“Fame changes everyone,” Chase Hudson once said. And he couldn't be more right: in the blink of an eye, the teen “Went from the bottom to the top — from rags to riches.” Hang on as we walk you along the TikTok star’s journey to fame, and all of the scandals that came with it.
Meet Chase
Before we take you on this bumpy journey, let's start at the very beginning - before the world came to know him as 'Lil Huddy.' On May 15, 2002, Cole 'Chase' Hudson was welcomed into this world.
Born to struggling schoolteachers, Cole and Tammy, and older sisters, Marlena and Karissa, the young child's life was far from ordinary, from the moment he was welcomed in that Stockton, California delivery room.
He Was Destined to Be A Star
“I’ve always wanted to be famous, back when I was a little child,” Chase revealed. You see, with idols like Justin Bieber and K-Pop group, BTS, the young boy might not have had much, but that passion for entertaining has been there since day one.
Little did he know, though, that drive of his would eventually help propel him into online stardom. But, of course, as most stories go, he'd first have to overcome a few roadblocks along the way. So, what did Chase's younger days look like, before fate finally caught up to him?
His Wild Imagination
Believe it or not, Chase's days behind a desk were actually spent with a different dream consuming his attention: "For some reason, me and my best friend wanted to become rollercoaster designers," he revealed. "It's actually weird to think about."
As a young boy, that wild imagination and creativity of his were already running free, landing Chase the title of "misfit." Unfortunately, by the time it led Chase to his true 'calling' in life, he'd learn the hard way that not everything was as it seemed…
Chase, The Misunderstood Dreamer
You see, as he himself put it, "I did struggle growing up as a child." What went wrong? "In seventh or eighth grade, I started having a passion for making videos," Chase explained. "I was like, 'OK, maybe I could take a shot at this.'" Only he never could've imagined the pain it would soon lead to.
“Everyone says pursue your dreams, but when you actually do, then you get judged for it,” the emotional star revealed. By the time Chase swapped roller coasters for the world of online videos, it was only a matter of time before the haters came pouring in. “I was always kind of a misfit... getting judged for it big time in school.”
His Family's Disapproval
Unfortunately, it wasn't only in the hallways where Chase faced some of his toughest critics. "My sister would just nag me, like, 'You're never gonna make a career out of this,'" he reflected of his troubling times. But the young dreamer didn't let it get him down.
"I was like… 'I'm gonna go far,'" Chase promised. His traditional parents, too, insisted he stick with proper schooling, despite landing "offers for him and his sisters to be child models." It appeared that nobody could seem to understand him and his seemingly 'unrealistic' plans for life.
"I Had No One"
But it would only get worse for the misunderstood dreamer: "Back when I was in middle school and early high school," it got to the point where he felt completely alone. "I was just like, 'Why doesn't anyone like Chase?'" He might have already envisioned a future filled with bright lights, but nobody else seemed to.
As Chase himself put it, the Bear Creek High School student "had no one." He was hopeless and miserable, with "no one [who] really cared about him," or at least that's how he saw it. Little did he know, one of his darkest struggles was still yet to come...
Childhood Trauma
“When I was 14… I was going through some really hard times,” the emotional star revealed. “That was like, the start of me losing feeling and emotion, a lot of heartbreak.” You see, years earlier, back when he was still a child, young Chase experienced something very “tragic,” something he couldn’t even put into words.
Unfortunately, it had now come back to haunt him years later: "It re-occurred when I was 14," he shared. "I felt hopeless and miserable." But as Chase'd soon find out, there was one good thing to come of this trauma, and it came in the form of a camera and wi-fi: "And that's when I [truly] started social media," he explained.
The Start of It All
You see, you already know that Chase "always had a thing for social media," but it was at this point where his passion suddenly became personal: "As a high schooler and as a middle schooler… I had no one," he once put it. But when he started social media? "I started getting people who cared about me."
And so, with an unlikely group of strangers rallying behind him, Chase began to put more focus into his content. While it once used to consist of vines or dub smashes, "with my friends just to mess around," the entertainer "started making Musical.ly." If only he knew what'd soon follow...
Bullied
“I was a very delicate kid [with] a very sensitive heart,” he revealed. “So a lot of the stuff that people would say, it damaged me.” For Chase, the bullying that the Bear Creek student soon came to faced grew so brutal, he felt there was only one way out.
And so, after finally baring all to his parents about his living nightmare, Cole and Tammy suddenly "became more accepting of me going to online school," he explained. "They really wanted me to pursue my dreams," - and that's exactly what he did.
Finally Dropping Out
"I actually switched to online school as a sophomore," Chase revealed. After endless sleepless nights, endless vicious threats, endless 'advice' to injure himself - simply "for doing social media every day" - the tormented teen had finally had enough.
Yes, the days of brutal bullying would leave a scar, but he was now free - free to finally put that pain behind him and start a new chapter. And so, with a clean page and a clear mind, the aspiring entertainer set out to finally achieve that childhood dream.
The Start of TikTok
So, what happened next? As Chase continued to navigate his way through the online world, it seemed like that big break was slipping more and more by the day. “It picked up, like very slowly,” he explained. Sure enough, though, after many, many days and a whole lot of patience, things were finally about to change.
