Here’s what you need to know about ‘Pookie,’ the TikTok-famous couple who faced backlash over resurfaced photos

TikTok is obsessed with Campbell Hunt Puckett and Jett Puckett, a married couple living in Georgia. Campbell frequently posts videos of the two of them showing off their outfits as Jett hypes her up.

“Pookie looks absolutely amazing,” Jett says in a thick Southern accent in one of the couple’s videos with more than 9 million views. He then takes a step back to look at her. “Good Lord, babe, I love the all-black.”

Though Campbell’s account has been around since 2020, it didn’t blow up until the first months of 2024. In just a few weeks, she and her husband have faced backlash for their pre-fame internet presence.

Who are Campbell and Jett Puckett?

Campbell, 32, is a former flight attendant and influencer with more than 350,000 followers on TikTok. She married Jett, a 33-year-old businessman, in April 2018 after 10 months of dating.

It’s not uncommon for creators to post videos of their outfits, also known as “fit checks,” in which they say where they got their clothes and what inspired them to put the looks together. What’s uncommon is Jett’s thorough participation in the commentary.

Instead of standing slightly out-of-frame or holding the camera like a typical “Instagram husband” would, he stands right next to Campbell and compliments the unique elements of her outfit. Some might call him a “wife guy,” which is a man who goes viral for being open about how much he adores his better half.

“She looks like a princess, she talks like a princess, she walks like a princess,” Jett says about his wife in a TikTok she posted about how they met. “She really is the best person that I know.”

What does ‘Pookie’ mean?

One of Jett’s most popular catchphrases is “Pookie is looking absolutely fire tonight.” In plainer terms, he said his wife looks amazing.

Pookie is a term of endearment. It means the same thing on the internet as it does offline. Jett’s nickname for Campbell has people jokingly using the moniker now, though TikToker Prayag Mishra gets credit for making the term’s popularity skyrocket in 2023, separately from the Georgia couple. He refers to himself as “Big Pookie” and his followers as “Pookie Nation.”

How did they become so popular on social media?

Since the couple has become so popular online, they’ve drawn both positive and negative attention.

To some, Jett’s passion is aspirational.

“I want this or nothing,” one user commented on one of their videos. “Just a Pookie in a world looking for my Jett, a girl can dream,” another wrote.

Others find the couple’s schtick to be a bit over-the-top or even cringeworthy.

“His entire personality is just having a drop-dead gorgeous wife,” one commenter wrote.

As their fame has grown exponentially, they’ve gone from micro-influencers to niche celebrities, referenced by Sportscenter, Southwest Airlines and Meghan Trainor. But, as has happened in so many other cases in the social media age, a spike in fame has led to intense scrutiny.

Why was the couple embroiled in controversy?

In late January, Reddit users shared images of a woman who appears to be Campbell posing in front of a Confederate flag. The images were available on a Facebook page that appeared to belong to the influencer, according to the New York Times. They also shared photos of the same woman wearing an old-fashioned gown, which some have suggested was a costume for an “Old South” plantation-themed party. The images were retrieved from the Pinterest account of a sorority at the University of Mississippi, of which Campbell was a member.

Campbell issued a statement on her Instagram story in response to the backlash she received for the pictures. The post is no longer available, but multiple outlets obtained screenshots.

"As some of you may have seen, some old photos of mine recently resurfaced," she wrote. "At the time these photos were taken, I was 20. I didn't fully understand the impact of my actions the way I do now, 12 years later. I fully apologize for the harm this may have caused for some and take full responsibility."

On Campbell’s TikTok, which is her biggest social media account, she has not mentioned the photos or the apology.