Most teens have probably heard of the 15-year-old TikTok starlet, Charli D’Amelio. Her popular dances and stunning appearance have gained her a rapid rise to fame. What is the cause of her quick acceleration throughout social media?

D’Amelio first began her TikTok journey in June of 2019. In July, she posted a video of her duetting another user. It was a very straight forward dance, yet it gained over 2 million views in less than 48 hours. About a month later, she reached 100,000 followers on TikTok. 

“Ever since then, it’s just been growing from there,” D’Amelio told NBC News. Over the last couple months, D’Amelio has gained more followers and her videos pop up on the ForYou page frequently.

McAuliffe middle schooler Gabby Wittenberg states, “I think that Charli is famous because she’s a really good dancer and is pretty.”

It all took a turn when D’Amelio announced she was going to host a meet-and-greet in her hometown Norwalk, Connecticut. She charged $100 for a “VIP experience” which included a private meet-and-greet with D’Amelio to learn an exclusive new TikTok taught by her, and take pictures and selfies. Many of her fans thought this was outrageous and that she was charging too much while others thought she was going to keep all of the money to herself. 

D’Amelio later posted a video on her YouTube channel to clear up all of the misconceptions about the meet-and-greet. She clarified that all the proceeds would be donated to The Abilis Foundation which is a charity that helps people with special needs. Tickets sold for the meet-and-greet raised approximately $7,000 and about 400 people came. 

The TikTok star hit 10 million followers on TikTok on December 15, 2019 and made a video thanking all her fans. In a recent interview with MEL, she states, “I wish I could give everyone an explanation as to what happened, but I have no idea.”

Overall, fame can overcome even the youngest of teens within a short period of time. The spotlight can both guide you to a future of value and respect, but can also be dreadful and dangerous. However, behind every spark of fame is a personality that will catch the attention of audiences all around the world.