If you spend any time on the internet, then you've probably already heard about the couple who became overnight celebrities: Savannah Rose and Cole LaBrant. After starting their own Youtube channel, The LaBrant Fam gained a following of millions. But letting the public into their private lives might have exposed a lot more than they intended...
A Bright Future
Cole Labrant was born and raised in Troy, Alabama, alongside his sister and four brothers. His parents, Sheri and Ken, brought their children up in a Christian home, and they had always been a close-knit family. Back in 2013, no one in the LaBrant household could have expected the kind of fame Cole would receive.
It all started when Cole's life took an unexpected turn after one post to Vine. In case you forgot, before TikTok ever came along, Vine was the social network used for posting 6 or 7-second long looping video clips. Cole had never used the app - until one day when he and his two best friends, let their boredom get the best of them.
The Post That Changed Everything
Cole was hanging out with Baylor Barnes and John Stephen Grice when they came across a challenge on Vine. "We were all spending the night at John Stephen's house... we see a dance contest," Cole recalled. "It's all girls entering the Vine contest, and we're like, 'This is so dumb … how funny would it be if we entered it, guys?'"
So, the three of them got rehearsing and posted a short clip. The response that the video received was overwhelming, but it was enough to change Cole's goals and dreams. "After one week, we had 100,000 followers," LaBrant recalled. "We did it as a complete joke, we really thought that it was gonna go nowhere."
Going Viral
They called their comedy trio Dem White Boyz and originally thought "that it was just our fifteen seconds of fame with a couple of videos. We weren't trying to get social media famous, we honestly didn't even know that it was a possibility or that it was a thing," as Cole admitted.
Before Cole, John, and Baylor had any time to get used to their newfound fame, they were put on a flight to Hollywood to attend their very first meet-and-greet. While Cole took well to the stardom, his friends weren't having as much fun as he was. Eventually, they sat him down for a talk.
Hackers Almost Cost Cole His Career
John and Baylor quickly grew tired of being in the spotlight. Rehearsing and coming up with new content became too time-consuming, but Cole still wanted to continue. So, his best friends allowed him to 'rebrand' their social media accounts under his name.
With his two friends out of the picture, Cole continued to develop his own personal brand online, putting the days of Dem White Boyz long behind him. However, branching out on his own proved to be a lot harder than Cole anticipated when some online hackers almost cost him his career.
Cole's Epiphany
Everything was going smoothly, and things were looking pretty good for Cole, until one day when he suddenly became the target of some angry online hackers. "They deleted all my pictures," LaBrant recalled. "I lost 100,000 followers in less than a week."
Just like that, Cole was faced with the possibility of losing everything he had worked so hard for. However, the experience forced him to look at his life and his newfound fame in a whole new light. While he was locked out of his accounts, Cole did some serious soul searching.
The Reason Cole Changed His Content
"It was just so humbling to see that, everything that I'd worked for, for about two years, just to see it all crumble," said Cole. "And it's like, all this could literally be gone at any second." LaBrant decided that if he ever gained control over his account again, he would do things differently.
Cole had always been a God-fearing person, and he decided it was time to start moving away from his "twerking Vine boy," persona. When he finally managed to steal back his account, Cole used his fanbase as a platform to talk about God. The sudden change of content caused him to lose a few fans.
Why Cole Lost His Followers
"It was a hard transition," said Cole. "Because we didn't start out proclaiming the gospel. Making the transition from being a secular social media person to a Christian social media person, it was tough. Because people knew you for dancing or making funny videos, and now you're talking about Jesus."
However, Cole continued to post his vlogs on Vine, as well as, Musical.ly. Then in 2015, he decided to embark on a new project. He and his mother, Sheri, entered the 28th season of The Amazing Race. Although they put up a good fight, the LaBrants went home empty-handed.
Separate Worlds
Cole and his mother came second place in The Amazing Race, and after they missed out on $1 million in cash, they couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. However, little did Cole know, his biggest treasure was just around the corner, which brings us to Savannah Rose Soutas.
