What Only The Biggest Fans Know About The D'Amelio Family

The D'Amelio family is known around the world as "the first family of TikTok," as noted by The Guardian. Like fellow TikTok star Addison Rae, Charli D'Amelio took the fledgling social media app by storm, charming her followers with seemingly effortless dance moves and other quirky and wholesome content. That's when the whole family — sister Dixie D'Amelio, mother Heidi D'Amelio, and father Marc D'Amelio — got super active on TikTok as well, amassing millions upon millions of followers between the four of them. That's why, chances are if you use TikTok, you already know all about the D'Amelio family.

However, if you had asked the family if they knew they'd become famous for perky dances and loose lip-synching, they would have thought you were out of your mind. Indeed, before the D'Amelios ascended into the stratosphere of social media, they were a regular family with regular goals and regular plans for the future. So if you're wondering what the D'Amelio family was like before all of the fame, or what their plans are for the future, keep reading to find out!

Before TikTok became the viral sensation that it is today, the D'Amelio family was, by all measures, a normal family living in Connecticut. Patriarch Marc D'Amelio worked in sportswear, and matriarch Heidi D'Amelio was a model and personal trainer. Their two teenage children, Charli and Dixie D'Amelio, were just coming into their own as well. "We were kind of on autopilot as a family at the time," Marc recalled in an interview with The Guardian. "Dixie was about to go to college. She was driving Charli to school in the mornings." He added that he and his wife were essentially "looking at the finish line of parenting," ready to adjust to an empty nest within a matter of years.

That all changed once Charli blew up on TikTok, which quite literally upended everything for the D'Amelio family. "We really thought we'd figured out how to have two kids," he continued. "Then this was thrust on us." That's when all of their best-laid plans — including college and a home base in Connecticut — were pushed to the side to make way for internet fame and all its trappings.

One thing that can't be overstated is how fast the D'Amelio family came into their celebrity. It was only in the earlier part of 2019 that Charli D'Amelio started using TikTok, and before the year was out, she'd amassed millions of followers (via NBC News). And with the followers came fame, not just for Charli but for her whole family, who became TikTok stars in their own right — as well as millionaires.  

Can you imagine your life changing that much within the space of a few months? It's certainly been an adjustment for the D'Amelios, according to Heidi D'Amelio. "Seeing the whole thing happen so quickly, I think ... that's probably the craziest part of it," she explained to Entertainment Tonight. "Everything else, we kind of just take in stride." She added that the most important thing for the D'Amelios has been taking care of themselves as a family.

The D'Amelios relocated to Los Angeles to pursue their newfound careers in entertainment, and their new digs are super posh. They reportedly listed their Connecticut home for sale in 2020 (via The Hour), so it looks like they're in LA for good! 

While becoming rich and famous seemingly overnight — all from making casual dance videos in your home — sounds like a dream, it's not without its perils. In fact, as Dixie D'Amelio tells it, having a normal life is impossible now. "The worst part is that I've lost having a personal private life," she revealed in an interview with Grazia. "When your life is on the internet there is no privacy. Normal teenage and young adult stuff unfolds in front of a huge audience." Not surprisingly, that hasn't exactly been easy for the D'Amelio family. Can you imagine the pressure?

To that end, the D'Amelios' private lives have become viral stories in and of themselves. For example, Charli D'Amelio went through a very public breakup with fellow TikTok creator Chase Hudson, which she posted to her Instagram story (via Seventeen). Additionally, according to E! News, Dixie D'Amelio also split from her boyfriend, Griffin Johnson, in 2020. Of course, the internet had plenty of opinions about both of breakups, showing how much interest there is in all aspects of the D'Amelio family's lives.

You may have noticed that, at times, it can be difficult to tell Charli and Dixie D'Amelio apart, thanks to their strong, slender builds, similar facial structures, and flowing brown tresses (which Dixie cut off in 2022!). And though the sisters do look alike and share similar ambitions, the D'Amelio girls have their own unique approaches to the world. "We couldn't be more different," Charli revealed in a chat with Highsnobiety. "But we're used to getting, 'Oh my God, you guys look like twins!'" Given that they're the same size and share clothes, that's really not surprising.

Additionally, Charli and Dixie look out for each other, always making sure to have the other sister's back. "Dixie is my number one go-to person," Charli continued. "We're just so close, and our fights usually last two seconds and then we're over it." After that, the pair moves onto whatever the next activity may be, whether that's going on a car ride or making a TikTok video.

