The controversies of 19-year-old TikTok star Zoe LaVerne, who apologized for kissing her 13-year-old fan

Kat Tenbarge
Updated ·3 min read
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zoe laverne tiktok
zoe laverne tiktok

Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images

  • Zoe LaVerne is a controversial 19-year-old social media star with more than 17 million TikTok followers.

  • LaVerne, who most recently apologized for kissing and "catching feelings" for a 13-year-old fan, has been gaining notoriety online since 2016, when she first attracted a following on lip-sync app Musical.ly.

  • Fellow TikTok star Cody Orlove is LaVerne's most high-profile ex-boyfriend, and the two were previously embroiled in cheating and abuse allegations scandals.

  • LaVerne also engaged in a one-sided feud with TikTok's breakout star Charli D'Amelio over their competing popularity, and she's known for dramatic on-camera outbursts.

19-year-old TikTok star Zoe LaVerne is facing a crisis. After rising to online fame on Musical.ly, TikTok's predecessor, LaVerne has held onto a strong following for 4 years — but now her future as an influencer is in jeopardy.

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LaVerne disappeared from the internet in early November 2020 after a leaked video appeared to show her kissing a 13-year-old fan. In an apology, LaVerne said she "caught feelings" for the young fan, who goes by Connor Joyce online. LaVerne blamed the interaction on the pair becoming "best friends," and denied that she had been "grooming" Connor, a term used when an older person builds a close relationship to manipulate and exploit a young person.

For teenage influencers clinging onto fast-paced online fame, controversy can be a good thing. TikTok stars like Bryce Hall and Danielle Cohn have cultivated profitable personas as troublemakers and provocateurs, and even family-friendly influencers like Charli D'Amelio and Addison Rae are boosted by relationship drama. But there's a tipping point for influencer scandals, especially those involving inappropriate relationships with underage fans.

This isn't LaVerne's first time experiencing a negative outpouring of attention, but it's the most serious of her controversies. Here's how LaVerne went from a lip-syncing Musical.ly star to a TikTok villain.

Zoe Laverne visits the Young Hollywood Studio on February 7, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.
Zoe Laverne visits the Young Hollywood Studio on February 7, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.

Zoe Laverne visits the Young Hollywood Studio on February 7, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Mary Clavering/Young Hollywood/Getty Images

In one of LaVerne's earliest Instagram photos she posed with her puppy Zea.
In one of LaVerne's earliest Instagram photos she posed with her puppy Zea.

In one of LaVerne's earliest Instagram photos she posed with her puppy Zea. Instagram/@zoexlaverne

LaVerne and Orlove ran a couple Instagram account called "alwayszody" between March 2018 and October 2018.
LaVerne and Orlove ran a couple Instagram account called "alwayszody" between March 2018 and October 2018.

LaVerne and Orlove ran a couple's Instagram account called "alwayszody" between March 2018 and October 2018. Instagram/@alwayszody

@zoelaverne

jokes 🥺😂

♬ Coco Jones yes I did that - ariana grindr.

LaVerne experienced a growth surge as a result of her relationship with Orlove.
LaVerne experienced a growth surge as a result of her relationship with Orlove.

LaVerne experienced a growth surge as a result of her relationship with Orlove. Instagram/@zoexlaverne

Cody Orlove and Zoe Laverne at the Young Hollywood Studio on February 7, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.
Cody Orlove and Zoe Laverne at the Young Hollywood Studio on February 7, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.

Cody Orlove and Zoe Laverne at the Young Hollywood Studio on February 7, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Mary Clavering/Young Hollywood/Getty Images

Leaked audio suggests LaVerne views D'Amelio as her main competition.
Leaked audio suggests LaVerne views D'Amelio as her main competition.

Leaked audio suggests LaVerne views D'Amelio as her main competition. Instagram/@zoexlaverne

@zoelaverne

no caption

♬ original sound - Thalia R

Laverne says she became "best friends" with a young fan named Connor.
Laverne says she became "best friends" with a young fan named Connor.

Laverne says she became "best friends" with a young fan named Connor. Instagram/@zoexlaverne

@zoelaverne

##duet with @zoelaverne we back

♬ Wet Shoota - sound remixes

LaVerne posted Connor on her social media accounts multiple times in the months leading up to their kissing video leak.
LaVerne posted Connor on her social media accounts multiple times in the months leading up to their kissing video leak.

LaVerne posted Connor on her social media accounts multiple times in the months leading up to their kissing video leak. TikTok/@zoelaverne

@zoelaverne

♬ Where Is The Love? - The Black Eyed Peas

LaVerne's mother used her own social media accounts to try and stem the hate against LaVerne.
LaVerne's mother used her own social media accounts to try and stem the hate against LaVerne.

LaVerne's mother used her own social media accounts to try and stem the hate against LaVerne. Instagram/@zoexlaverne

LaVerne has previously announced hospital visits during controversies.
LaVerne has previously announced hospital visits during controversies.

LaVerne has previously announced hospital visits during controversies. Instagram/@zoexlaverne