Savannah was born and raised in Orange County, California. But sadly, she didn't grow up in a happy home like Cole. Her childhood was filled with heartbreak, and at times, it got a little too much for someone so young. You see, Savannah loved her parents very much, but their marriage was in a toxic place.
Savannah Had a Troubled Past
When Savannah was still a toddler, her parents got divorced due to infidelity. The messy split-up caused her father to move out of the house, leaving Savannah and her sister to grow up without a dad. Looking back on her childhood, it became clear to her just how much that affected her.
"Especially as a teenage girl," said Savannah. "I think it's so important to have your dad in your life if you can. I think that definitely made me kind of go down a darker path." Thankfully, Savannah always had her sister Chantelle by her side, and their hardships only made them grow closer.
"The Thought of Having a Baby Scared Me to Death"
Savannah finished high school, but when she was in college, she went through a confusing period in her life. At the time, she was dating Tommy Smith and although they had an on-and-off relationship, Savannah fell pregnant with his child. She was only 19-years-old, and the pregnancy came as a shock.
"The thought of having a baby scared me to death," wrote Savannah. "I didn't know how I'd continue going to college and take care of a baby. And if I didn't finish college, what kind of life could I have?" Moreover, she and Tommy didn't have the kind of relationship she could rely on.
Savannah's Heartbreak
"Tommy, however, seemed oddly excited about it," wrote Savannah. "He even talked about us getting married. My parents never would have gone for that because they were not overly fond of Tommy." You see, Tommy had proven to be unfaithful to Savannah multiple times.
"Not choosing the right guy and also just being cheated on by [my] boyfriend," said Savannah. "I think it helped me understand how hurt my mom was [when she was] cheated on." Despite her heartbreak, Savannah's family had to put their differences aside and focus on her pregnancy.
Fear of the Future
Being 19-years-old, Savannah was going to need all the help she could get. Her sister and mother rallied together to help raise the child. "Telling my parents I was pregnant with [Tommy's] child was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do," admitted Savannah.
"They were really supportive of me, and they loved the idea of becoming grandparents." In fact, Savannah's parents decided to try and make their marriage work so that they could help Savannah raise the baby. "I was beyond thrilled," recalled Savannah. Her father "asked all of us to forgive him and give him a second chance."
Savannah Didn't Talk to Her Father
Unfortunately, Savannah's baby wasn't enough to mend her parent's broken marriage. "It didn't last," wrote Savannah. "Two weeks later, my dad went back to the woman for whom he left my mom." The disappointment broke Savannah's heart and made her even more afraid to have a baby with someone she didn't trust.
"I didn't speak to [my father] for months…not until after Everleigh was born," admitted Savannah. Unfortunately, this was only the beginning of her heartache. While she was pregnant with baby Everleigh, Savannah found out some news that made her even more terrified of the future.
Bittersweet
"Around my sixth month of pregnancy, I learned Tommy, who had been eager to get married when he found out I was pregnant, was now cheating on me," remembered Savannah. "I was done." But without any time to panic, the last three months flew by, and it was time for baby Everleigh to come into the world.
On the 14th of December, 2012, Savannah gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Of course, Savannah fell in love with her beautiful daughter, but she didn't want to go through bringing her up alone. So, when Tommy begged to come back into the picture, Savannah agreed with a hopeful heart.
A Vicious Cycle
"I dumped [Tommy]," said Savannah. "But we got back together when Everleigh was born. He promised me he'd changed, and I let myself believe him because I felt like I had to do everything I could to try to make a relationship with Tommy work for our daughter's sake."
Sadly, Tommy disappointed her again. "Within a matter of weeks after Everleigh was born, Tommy left me. Again. I felt horrible about myself. It wasn't the last time. Tommy came back around whenever something big with Everleigh happened, like Christmas or a birthday."
Behind Closed Doors
This behavior continued, and it only grew worse. "A lot of times, I asked [Tommy] to come back because I felt like our daughter needed her dad to be there. He came, and both of us were so focused on Everleigh that we didn't argue, and we had what felt like happy family times," wrote Savannah.
Savannah remembers how these vicious cycles would start. "Just give me another chance," Tommy would say, "And I always caved," said Savannah. "We always got along great if Everleigh was with us. However, whenever she was with my mom or asleep, the arguments started, the same old arguments we always had."