Charli D'Amelio was barely 15 years old when she started posting to TikTok, and her sister, Dixie D'Amelio, is less than three years older than her. To that end, Marc and Heidi D'Amelio have had the unique challenge of parenting teenagers who became stratospherically famous. Fortunately, they were up for the challenge, says Heidi. "I protect my family online, offline and always," she explained to Grazia. "As a parent, I try to be present, to always listen and to give them enough freedom so they learn and grow, but not so much that I'm not aware of what they are doing." Talk about a delicate balance.

In addition to guiding her children in their celebrity careers, Heidi also makes sure to keep everyone grounded as a unit. "We always make sure that we carve out time that we can just be a family, not a 'working' family,'" she continued. "They're still teenagers, so we're still parenting teenagers and their emotions." And naturally, that can be pretty rough at times.

Ascending into the realm of celebrity may have upended the D'Amelio family's lives, but overall, Marc D'Amelio says the experience has been overwhelmingly positive. That even includes Dixie and Charli's many suitors and admirers, who've sung the girls' praises to their father. "Even the boys, it's been funny, they'll approach me and say, 'May I marry your daughter?'" he revealed in an interview with NBC News. Hey, at least they're drawing on some old-school manners by asking pops for permission!

Of course, not all of Charli and Dixie's fans are the epitome of politeness, but fortunately, so far it's been nothing Marc can't handle. "Every once in a while you'll get someone who crosses the line, and I've gone back and checked them and it's worked out fine," he continued. "It's all new to us but we're figuring it out as we go and it so far is working."

The D'Amelio family has also hired security to protect the girls as well, as noted by TMZ.

Believe it or not, but TikTok hasn't always been en vogue — far from it. In fact, back when Charli and Dixie D'Amelio started using the app, they hid it from their friends as much as possible. "Ew. People at school made fun of TikTok," Dixie revealed to The Guardian. "It was looked down on." That's why when she initially discovered that Charli was uploading videos of herself dancing to TikTok, she was mortified. "I was, like, Charli, dude, what are you doing?"

However, as Charli's videos started to get more and more popular, more and more people learned who she was. Still, that wouldn't be a badge of honor until later. "Do you remember when people first started recognizing you? They would say, 'Where do I know you from?'" Dixie continued. Too embarrassed to confess they probably saw her on TikTok, Charli would say "social media," to spare herself the humiliation. Oh, how the times have changed.

Charli D'Amelio became insanely successful on TikTok thanks to her impressive dance skills, which she spent years honing in dance classes and competitions. But as she and her sister, Dixie D'Amelio, tell it, their parents are no slouches in that department, either. "They're both really good dancers," Dixie shared in an interview with Highsnobiety. "There's a lot of pressure at family reunions, weddings, and birthday parties."

When it comes down to who the better dancer is, Marc or Heidi D'Amelio, Charli laid it out for the curious. "My mom grew up a competition dancer and sometimes does TikTok dances with me, but my dad did breakdancing, and that's raw," she explained, "so if I had to ask someone to break it down in the middle of a party, I would have to say my dad."

That explains why both Heidi and Marc have sizable TikTok followings of their own. The whole family has moves!

You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who's big on social media — whether that's Instagram or YouTube or TikTok — who doesn't have to deal with their share of trolls and haters. Unfortunately, that's also the case for the D'Amelio family, who've had to adjust to unsolicited and unwarranted hate. "I'm trying to show people that I'm a person, and I deal with the same things as you guys," Charli revealed in an interview with NBC News, noting, "I think I'm working on being a lot more positive in my everyday life because I realize comments and things can hurt."

In addition to cruel comments about her appearance, Charli has also been the victim to multiple threats and calls falsely reporting emergencies at her home, according to TMZ. It's not surprising, then, to learn that Charli has almost quit social media altogether on more than one occasion. "Luckily I have a very good support group around me and they made me want to continue," she shared in an Instagram live (via Cosmopolitan). So Charli and her family do their best to ignore the haters and lean into the love.

If you've never heard of Charli D'Amelio, let alone her sister and her parents, you might have found yourself wondering: why her? Why them? What is it about a teenage girl bopping around to popular hip hop songs that has such a mass appeal?

For one, Marc D'Amelio sees his daughters' viral fame as the result of the "lightning in a bottle" effect, according to The Guardian. Thanks to their likable personalities, impressive (yet effortlessly executed) dance moves, and a lot of luck, they're relatable to their entire generation. What he didn't mention is that they're both gorgeous, and that certainly has to help!