First, it was 30,000 followers, then it was 100,000 - and then, before he knew it, “it just like took off,” Chase put it. As fate would have it, Musical.ly eventually morphed into TikTok, which had the vlogger as one of the first to have a go at the app - and with that, land a promising chance at making it big.
"It's Crazy"
"I think I had around 250,000 followers around this time last year," Chase revealed of Fall 2018. Flash forward to 2019? "I'm in a whole other place now," as he put it. Sure enough, one year after his dive into the lip-syncing world, and the TikTok user had officially morphed into a viral star. "It's crazy."
What started out as "a joke," consisting of offbeat country songs and meaningless moves, eventually turned into "trendy stuff," and, "then yeah, it just picked up from there," Chase explained of his newfound fame. Decked out in nail polish and oversized sweats, the newly titled 'e-boy' was officially a viral sensation.
Adjusting to Stardom
But he wasn't done just yet. "I kept pushing, and I moved out to LA," Chase revealed of the move that'd soon change his life. Of course, though, going from small-town misfit to Hollywood celebrity has its adjustments - and by July of 2019, he'd learn that the hard way.
You see, at this point, it's no surprise that Chase's online presence left fans in the ultimate frenzy. But what would surprise the new star, were the events that'd soon transpire at that year's VidCon, an annual event dedicated to the online world of vlogging.
VidCon Chaos
What happened? With a whopping 2.8 million TikTok followers, the then-17-year-old's new reality placed him amongst one of the internet's most famous faces. And as Chase made his way to 2019's VidCon event, he'd realize just how famous he truly was.
"All e-boys go in the grave on day 1 of VidCon," the star joked on Twitter before the buzzing event. Sure enough, Chase couldn't have been more right, as he was met with throngs of 13-year-old girls chasing him down, all while wearing a camouflaged mask. There was officially no hiding from his new stardom.
The Hype House
So, what's next, when you've got followers soaring by the day and an army of loyal fans to back your every move? A few months later, come December, he and then-21-year-old Youtuber, Thomas Petrou, would join forces with a game-changing idea - one that'd sprout Chase's fame into levels he couldn't even imagine.
"I have a really good eye for new talent; Seeing what's new and what people like," Chase explained. So, what did the viral star do? On December 19, 2019, the Instagram world met TikTok's newest marvel: The Hype House, a place where the biggest names in viral content could come together and join forces.
Reaching New Levels
Safe to say, nobody could've predicted the madness that soon followed. From Addison Rae to Charli D'Amelio, about 20 of the biggest online stars were now 'living' under one roof, dominating the TikTok world one lip-sync at a time. "I see The Hype House living on past us," Thomas promised.
Sure enough, he was right - The Hype House was a phenomenon, and the world couldn't get enough of it. "When we moved in, Chase had 3,500,000 followers;" Since then? The newly titled, 'Lil Huddy"s fame propped him front and center, one of TikTok's most famous faces. But unfortunately, he'd soon realize the true cost of fame…
A Secret Resurfaces
As we've seen time and time again, no matter how buried they may be, when your reality places you front and center, your skeletons are bound to be unearthed, one way or another. As for Lil Huddy? That's exactly what happened come January, resulting in a scandal that shook the entire TikTok community.
While the rest of us were busy ringing in the new year, TikTok's promising star was busy ringing in a vicious scandal - one that left the online world fuming. What happened? Sporting a black eye and a broken nose, an old video of Chase leaked, one where he's heard saying an extremely offensive word.
The Apology
Of course, it was only a matter of time before the internet was flooded with raging users, demanding justice be served. But it was also only a matter of time before the controversial star stepped out, himself, to speak out about the disturbing allegations.
What'd he have to say for himself? "I just wanted to make an apology video for the video that's been spreading around," Chase took to TikTok to explain. "What I said was wrong and doesn't need to be defended… we are all human and mess up… and we need to grow from it," he continued.
Chase & Charli
Little did Chase know, though, that there'd soon be another scandal hijacking the online world. This time, in the form of a rumored romance. Of course, we're talking about then 16-year-old Charli D'Amelio and her undeniable chemistry with the fellow Hype House member.
Was TikTok looking at its first true power couple? At least that’s what the online world swore. But by New Years, eager fans would be left buzzing, as their suspicions would be given actual leverage: a video, by TikToker Madison Lewis, where the two stars were spotted kissing in the background. What did they have to say for themselves?
Making it Official
After endless posts shutting down the rumors, Lil Huddy soon dropped the ultimate bombshell on Instagram, as the most romantic day of the year came rolling around: “Happy Valentine’s Day,” a smitten Chase wrote, alongside a picture of the two kissing at Disneyland.
How did he define them? "It's exclusive, we're not talking to anyone else, we really like each other," he told ET. "We just don't want to put a label on it yet." Sure enough, whatever 'label' they had would soon come crumbling down, thanks to something Lil Huddy himself saw coming from a mile away…
"Still Softish"
"2020 predictions: some losers are gonna drop a diss track on me," Huddy tweeted March 12. Sure enough, in a bizarre twist of fate, he'd soon be proven right. On March 20, TikTok stars and Sway House members, Josh Richards and Bryce Hall, left the Youtube world speechless, as they dropped a shocking diss track - aimed directly at Chase.
