The mother of a popular YouTube star has settled a lawsuit filed against her by 11 teens who accused her of abuse and exploitation.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs said the parties reached a $1.85 million settlement in the lawsuit, which was filed in January 2022 by teens who were regularly featured on Piper Rockelle’s channel, NBC News reported.
The lawsuit alleged that Rockelle’s mother, Tiffany Smith, inflicted “harassment, molestation, and abuse” on them while holding a position of “care and control” during production of content for her daughter’s channel, as CrimeOnline reported. They also claim they were not compensated for the use of their likenesses to promote the channel.
The 147-page complaint described Smith as a “mean-spirited control freak” who commented on their genitalia, shouted obscenities at them, urged them to be “sexy” and “sexually aggressive,” and inappropriately touched them.
The lawsuit originally sought $2 million each for the 11 teens, who were once members of Rockelle’s “Piper Squad,” made up of children and young teens, on her channel. According to the lawsuit, the teens said they were asked to fake romantic crushes on each other for the channel.
The lawsuit also alleges that Smith sabotaged the YouTube channels of several of the plaintiffs by falsely flagging their content as “inappropriate” after they left the Squad.
According to NBC News, Smith countersued last year for $30 million but abandoned the lawsuit before the teens’ parents responded to it.
Under the terms of the settlement, Smith denied any wrongdoing.
Angela Sharbino, mother of one of the plaintiffs, told NBC that the lawsuit wasn’t filed “to change the industry, but to bring awareness that predators can be found in any field.
“This was never about the money — it was about holding an individual accountable, telling the truth, and taking a step toward healing,” she said in a statement. “All of these kids have now moved on from the ‘Squad’ and are closing this chapter of their lives.”
Rockelle’s YouTube channel, which includes titles like “Flirtin with other guys to see how my boyfriend reacts” and “Passing out in front of my crush to see how he reacts,” now has more than 12 million subscribers.