While Charli has in the past put it bluntly that she doesn't get the hype either (it used to say as much on her TikTok profile), experts chalk it up to her affable charm, down-home spirit, and overall aura of authenticity (via Highsnobiety). Who says being humble and polite never gets anyone anywhere?

At the end of the day, what's made Charli D'Amelio such a sensation on TikTok is simply her ability to dance — and to dance well. Given that moving her body is her passion, Charli is glad that it's what she's known for on TikTok. "So many people can see my content and see that I dance and maybe it'll draw them to my Instagram where I have longer clips," she told NBC News. "TikTok is definitely a great place to show people that dancing is something that I do, and it's very fun for me." Hey, it's made dancing fun for all of us, thanks to Charli!

As for the fact that Charli is a standout, that's not lost on her father, Marc D'Amelio. In fact, he and his wife have always known her dancing would take her places. "We knew that she was a special dancer, so we knew at some point we'd see her on stage," he gushed. "We knew that she would do great things at some point in her life, it's just come a lot earlier."

Given how popular all of the D'Amelios are on TikTok, it only makes sense to create content for other sites like YouTube. However, when the D'Amelio family debuted their first episode of "Dinner with the D'Amelios" in 2020 with special guest James Charles, things didn't go as the family hoped.

In fact, viewers were pretty ticked off about the video, thanks to the antics of Charli and Dixie D'Amelio. Both girls came under fire for how they acted when the chef served them seafood paella; Charli looked clearly disgusted by the elegant meal and asked for Dino Nuggets at one point, whereas Dixie straight-up vomited after learning she was dining on a snail. Fans then accused the sisters of being disrespectful and ungrateful.

In response to the backlash, the D'Amelios took to social media to explain themselves. In an Instagram live (via People), Charli tearfully defended herself and implored fans to remember she's a human being. And on TikTok, Dixie explained that she and her sister are good friends with chef Aaron May (via Just Jared), who told The Hollywood Fix he adores the girls.

While the entire D'Amelio family is wildly famous on social media, none of it would have been possible without Charli D'Amelio's early TikTok videos, which eventually made them mega-celebs. Interestingly enough, however, at the outset, Marc and Heidi D'Amelio didn't understand Charli's strategy. "As parents, in the beginning we were sometimes, 'Why are you doing videos in your room with your bed unmade and clothes on the floor?'" he shared in a chat with Highsnobiety. "But Charli understood instinctively that not only did she want to portray her true self but that the people consuming her content wanted to see that from her."

That honesty hasn't waned, either, as Dixie D'Amelio says her sister is and has always been the real deal. "I think she's so happy to have the platform to talk about things that mean a lot to her," she explained. "That's important for me, too, but I don't have the pressure that she has."

While the pressure has to be enormous, the internet is a better place with Charli and her family on it.

The D'Amelio family practically became successful overnight. They are proof that social media can truly skyrocket you to fame if you do it right. Within the first two years of their fame, they've managed to build up a staggering net worth, proof that literally anything is possible with a cellphone and an internet connection.

Charli D'Amelio, the youngest of the two D'Amelio daughters, is the reason her family became famous, and also has the highest net worth as a result. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Charli is worth $20 million in 2022. She racked up this impressive number through her popular TikTok videos, and her partnerships with brands like Revlon, Chipotle, and Sony sure didn't hurt (via Parade).

Charli's sister, Dixie, is also a TikTok star, and according to Celebrity Net Worth, she's worth around $10 million. While Dixie likely makes a lot of her money from TikTok, her music probably provides a pretty impressive income as well.

Dixie and Charli's parents also have a pretty impressive net worth. While the net worth of their mom, Heidi, isn't known, The U.S. Sun reported that Marc, their dad, has an net worth that probably ranges between $1.5 million and $2 million. Combined, the family is likely worth around $32 million (via Parade).

When you're as famous as Dixie D'Amelio, the whole world is interested in your love life, and she's had some pretty high-profile relationships since her rise to fame.

Dixie made heads turn when she stepped out with fellow TikTok star Griffin Johnson in 2020, and the two were seen cuddling in videos on TikTok frequently, according to Cosmopolitan. The pair even started their own YouTube show, "Attaway General," before breaking up in July 2020. Dixie admitted to Dexerto that she and Griffin didn't manage to make it out of the relationship as friends, but that there were no hard feelings there. "It was just a dumb, immature relationship. We shouldn't have been dating in the first place," she said. "We were cooler as friends, and just — we were like, 'Oh my god!' He was just dumb and immature." At least Dixie was honest, and we're pretty sure many could relate.

