TikTok's caught the attention of virtually everyone on social media, and The D'Amelio family has been a big part of that. From viral dance videos to meeting Jimmy Fallon and even writing music, the D'Amelios have come in hot, and they have a lot in store for us.
TikTok's Favorite Family
With the rise of TikTok over the last year, we've all grown to love the iconic family by the name of the D'Amelios. Their fame started with Charli's first video that went viral, and in no time, she's gained over 76 million followers and has genuinely paved the way for her future.
Charli's passion for creating content is initially what brought her entire family into the public eye, and has opened up endless windows of opportunity for the family. This squad is unstoppable, and it's time to learn all there is to know about the D'Amelios.
Meet Marc & Heidi
Marc and Heidi D'Amelio, the passionate parents who raised these online icons, first met in New York back in the 90s. Marc ran a sportswear business, while Heidi was a model and personal trainer. The two got married in May of 2000, and couldn't wait to start a family together.
When their teenage daughters were old enough to start using social media, Marc and Heidi made an effort to help them stay on the right track, as sometimes the line is easily crossed with what should and should not be posted. "We let them have their time and freedom to figure it out, but we are not far away," explained Heidi.
Connecticut Life
Heidi and Marc D'Amelio raised their two daughters, Charli and Dixie, in Norwalk, Connecticut. Long before TikTok even existed, these teen girls spent their time hanging out with friends and participating in local after-school activities. Charli was a competitive dancer and often posted videos from her competitions on Instagram.
With that being said, it's no wonder she's so comfortable being in the spotlight. Dixie, on the other hand, spent her spare time as a BMX racer. "I was fifth in the nation, and I thought that was kind of cool," she explained. She also ran cross country and played field hockey; Dancing on social media was never a part of her plan.
Rise of TikTok
Long before Charli, Dixie, and millions of other teens downloaded and dedicated their lives to creating fun videos with their friends on social media, TikTok was still in the development process, and no one could've predicted how this platform would influence society.
After years of development, it was finally available for download in August of 2018. Since then, it's become "the leading destination for short-form mobile videos," according to the TikTok website. "Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy." The platform just needed to attract some passionate teens to take it to the next level.
Charli Takes TikTok
Charli first made her TokTok account in the summer of 2019 when she was 15. Her mission wasn't necessarily to make a career out of it, she was just having fun, dancing with her friends. It wasn't until one video she posted went viral, and from that point on, she was a TikTok icon.
Charli posted a duet with another user, move_with_joy, to the song Renegade, and clearly, other TikTokers of the world liked what they saw. "I wish I could give everyone an explanation as to what happened, but I have no idea," said Charli. She kept posting more videos, and within a week, she had over a million followers.
The Reason Behind Charli's Popularity
"With Charli, she's not doing anything so different from many others," explained TikTok expert, Alessandro Bogliari. "But she was pushed through and then got popular." Alessandro credits Charli's overnight fame to timing, a little bit of luck, consistency, and TikTok's algorithm.
She started appearing on the For You Page, and her videos were viewed by millions of users. People enjoyed watching Charli's videos, but couldn't understand 'the hype' of them. "She was good about being consistent, but she didn't really work on that, it just happened," Alessandro added. "That's what happens on TikTok."
Supportive Parents
The more popular Charli and Dixie became, the more Marc and Heidi noticed their supportive parenting approach was a success. "They would ask us, even as high schoolers, 'Is this okay to post? What do you think about this?'" explained Heidi. Even before their rise to fame, the girls wanted their parents' approval of their content.
"They always would come to us, and we always respected that they would do that, so we work together," Heidi added. Having modeled in the past, Heidi helped Charli and Dixie learn the best way to portray themselves in the public eye. And Marc's experience running a successful business has helped guide the family.
Growing Trend
"I remember Dixie was so embarrassed to have a sister on TikTok," said Charli. "And then in May 2019... All my friends started making TikToks. They asked me for help copying some of the dances." Charli realized that her background and competitive dancing set her up perfectly to create TikToks that were fun for others to watch.
