painful to everyone involved — which includes kids."

Want to see this content?

This page contains content provided by Google reCAPTCHA. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as Google reCAPTCHA may use cookies and other technologies. To view this content, choose 'Accept and continue' to allow Google reCAPTCHA and its required purposes.

Accept and continue

Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing is available to watch on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

Ad

Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of Katelyn Mensah, smiling against a lime green background.

Katelyn MensahSenior Entertainment Writer

Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.

Ad

Ad

Get the Christmas double issue

Too much to watch at Christmas? Let Radio Times do the choosing to find something the whole family will enjoy.

Subscribe by 3 Dec

Loading...

Ad

Loading...