Their allegations? "Tryna f*** my girl; Like I couldn't see," Josh Richards revealed about his girlfriend, TikTok star, Nessa Barrett. As he put it, Lil Huddy was DMing her explicit messages, all while "telling people Charli's your world." Only there was a whole lot more where this scandal came from...
"I Love One Girl"
For starters, how did the called-out star take the scandalous news? Denial. "The Hype House has been so amazing for all of us, but there are so many problems other people cause for clout... and I don't want any part of it anymore," Chase began.
As he put it, "everyone who really knows me will know I really do love this one and only person. Always have and I always will," he shared on Instagram, before deleting the risky post. But while the controversial message now haunted him, so would another brewing scandal - one that'd set off an entirely new wave of problems.
Daisy's Shocking Tell-All
On March 28, Hype House member, Daisy Keech took to Youtube to drop a nearly 23-minute long video, or as she put it, the "truth about the Hype House." Safe to say, the events that transpired were so shocking, they'd soon shatter everything Thomas and Chase had once so famously built up.
"I'm trying to fight for my rights," the emotional star revealed, after filing a vicious lawsuit against the House founders days earlier. What'd Daisy claim? She, too, had founded the TikTok house, only she was being strategically excluded from all business deals by the two stars. No one could believe what they were hearing.
Parting Ways
Of course, though, where there's smoke, there's fire, and when it came to Chase Hudson, his brush with scandal was far from over. In fact, in only a matter of time, come April 13, he and Charli's rocky relationship would reach a new status - one that'd call for brutal revelations.
"We are sorry it's taken so long to come forward, but this was something we wanted to process privately first," Chase revealed of he and Charli's official breakup. "It has been incredibly hard for both of us, so please respect our privacy as we both start this new chapter." Unfortunately, the exes weren't done with each other just yet.
Charli's Truth Comes Out
"Your loss… I hope she was worth it," Charli posted one fateful day in July, before deleting all of her Instagram pictures with Lil Huddy. What went wrong, that compelled the star to act the way that she did? "All of this drama going on is because I kissed Nessa when we were both single," Chase explained, leaving the online world in shock.
Except Charli didn't see it that way: "Then you shouldn't have come to my house after without telling me," she revealed. Only these bitter exes weren't the only ones that were about to be feuding. In only a matter of time, Chase would open the lid on some of TikTok's most disturbing scandals...
TikTok Exposed
"Since all my drama has to be put on the internet for the world to judge me, let's lay out everyone else's," a vengeful Lil Huddy shared on Twitter. Sure enough, the mayhem - the "TikTokalypse" - that soon followed, was nothing anyone had ever seen before. It was war.
What was his brutal revelation? As he put it, TikTok was plagued with cheaters, and he was going to expose each and every one of them: Griffin Johnson for cheating on Dixie D'Amelio, Jaden Hossler, on Mads Lewis, Josh Richards, on Nessa Barrett, and Kio Cyr, on Olivia Ponton. Little did he know, though, his dirty deed would soon backfire...
Who's the Real Victim?
With a virtual war on his hands, Lil Huddy was done holding back on the truth. Only not everybody saw it that way: "Stop deflecting your actions onto others, because you can't take responsibility Chase," Charli fired back at his 'tell-all' vendetta.
But she wasn't done just yet. "Want me to talk about how you treated me throughout our relationship, or do you just want to continue to play the victim?" Sure enough, older sister, Dixie, too, jumped to Charli's defense, writing, "Ur wild." What was really going on behind closed doors?
Huddy's Mysterious Hiatus
While the truth is that's something we'll probably never know, there was something else Lil Huddy wanted to shed light upon: 'What happened to Lil Huddy?' You see, over the next few months that followed, Huddy remained relatively quiet online, something out of character for the outspoken star - and it had people talking.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before the controversial teen took to the 'gram to set things straight. "I've been taking a little bit of time, kinda like focusing on my mental [health] … cause mental comes first," he explained. "I've just been having my days, you know?"
"I'm Just Getting Started"
Well, there you have it, folks. We’ve walked you through Chase Hudson’s rise to fame - and all of the bumps that came along the way. But with 25 million TikTok followers, millions in the bank, and an army of fans rallying behind him, as he himself put it, “I’m just getting started.”
As for what the future holds? “I plan to go as far in life as I can to make people happy and smile,” the teen told ET. “Making money and having followers is cool, but I love that people enjoy the stuff that I create - and that’s why I do what I do.”
The Takeaway
From bullied dreamer to viral superstar, Chase's journey has taken him for one roller coaster of a ride. He "went from the bottom to the top — from rags to riches," but there's one thing he's learned along the way: "No one's opinion matters but your [own];" Which leads us to our next question…
What do you think? Is the young star the same Stockton boy, simply doing his best to put a smile on our face - all while navigating his way through fame? Or is there perhaps more meaning behind those vicious rumors he’s found himself tangled up in? We’ll let you decide...