"There's no planning," said Charli. "The thing about making a TikTok is, whenever you're making it, that's when the ideas come." Charli continued posting videos because she had fun with it, and was never quite sure how all of these people came across her content, but she just kept doing what she'd been doing all along.
Dixie's Reaction
"Ew. People at school made fun of TikTok," Dixie explained. "It was looked down on. Embarrassing!" She was initially shocked that Charli proudly posted so many videos on TikTok for the world to see. However, now Dixie admits to scrolling through TikTok in private when it first escalated, but she'd never imagined making a name for herself on the platform.
"I was like Charli, dude, what are you doing?" And when Charli started getting recognized for her TikToks out in public, Dixie couldn't believe what she was seeing. Evidently, she eventually hopped on the bandwagon and stopped giving her sister such a hard time about using the platform.
First Taste of Fame
People started asking Charli where they recognized her from any time she was out and about. She wasn't a singer or an actress, but she'd been in front of the camera, and clearly, has a memorable face. "I would say 'social media,'" said Charli. "Because I was embarrassed to say TikTok."
"We were out to dinner one night, and we noticed kids at the other table staring," explained the D'Amelio parents. "We both thought, there's no way they know Charli from that weird app." With every video Charli posted, her following increased, and talent managers started calling the house to try and make a deal with this rising star.
Making It to the Millions
On March 25th, Charli became the most-followed person on TikTok. This happened just 9 months after the 15-year-old began using the app. "We celebrate almost every milestone that I hit pretty well," said Charli. "But I don't think we celebrated number 1. I think I was sleeping when it happened."
Without a doubt, Charli and the entire D'Amelio family love celebrating these milestones, but the number of followers isn't everything for Charli. "It feels awesome. But, it's truly about just being able to have the platform that I have," she explained. "It's crazy to go from zero followers to 40-something million."
Mom & Dad's Take on TikTok
"We kind of just are rolling with it and keeping the number one thing close to us, which is our family and being there for each other," explained Heidi D'Amelio. Having famous teenaged daughters wasn't part of Heidi and Marc's plan, but they were surely along for the ride, supporting and protecting their girls the whole way.
Their main focus was preparing the girls for college, as Dixie was finishing high school at the time, but hey, you can't plan for everything, right? "We really thought we'd figured out how to have two kids," said Heidi. "Then this was thrust on us. We had to regroup. Huddle together as a family and figure out all this new stuff."
The Hype House
In December of 2019, TikTok enthusiast Chase Hudson, also known as Lil Huddy, and YouTube star Thomas Petrou decided to bring together a group of TikTok's most notable users. This is how the Hype House came to be; A Los Angeles mansion that gives these teens a space to create content and connect with one another.
But the Hype House wasn't open to just anybody, an invitation was required. Some of these elite TikTokers actually live in the House, while others just crash there when they're in town. The cost is $900 per room to live there, which is paid for with ad revenue, sponsorships, or other means of profit that the brand has accumulated.
D'Amelios In the House
Both Charli and Dixie were extremely excited about joining the Hype House. It allowed them to make friends with other passionate teens from around the country while also collaborating to create viral content. Neither of them lived in the House, but they often traveled to L.A. from Connecticut to be with the gang.
The sisters formed new friendships from the Hype House, and they both met their boyfriends there. If you follow Charli and Dixie on social media, then you've definitely seen their relationships progress. All along, Charli and Dixie kept up with TikTok simply because it was fun, but not all House members were on the same page.
Charli & Chase
Within no time, Charli and Chase Hudson, or Lil Huddy, became TikTok's number one couple. And they weren't shy about their relationship on social media, which is how fans started to speculate that they were dating in the first place. You know what they say; A picture's worth a thousand words.
So their consistent posts on Instagram with one another made it quite clear that these teens were an item. But on April 14th, Charli posted on her Instagram story: "I decided I needed to tell you that we are no longer together. It hurts me to say this, but we've decided that this is what's best for both of us."
