Those who’ve watched Netflix’s Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing will be more than aware of the toxic side to childhood online stardom. Along with some of the harrowing accusations levelled at Piper Rockelle‘s mother, Tiffany Smith, and her boyfriend, Hunter Hill, in the docuseries (which they both firmly deny), many viewers were also saddened by Johna Kay Ramirez’s appearance on the programme.
The mother of Jentzen Ramirez, Johna shares how, in her opinion, Tiffany and the Squad drove a wedge between her and her son, from whom she is now estranged and eager to reconnect. Johna claims that Jentzen was falsely informed by Tiffany and others that she is only interested in his money and success, which she firmly disputes.
Johna also alleges that Tiffany encouraged Jentzen’s father to get involved with Johna tried to have Jentzen leave the Squad, and that Tiffany even once filmed a video in Johna’s former family home in what she believes was a deliberate attempt to taunt her.
“By the end of 2020, Jentzen wouldn’t speak to me […] At one point, he told me Tiffany was a better mom than me,” Johna says in Bad Influence. “There’s a video of them filming in my house in Austin and she’s [Tiffany] sitting in my dining room and the message was ‘Now I’m in your house’.”
This is everything Jentzen Ramirez’s mum has said about their estrangement, Piper Rockelle’s Squad, and if the pair have reconnected following the documentary.
Heather Nichole/Courtesy of Netflix
Piper Rockelle and her Squad, with Jentzen Ramirez pictured far right
Who is Jentzen Ramirez?
Jentzen Ramirez is an 18-year-old influencer who is dating fellow internet personality, Elliana Walmsley – they often make joint videos together, including clips of them dancing or partaking in challenges. Jentzen was an early member of Piper Rockelle’s Squad, a team of child content creators who formed a network, and grew his following by collaborating with Piper and others on prank, challenge and crush-focussed videos.
His most popular videos on YouTube include him getting his Squad ‘crush’, Sophie Fergi, to look through his phone as part of a challenge (6.1 million views) and a 10-minute scripted piece in which he ‘saves’ Piper Rockelle from being kidnapped (11 million views). It’s thought that Jentzen first became interested in performing after seeing his sister, Liana, find some success in Hollywood but that social media gigs quickly overtook traditional acting opportunities.
Tiffany Rose//Getty Images
Jentzen Ramirez and Elliana Walmsley pictured in February 2025
Sadly, those who watched the Netflix docuseries Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing will know that Jentzen’s mother, Johna Kay Ramirez, feels his involvement with the Squad – and namely with Piper Rockelle’s mother, Tiffany Smith, and her videographer boyfriend, Hunter Hill – for their difficult relationship now.
In the docuseries, Johna alleges that when she tried to pull Jentzen out of the Squad in 2020, describing it as a “social media sweatshop”, that his dad, Nelson Ramirez, also initially was in support of the idea – but after speaking to Tiffany, Nelson did a u-turn and said his son could remain in the creator circle. Johna says that Tiffany and her then-husband drove a wedge between the mother and son.
“The idea that the kids were working their asses off and it was a slave camp are wrong,” Nelson said in an article. “The kids wanted to be there and had to be dragged away.” It’s said that Liana also supported this decision and stepped up to chaperone her brother as her mother was frozen out by the Squad, Nelson and Tiffany.
“I kept trying to tell [Nelson] that Tiffany is going to tear our family apart,” Johna claims. She filed for divorce from Nelson in 2021 and sought joint custody of Jentzen, but later says it became harder and harder to get her son to communicate with her.
Johna also claims that initially the content Tiffany and Hunter directed the Squad kids to make seemed harmless but that “later on the content started escalating to being inappropriate” and in one episode of Bad Influence, clips from one particular ‘prank’ video in which Jentzen is visibly upset is shown. The video, allegedly dreamt up by Hunter and Tiffany, sees the Squad into thinking one member, Lev, was genuinely being arrested for breaching a filming permit.
“I could see my son crying his eyes out on set and it was very traumatising,” Johna claims.