Savannah Had a Low Self Esteem
Savannah found herself in a terribly dark place. Everything that had happened with Tommy left her with terribly low self-esteem, and she struggled to love herself or believe in herself. "I was left feeling ugly and worse than worthless like no one else would ever want to be with me because I had a kid," admitted Savannah.
"I had a kid. I could not live with that, so Tommy and I would split up again," said Savannah. "After every breakup, when Ev was asleep, I'd break down in tears before God, begging Him to bring me a guy who'd love and respect me and love Everleigh like his own. That guy never showed up."
Why Savannah Started Vlogging
This marked one of the lowest times in Savannah's life, she felt completely stuck. "My family begged me to give up on Tommy, which only made me mad at them and more determined to change him. "You deserve better than this, Sav," my mom and sister told me over and over," remembered Savannah.
She continued, "I told them that they didn't understand. But they did." The years went by, and Everleigh continued to grow into a beautiful young girl. Even though Savannah was in a dark space, she found an outlet that allowed her to escape and bond with her daughter.
Faking Perfection
Savannah and Everleigh would post videos on the app Musical.ly. Savannah loved showing off her adorable daughter, and she even gained quite a large fanbase. However, the camera only showed the good, but behind closed doors, Savannah's heart was in pieces.
"I wasn't a happy person," admitted Savannah. "I acted happy in the videos Everleigh, and I made on musical.ly, but overall there wasn't a lot of joy in my life. My family saw how miserable I was." Little did Savannah know, all her prayers were about to be answered.
Cole Asked Savannah for a Shoutout
Cole LaBrant was one of the many Musical.ly users who came across Savannah's videos with her daughter. At the time, Cole was struggling to gain a following ever since he changed up his content. "Not gonna lie, I've lost a lottttt of followers for passionately tweeting about my faith and things I believe in," said Cole.
So, when he saw Savannah's profile, he noticed how many followers she had and decided to ask her for a favor. Cole sent her a DM on Musical.ly, suggesting that they both give each other a shoutout on their profiles. However, LaBrant didn't open the app to see Savannah's response.
How Cole and Savannah Met
Time went on, and they never spoke again until the month of June, when Cole randomly decided to spend some time in California. He and his brother went to the mall when suddenly, they saw a familiar face from afar. Cole tried to figure out where he had seen Savannah before.
"The first thing I thought was 'wow, that's a pretty girl,'" remembered Cole. "Then I realized, that's the girl from Musical.ly." Both Savannah and Cole were too nervous about approaching one another, so Savannah sent her sister in to do the work. Chantelle approached LaBrant and told him to come meet her sister.
They Never Thought They Were Right for Eachother
The two Musical.ly users exchanged numbers, but neither of them ever thought anything would come of it. After all, they were from different cities and didn't have much in common. Savannah was 23-years-old and a single mom, whereas Cole was still a teenager.
Despite their differences, they decided to spend some time together while Cole was in California. They figured that they could help each other gain a bigger following on social media, and without realizing, they began to develop feelings for one another.
Savannah Struggled to Let Her Guard Down
"I don't think that anyone would ever pair us together," Cole admitted. But after talking for months from opposite cities, the two unlikely lovebirds couldn't resist their undeniable chemistry. It was hard for Savannah to let her guard down, especially after her rocky history with Tommy.
"I had put in my head that nobody would accept me since I had a kid," Savannah explained. "I never thought I would find somebody who would not only choose and love me but choose and love my daughter even more." Cole managed to prove her wrong whenever her anxiety got the best of her.
A Match Made in YouTube Heaven
Savannah and Cole moved in together, and he loved her daughter Everleigh like she was his own. "I think it just comes to show you can never doubt who God has for you. [You should] always be open to his possibilities," said Cole. Things only continued to get better for the two lovebirds.
Cole and Savannah joined forces on social media, and the internet just couldn't get enough. They would post videos on all platforms, especially on Youtube, where their channel continued to bring in hundreds of thousands of followers a day. They called their channel Cole&Sav.
