When the TikTok star posted her first video in 2019, she didnât anticipate becoming the most followed person on the app. But Charli DâAmelioâs criticism has never held her back, and just seven months after becoming the first TikTok creator to reach 50 million followers, she became the first to reach 100 million. Replace princess of Genovia with TikTokâs unofficial CEO and youâve got a modern day retelling of The Princess Diaries. It took Dixie DâAmelio a bit longer to get onboard with the platform; at first, she thought Charliâs videos were embarrassing. But she, too, has been able to amass over 50 million followers.
The sisters are two of the most followed TikTokers (as of now, Charli has 124 million followers, and Dixie has 55 million), and theyâve just added another title to their rĂ©sumĂ©s: TV stars. The D’Amelio Show, a documentary series about the D’Amelio family that focuses on Charli and Dixieâs quick and sudden rise to fame, was released on September 3, on Hulu. This new series gives the girlsâ fans an insider look at their familyâs day-to-day lifestyle, focusing mostly on their struggles with mental health, hate comments, and adjusting to their fame. The D’Amelio Show doesnât necessarily explain why thereâs so much hype surrounding their family â probably because the D’Amelioâs donât even understand it themselves â but it does give viewers an honest look into the good, the bad, and the ugly.
If youâre not educated, it would be irresponsible to speak on something.
Becoming famous overnight in your teenage years isnât as glamorous as it sounds. Both sisters have struggled with their mental health. âIf youâre not educated, it would be irresponsible to speak on something,â Charli tells Her Campus. âThe things weâre very open about are things weâve dealt with firsthand.â Through the show, Dixie is opening up about her experiences with anxiety and depression, and Charli has shared that she struggles with panic attacks. The two point fingers at social media.Â
The sisters’ experience with haters on the platform have undoubtedly impacted the way that they interact on TikTok. Charli no longer acknowledges those who have anything negative to say to her. âThey donât get a reply from me; they donât deserve that,â she says. Instead, she prefers to share positive content, and replies to her fans only. âWith so many people watching what I do, itâs important not only to share positivity, but let my followers know that itâs important that they do, too,â she says. âIt makes the internet a bit of a more positive place.â
The DâAmelios also make sure not to speak out on topics that they donât know about, a decision which has led to both praise and criticism. In June 2020, after the killing of George Floyd, Charli changed her TikTok profile image in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. But in February 2021, when Charli didnât immediately post about James Charlesâ grooming allegations, fans asked for accountability. But the sisters remain unbothered. âAs long as youâre doing your research, being smart, and not hurting the situation with what youâre posting, I think itâs amazing to speak out and give other people voices,â Charli says. But Dixie prefers to elevate the platforms of those who are more educated, whatever the situation may be. âWeâve been trying to open up the conversation, to let people who know what theyâre talking about speak,â Dixie says.Â
Itâs so important to be able to realize when youâre wrong and own up to it, in order to move forward.
Sometimes thatâs easier said than done. Over the last couple of years, both sisters have been âcancelledâ more than once, despite being very young (ages 17 and 20) creators with plenty of room to learn. Since being accused of stealing dances from Black creators, Charli has tagged choreographers in all of her dance videos. The âsnail dramaâ â referring to a YouTube video entitled âDinner With The DâAmeliosâ in which Dixie spits out a snail and Charli mocks the menu â cost Charli over a million followers on TikTok. And backlash for travelling during the Covid-19 pandemic also served as an important lesson. But Charli says thereâs nothing sheâd change about any of her mistakes. âI donât believe that I have any genuine regrets,â she says. âI think everything that Iâve done has been a lesson learned, and a way for me to grow into the person that I am today. Without those mistakes, I donât know if Iâd be able to be doing what Iâm doing today. Itâs so important to be able to realize when youâre wrong and own up to it, in order to move forward.â
In other words, Charli and Dixie are just figuring it out. Other things they havenât quite nailed down yet? âHow much should I share?â and âWhat relationships should be kept private?â This summer, Dixieâs boyfriend, Noah Beck, announced that their relationship was going private. âPeople know weâre dating, but we donât need everyoneâs opinions,â Dixie says. Seeing posts about her relationship that were telling her what to do and how to act put a strain on their relationship. âWeâd see all those videos and wonder, âDo you actually care about me? Do you love me?â Weâd take in peopleâs opinions who we didnât even know!â Since taking back control of their relationship, the two have been doing much better, Dixie says. Â
Since ending her relationship with Chase Hudson (aka Lil Huddy) in April of 2020, Charli also plans to keep her future relationships â as well as her friendships â offline. âItâs a little uncomfortable when youâre hanging out with people and thereâs always a phone out,â she says. âNow, when I hang out with my friends, we want to have fun.â She does share that her relationship with Lil Huddy was a âright person, wrong timeâ type of situation, and hopes there may be a chance for them in the future. (The hashtag #Chacha, Charli and Chaseâs ship name, has more than 2 billion views on TikTok.)Â
At the end of the day, itâs up to the DâAmelios to decide what theyâre willing to share. âEvery time you open up your personal life to the internet, itâs obviously scary at first,â Charli says. âThere are lots of eyes and lots of thoughts, no matter what happens.â
This series is their way of controlling the narrative, something theyâve been arguably struggling to do throughout their rise to fame. âI think we did a good job at keeping some things personal, but everything we filmed was real,â Dixie says.
Iâve gotten hate comments for doing nothing, so Iâd rather do it all.
Thereâs so much work that goes into being a professional TikTok star, from brand partnerships to interviews to behind-the-scenes tasks. Charli continues to struggle with attending awards shows. At this yearâs Kidsâ Choice Awards, she felt so nervous about attending the show that Dixie had to comfort her â The D’Amelio Show showcased the youngest D’Amelio sister about to have a panic attack before the award show. Meanwhile, Dixie also experiences anxiety around live performances, afraid of receiving criticism and hate. âI think that for a long time weâve both held ourselves back from doing things because of public opinion, and not wanting to be made fun of,â Charli says.
But Charli and Dixie have figured out a way to shake off the haters. âI think weâre both getting to the point where people are going to say whatever they want no matter what we do,â Charli says. âIâve gotten hate comments for doing nothing, so Iâd rather do it all, experience it all, and have fun while doing it. The hate will come no matter what, and Iâm ready to try as many things as I can.â
Interviews have been edited for clarity and length.Â