Johna also alleges that after this incident, she confronted Tiffany and was then banned from being on set. Johan claims Tiffany would then only allow Jentzen’s dad, Nelson, to chaperone and falsely told Jentzen his mother just wanted to take all his money.
Tiffany strongly denies this and says she was just supporting Jentzen through a tough time.
Is Jentzen still in the Squad?
No, it looks like Jentzen ducked out in 2023 and now mostly films content either solo or with his girlfriend, Elliana Walmsley. Elliana was also previously in the Squad and was shipped with Jentzen, after his ‘relationship’ with Sophie Fergi.
Piper’s YouTube account was demonetised after a 2022 lawsuit was launched by eleven ex-Squad members, alleging Tiffany, Hunter and Piper Rockelle Inc subjected them to unlawful working conditions (without breaks or food), didn’t properly compensate them for appearing in Piper’s videos and that Tiffany was emotionally abusive. Some former Squad members, including Tiffany’s nieces, also allege in the Netflix film that their aunt was sexually abusive towards them.
When addressing some of the alleged sexual abuse claims in particular back in 2022, Tiffany as per the LA Times said that “she did play physical games with the kids but they were not sexual”.
Tiffany and Hunter have strongly denied any wrongdoing, countersued and the lawsuit was ultimately settled for $1.8 million (which was split between the 11 ex-Squad stars).
Who is Jentzen Ramirez’s sister, Liana?
Liana Ramirez is also a known performer, dancer and musician; Jentzen’s earliest YouTube videos often see her make an appearance. She is eight years older than him and according to an article from The Atavist Magazine, Johna says it was Liana who initially chased the bright lights of fame and is the reason why the family relocated from Texas to California in search of better opportunities to work in the arts.
Liana and Jentzen’s father, Nelson, remained at home in Texas to focus on his business.
Tommaso Boddi//Getty Images
Liana Ramirez at an entertainment event
“I knew how much my daughter wanted this, how much it meant to her,” Johna said in an interview. “So whatever I could do, whatever skills I had, I would use them to help [Liana succeed].”
It was while accompanying his mother and sister to the latter’s auditions that other parents spotted Jentzen’s potential and encouraged Johna to get him to try out for parts too.
After a few years of acting, Jentzen then switched to building a YouTube career with his mother’s support after successfully being cast in a Piper Rockelle video and given the role of Sophie Fergi’s ‘crush’. Together, they formed the couple ‘Jophie’, much to the delight of fans.
After her parents filed for divorce, Liana reportedly submitted a petition to become her brother’s legal guardian, claiming her mother was “seldom home” – which Johna disputed. It’s said the other three Ramirezes took the view that Johna wanted to sabotage Jentzen’s career by removing him from the Squad.
What has Jentzen Ramirez’s mum said about the Squad?
According to an LA Times report, Jentzen’s mum, Johna, who appears in the Netflix docuseries Bad Influence, feels their relationship started to sour when she tried to get him to leave the Squad run by Tiffany Smith and Hunter Hill. Johna described the setup as a “social media sweatshop” and has been open in her criticism and dislike of Tiffany.
The newspaper said it reviewed a text that Jentzen sent to another Squad member’s parent reading: “Hey so I called the number Tiffany gave me for the emancipation Attorney.”
Tiffany Smith has denied any wrongdoing in the situation and claims she was just trying to support Jentzen through his family difficulties.
In the deep-dive that Johna collaborated with The Atavist Magazine on, she alleges that “she and Jentzen verbally agreed to share his earnings. California law dictates that a child actor’s income is theirs alone, but Johna claims that she and Jentzen decided it was fair that her labor be compensated. Together mother and son set up J&J Ramirez Productions LLC”, after the began seeing his own channels grow thanks to his association with Piper Rockelle.
Are Jentzen and Johna Ramirez still estranged?
Jentzen doesn’t appear to have replied to comments asking whether he’ll get in touch with his mother after Bad Influence aired. He also has not posted anything in relation to his relationship with his mother.
Cosmopolitan UK has reached out for comment.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK’s multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She’s grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.