Dixie Fell For Griffin
Dixie was a bit more lowkey about her relationship with Griffin Johnson. We're not exactly sure how they first got together since they kept this private, but they posted their first TikTok together in February, and we could see the spark. They became Instagram official in March and continued to share date nights and loveable photos with their followers.
But just a few weeks ago, everything changed. Fans noticed that Dixie had unfollowed Griffin on Instagram, and commented on a TikTok that implied he'd cheated on her. On August 2nd, Dixie posted a video of them with the caption: "Hey, so we actually broke up, but I had this video scheduled for today, so I'm posting it anyways."
D'Amelios Leaving the Hype House
In April, fans started to notice that Charli and Dixie weren't featured in as much of the Hype House's social media content as usual. This sparked speculation that the sisters had left the group. "When the Hype House started to become more of a business, Charli and Dixie stepped away from that aspect," said an inside source.
"While their businesses are separate, their friendships with the members continue." Charli and Dixie were initially drawn to TikTok because it was a fun outlet, and other members of the group only looked at this opportunity as a business. But this separation hasn't stopped them; The D'Amelios always have a strong TikTok presence.
Impact of TikTok
The D'Amelio family never expected TikTok to have this great of an impact on their lives. "The ways I've noticed my life has changed was being able to do amazing things," explained Charli. "Something I would've never thought that I could have done before is dancing in front of thousands of people. It changed how people view me."
"I'm trying to show people that I'm a person, and I deal with the same things as you guys, and I'm trying to make the best of it." At the end of the day, Charli and Dixie use TikTok as an outlet to have fun with their friends, and attend high school, and someday college, proving that they're more relatable than some may think.
Ignoring the Negativity
Part of living in the public eye is learning to ignore the negative commentary. While Charli and Dixie have countless loyal and supportive fans, there are also plenty of people who send hurtful messages and try to put them down. "You can't really avoid them," said Dixie.
As a protective older sister, Dixie explained, "I wish I could protect her [Charli] a little bit more from the haters." Slowly but surely, these sisters are working on blocking out the negativity. "They think you'll never see," said Charli. "Learning to deal with hate... that's the part we're still working on."
Charli's First Meet & Greet
On November 17th, Charli held her first meet and greet in her home state of Connecticut. Tickets were $100 and gave fans the chance to chat with Charli, take some selfies, learn a new TikTok dance, and more. After paying the security fee, all of the money from ticket sales was donated to Carnival for a Cause.
"Parents came up to us and said, 'We're just so happy there's a role model out there that represents good values,'" Marc said after the event. "And that's all her. That's not us coaching her." Marc and Heidi were beyond proud to see their daughter raising money for such a meaningful cause.
Bring On the Big Screen
This past spring, Charli announced that she was taking the next big step in her career, and it didn't involve TikTok. Charli has officially made her debut in the film industry, playing Tinker's voice in the animated movie, StarDog and TurboCat. "I'm very excited to be working on my first animated movie," said Charli.
"I feel like it's something that maybe not everyone would be comfortable to try." This is a major advancement in her career, and Charli aims to be a role model and show others that stepping out of your comfort zone can be very rewarding. "I hope young kids watch this movie and learn the importance of teamwork and working together."
Parents Stealing the Spotlight
Over time, Marc and Heidi D'Amelio started creating their own TikToks and having more social media presence. Marc now has over 2 million TikTok followers; He's nearly catching up to his daughters! "I originally got on it because Charli started to get popular and I was watching it and noticing positive and negative comments," said Marc.
"It's a balance because you don't want to be a dad on there who is doing exactly the same thing as a bunch of kids. It's definitely a younger app, but we have a lot of fun with it and I don't take it too seriously," Marc added. It sounds like Marc's pretty proud of how far his TikTok videos have come, and we can't blame him!
Signed By United Talent Agency
On January 15th, the D'Amelio family proudly announced they'd signed with United Talent Agency. "Charli and Dixie are relatable teenagers with a true gift for creating entertaining content, and the whole D'Amelio family has a warmth that is resonating with fans around the world," said Greg Goodfried, co-head of digital talent at UTA.
