A trial for the mother of 15-year-old Youtube superstar Piper Rockelle is set to begin on Monday.
Tiffany Smith is facing multiple claims of harassment, molestation, and abuse from 11 teen content creators who appeared on the young star’s channel.
In the file documents made in January 2022, the teens accused Smith of “emotional, verbal, physical, and at times, sexual abuse.”
They worked with the mother and daughter duo from 2017-2020 as “Piper Squad” members. They became a part of various Youtube scripts featured on Rockelle’s famous channel, which holds over 10M subscribers.
Saying they experienced “emotional distress” while allegedly Smith “held a position of ‘care and control’ over them in the production of content.” According to the complaint, some of the victims were withheld payment for their work and weren’t compensated for promoting Rockelle’s channel. It is unclear if the minors were promised pay.
The lawsuit added that Smith schemed to “intentionally interfere with and sabotage” their “individual YouTube channels” after leaving “Piper Squad.” She reportedly used false reporting and flagging that drove down their views, “thereby significantly diminishing” their profits. She also “embedded their content on pornographic websites” that would be “‘restricted’ the platform,” per NBC.
The lawsuit wants Smith and her boyfriend, Hunter Hill, who was in charge of the directorial position for Rockelle’s channel, to pay each plaintiff $2M in damages, equaling $22M in total.
Ashley Anne-Rock Smith, the mother of two daughters that appeared on 94 episodes, is involved in the legal dispute, and demands justice for her kids. They are also kin to the star. She told the news outlet, saying, “I just want peace back with my kids.”
“I want all predators who hurt young kids to be brought to justice. I also hope we move the needle on these platforms that are allowing this.”
