Charli D'Amelio

Background

Charli Grace D’Amelio is best recognized as a TikTok superstar and a Guinness World Record holder of the highest number of TikTok followers in a year. Her social media charm and compassion for others made her a media, brand, and peer favorite. A Taurus born on May 1, 2004, D’Amelio grew up in Norwalk, Connecticut. Her mother, Heidi D’Amelio, is a photographer and former model, and her father, Marc D’Amelio, is a business owner and former Republican Connecticut Senate candidate. Her older sister, Dixie, is also a TikTok personality. As a student, D’Amelio attended King School and took up competitive dancing lessons as her extra-curricular, which she started at the age of three.

In 2019, D’Amelio posted a lip-sync video on TikTok, followed by a dance video of ‘Renegade.’ She earned more followers for popularizing the dance, dubbing her the ‘CEO of Renegade.’ She then received backlash for the dance because she failed to give credit to the original dancer and creator. From then on, she learned to credit her sources. Later that year, she joined The Hype House of TikTok and signed with Outshine Talent. With her TikTok breakthrough, 2020 became a hectic year for D’Amelio as she gained more traction as a TikTok Star and social media personality. Fully occupied by endorsements, sponsorships, and collaborative projects, she had to continue her studies online due to her social media work.

With an increase in followers and media attention, D’Amelio received awards and nominations throughout 2021. Guinness World Records recognized her for the number of TikTok followers achieved in a year, with a total of 150 million. She won the ‘Favorite Female Social Star’ award at the Kids’ Choice Awards, and was nominated in the M.T.V. Awards for ‘Breakthrough Social Star’ and ‘Global Creator.’