"This partnership with the incredible team at UTA will give me and my family more opportunities to create and share our content, and I'm so thankful to our fans for their support as we find new ways to connect with them," explained Charli. "If you told me this is what my life would look like in 2020, I would not have believed it."
High School Graduate
As Dixie finished up her high school days and graduated with the class of 2020, she reflected on her experience on Instagram. "Going through high school is one of the hardest challenges but biggest accomplishment in my life," explained Dixie. "The ups and downs made me who I am right now and made me appreciate every single day."
"In my five years of high school, my entire life changed twice and I'm so grateful for each of these experiences," Dixie added. "I'm so proud of myself and all of the ways I persevered through so many different challenges." Dixie herself and her family proud of her academics, but she also learned to establish herself in the world.
Bama Bound
Back in September, Heidi D'Amelio posted a photo of Dixie on Instagram, congratulating her on her acceptance to the University of Alabama. Even with all that she's accomplished before finishing high school, Dixie is determined to pursue her degree, and her parents couldn't be prouder.
No one could've expected 2020 to turn out the way it did, with many college campuses waiting to reopen until the world becomes a safer place again. But it looks like Dixie is still planning to attend Alabama as soon as she possibly can, and even tweeted in March, "alright I'm done... roll tide btw."
Be Happy
Dixie eventually came around to the idea of TikTok, but she's recently switched gears, and just released her first song. Be Happy is about how the 18-year-old handles living under a microscope, with pressure to look and act a certain way. She emphasizes that it's ok to feel down, and sometimes putting on a smile isn't possible.
"I wanted to share the honesty of this message with others, especially those around my own age," explained Dixie. "I remain so grateful for the people that surround me and the opportunities I've been given, but some days… it's not easy to be happy." Her goal is for her fans to accept their bad days because we all have them.
Charli's Loving Nature
Many people have openly said they don't understand the 'hype' of the D'Amelio sisters. However, Charli's discovered that some of her fans are more loyal and supportive than she could've imagined. "I know for a fact that Charli D'Amelio would wait for me to tie my shoe while everyone else kept walking," said an anonymous TikTok user.
Charli's found this to be one of the most rewarding parts of opening her life up to the public. "I just know [she] would ask me if I was feeling ok after the rest of the group laughed at my self-deprecating joke," said another TikToker. Comments like this help these teens look past the negative messages they receive every so often.
New Opportunities
Charli was given an unbelievably exciting opportunity in March when she was asked to appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. In the interview, she revealed some upcoming information regarding TikTok and her other content, and then she and Jimmy even got to dancing themselves.
Jimmy Fallon wasn't the only star to recognize Charli's talent. When the 16-year-old found out that Jennifer Lopez knew who she was and wanted her to dance with her in a TikTok challenge, Charli was absolutely starstruck. "When I first met her and I got to shake her hand, I was blank-faced," said Charli. "I didn't know what to say."
The Family's Future Plans
The more appearances Marc and Heidi make on TikTok, the more fans have grown to love them. I mean, have you seen Marc's TikToks? This has led many fans to believe that this iconic family may be coming out with their own reality show, as Charli's given a few hints about it.
"I feel like no one really gets to see, but, people are always talking about how they think our family dynamic is pretty cool," Charli told Entertainment Tonight. The D'Amelio parents are excited about what the future has in store for their family. "We think if we're gonna do it, we'll go all in with it," explained Marc.
How Far They've Come
Charli, Dixie, Marc, and Heidi D'Amelio have become internet sensation in the blink of an eye and have no plans of slowing down. By having fun with the videos they've created, this family sure has caught everyone's eye. They're all about doing what they love and won't do something they don't feel 100 percent confident about.
Charli and Dixie have become role models for teens all over the world, proving that you should always follow your dreams, and most importantly, ignore the haters. In the wise words of Charli D'Amelio, "sometimes you just need to renegade and move on."