Getting Likes and Making Money
In 2017, Cole proposed to Savannah, she said yes, and 6 months later, they were married. They changed their Youtube channel to The LaBrant Fam, where they would post videos of their day to day lives. As their following grew bigger, they started to earn big money through social media.
Their channel currently has over 12 million subscribers, and that number continues to rise every day. Savannah has 22 million fans on Tiktok, and Cole is not far behind. Along with their followers on Instagram, this family brought in big money from social media. According to NailBuzz, their net worth is estimated to be around $12 million.
Taking on the Father Role
Fans loved getting to know the "wholesome, not-perfect family." They especially loved watching Cole and Everleigh's relationship develop. "The fact that I wasn't [Everleigh's] real dad would get in my head a lot," he admitted, but as time went on, Cole built a friendship with Tommy.
"Obviously, I never want to take the spot of [Everleigh's] real dad. She definitely knows she has two dads who love her so much," said Cole. "I really had to put aside my pride and… just know my goal is to love her and for her to see how a dad is supposed to treat her mom, how a dad is supposed to treat her… and let her figure out the rest."
Cole and Savannah Faced Backlash From Their Fans
Cole and Savannah often posted vlogs of them pranking one another, as well as, their daughter Everleigh. However, in one of their videos, fans believed that the couple had taken what was supposed to be a joke, a little too far. This was one of the first incidents where the vloggers faced a lot of backlash from their fans.
Cole and Sav pranked Everleigh into thinking they were giving away their beloved family dog, Carl. "Because we feel like we can't take good enough care of him," joked Savannah. By the time they told Everleigh that it was just a joke, the four-year-old was too upset to speak.
Their Fans Were Disappointed
As the video gathered more views, fans argued that the couple had gone too far and that they traumatized Everleigh for no reason. Her tears and frown broke the hearts of the majority of their subscribers, and the incident became a rather controversial topic.
Dr. Azmaira Maker, a clinical psychologist, spoke on this issue, saying, "We need to reflect on why would grown-ups put children in that situation and how can such a situation disrupt a child's development." She argued that even though it was a joke, it is important to remember just how fragile children are.
Are They Using Their Children for Fame?
Savannah and Cole realized that they had made a mistake and posted a vlog where they apologized to their fans. They also promised Everleigh a new puppy, and that seemed to cheer her up. However, the internet grew a strong love for Everleigh, and many of them were concerned that her parents were using her for fame.
There have been multiple articles that suggest Cole may be exploiting Everleigh. The video of the LaBrant wedding, which currently has over 44 million views, is titled "Vows to My 4-year-old daughter." Many argued that the family tries to gain fame by putting Everleigh on the forefront as she guarantees more likes.
They Were Accused of Lying
However, Cole continued to assure his fans just how much he genuinely loved Everleigh. The religious family continued to grow and used their platforms to talk about God, as well as show their day to day lives. Cole and Sav had two children of their own, and fans remained loyal throughout their journey.
The LaBrant family were pushed back into the spotlight when they posted a video titled: WE LEFT OUR HOUSE BECAUSE OF FIRES IN CALIFORNIA. The video showed the social media influencers saying they received evacuation orders, packing up suitcases, and driving north to San Francisco because of the "huge fire right by our house."
Unhappy Neighbors
However, the LaBrants' neighbors in Orange County of Ladera Ranch, told Fox11 that they found this video rather offensive because they received no evacuation orders. The vlog showed a thick cloud of smoke in the distance, which the couple claimed was "Right by our house." However, their neighbors argued that it wasn't.
"I just think it's really sad they would exploit a situation that's as serious as a fire that so many people were evacuated just so they could get more likes or more hits on their channel," said a neighbor. Fox 11's reporter tried to contact the family for a comment on the criticism, but they refused to respond.
Cole's Controversial Tweets
As you know, when you live in the spotlight, there are very few things that remain a secret. Fans wanted to know more about these overnight celebrities and began scrolling through Cole's Twitter history. What they found made them question the vloggers they had fallen in love with.
On the 11th of July, 2017, Cole posted a tweet bragging about his wedding night with Savannah. Many found it disturbing that he would reveal such personal information to the world. "Don't understand why that's supposedly info for all of Twitter to know… yikes," tweeted a follower.
Prom With Selena Gomez?
More of Cole's dirty laundry came out, including some memories we're pretty sure he would rather have forgotten. Back in his Vine days, Cole's dream was to take the beautiful Selena Gomez to prom. While he may have been a little out of his reach, he pulled out all the stops to get the singer's attention.
“My senior year came around and I was like ‘Oh, prom’s two months away and I have nobody in mind,” said Cole. “And I thought I’d ask Selena Gomez.” So, LaBrant got thinking and decided to put together a video that would blow Selena's mind away.
The Promposal
“I took her most popular songs and mashed them into one mega song video type thing, and at the end of the video I asked her to prom.” This was actually one of the first videos that Cole ever posted to Youtube, he promoted the vlog on other platforms and hoped for the best.
To everybody's surprise, Cole's promposal to Selena received an overwhelming number of views and after a few days, Gomez was bombarded with fans begging her to go with Cole to prom. “I was like ‘Oh snap, this is for real,'” admitted LaBrant. For a moment, it truly seemed like Selena was about to get prom-ready for Cole.
Cole Got His Hopes up
Both Cole and Selena's fans showed very little chill and continued to beg the songstress to make his dreams come true. Eventually, the video reached the likes of Ryan Seacrest, who talked about it on his radio, as well as Perez Hilton, who discussed it on his blog.
“The video got picked up by likes Teen Vogue magazine, and it was on Billboard, and E! News called me and did a story on it and actually put it on TV,” remembered Cole. He eagerly waited for her response, “I really started to get my hopes up.” However, it didn't go the way he wanted.
Rejected By Selena Gomez
At the time, Selena was dating Zedd and the two of them were working on a new track. “I received a phonecall from like someone who was a part of her team,” explained Cole. He was told that although Selena was flattered by his video, she was too busy to attend.
Cole had photo shopped a few pictures of him at prom with Selena. So, many of his fans believed that he actually did go with her. However, LaBrant posted a vlog explaining the whole story from start to finish, and he admitted that while the pictures looked legit, they were only real in his wildest dreams.
Ctrl Alt Delete
Just last year, Cole found himself back in the negative spotlight after posting a tweet that many found extremely offensive. The video showed his cousin "Peanut" being used as a stepping stool for Cole's daughter to reach the swing. The caption read "This is my adopted cousin, Peanut, helping girls get off and back ON the swings."
He continued, "We all need to be more like Peanut." It only took a matter of minutes before thousands of viewers reported the disturbing video and left comments expressing their disgust. Cole removed the clip, but by then, too many people had already seen it.
Building an Empire
If you think that Savannah and Cole are the only ones coining it when it comes to social media, we need to remind you that they have three children who are growing up in the spotlight with them. For example, little Everleigh is only 7-years-old, and she already has over 5 million followers on Instagram.
According to Nailbuzz, her current net worth is estimated to be around $1 million! As people continue to follow the toddler on social media, brands are eagerly waiting to collaborate with her for the guaranteed exposure they will receive. And Everleigh's siblings aren't far behind.
They Were Harassed by Fans
Although the LaBrants have always displayed a positive relationship with their fans, there were a few incidents where they feared that they were too exposed. One of their vlogs, titled Our Family is Being Harassed, showed the couple telling their viewers that an anonymous person was ordering pizza under their name.
At first, they thought it was a joke, but when the deliveries wouldn't stop, they began to worry. The couple then contacted the police when a pizza was delivered to Everleigh's school, out of concern for their daughter's safety. The police called it a case of identity theft and told the LaBrants that they would look into it, but not to worry.
Watch This Space
Whether they're a topic of controversy, of religious faith, or of love, the LaBrant Family shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. With a growing fanbase and picture-perfect looks, the internet just can't seem to get enough. Brands also line up to collaborate with the LaBrants for the massive exposure they guarantee.
According to The List, these vloggers make about $5.5 million a year just from ads that run on their channel, and every day they gain more followers. So, the only question that remains is, are the LaBrants really all they make themselves out to be? We'll let you decide.