Dixie soon moved on, and by August 2020, she had a new beau, Noah Beck. Also a social media star, Beck and Dixie seemed to hit it off right from the start. During an interview with GQ, Noah couldn't confess his love fast enough. "The reason I love Dixie so much is that she's my best friend," he told the outlet, adding, "... but she's also ... she's very attractive. I always tell her she has a dry sense of humor. She'll make a joke and not laugh, whereas I have golden retriever energy."

When you're a huge TikTok star, it's only natural that you'll start dating people in the same circle, and for Charli D'Amelio, that has definitely been the case.

Charli's first high-profile relationship was with fellow TikTok star Chase Hudson, also known as Huddy (via People). Things went sideways for the couple when rumors about Hudson cheating on Charli with another TikTokker, Nessa Barret, started making the rounds on the internet (via Dexerto). The internet went into a bit of a meltdown, leading to Charli posting an emotional apology video, saying that she hadn't intended to make her issues that public. While the breakup was messy, it appeared that Hudson and Charli made amends, and apparently, the two are still friends.

Charli has since started dating Landon Barker (yes, that's Travis Barker's son), and they seem madly in love. Barker made their relationship public on TikTok in July 2022, and Charli followed with an Instagram story featuring the two of them kissing shortly after. During an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Charli said that Barker is "very sweet," and he's proven himself a few times. Charli told People that he is incredibly supportive and that he even came to her "Dancing with the Stars" debut. Landon let the world know how proud he was of her on his Instagram stories. "Char you killed it, I love you so much," he wrote. He later also attended the live taping, cheering Charli on from the sidelines.

While Marc D'Amelio is a businessman at heart, he also once dipped his toes into politics. In 2018, he ran for the 25th Senate District in Connecticut (via Nancy on Norwalk). This was before TikTok made his family insanely famous.

His opponent was Bob Duff, and Marc made it clear that he planned on taking a different approach than the incumbent when it came to governing. "I can assure you, you will never get us confused. I am much different from Bob Duff. I don't act like Bob," he said during the speech where he announced his candidacy. " I have a different style than Bob. I will not govern like Bob."

He later shared more of his goals and views on the official Instagram page created to promote his campaign. In a post titled "people over politics," Marc shared what he wished to achieve should he be elected. "We need elected officials that look past political party and can find common ground without special interests guiding their decisions," the post read. "My party gets me a seat at the table, but my character and the people I represent will lead my choices."

Marc's community activism first started out at Norwalk High School, where he was involved with parents activities. He became popular among his peers when he helped push to increase the funding for the school. This is likely one of the things that sparked his interest in politics and working to bring about positive change.

Dixie D'Amelio is nothing if not bold, and she proved to the world that she's unafraid of change when she attended the 2022 BAZAAR Icons party with a brand-new, daring haircut. Gone were the gorgeous locks fans adored. In their place was a buzzed haircut, showing off Dixie's stunning features, and she literally made heads turn (via Harper's Bazaar).

During an interview with Harper's Bazaar, Dixie admitted that she is a rebel at heart. When she was young, she dyed her hair blond despite her mom's warnings not to do so. "It fried my hair, the consequences of which I have to deal with to this day," she told the outlet.

When it came to shaving her hair, Dixie made smarter choices and called in the help of a professional. In a video Dixie made to commemorate the moment, she tells her team that she's sure it will come out okay. "I have dark eyes and eyebrows and lashes, I feel like it'd be fine," she told them. She was, however, incredibly nervous when the time finally came to get the cut. Her stylist asked her if she was sure about getting the cut one last time before getting out the clipper. Dixie simply nodded and let her get to work. Once the cut was done, Dixie nervously walked over to the mirror, took one look, and simply told her stylist, "shorter," then added, "I really like it." So do we, Dixie, so do we.

After taking a break from social media for a bit in October 2022, Dixie D'Amelio made a comeback that made headlines, but not for the reasons you think.

In an Instagram live reposted on TikTok, Dixie shared that she'd been offline for a bit because she hadn't been feeling so great. She then proceeded to share that she'd been diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms include experiencing mood swings that are so intense they disrupt your daily life. Dixie shared that experiencing these symptoms was pretty scary. "I have never been so low and just down. And having no idea what was wrong with me was very alarming," Dixie explained, adding, "I just felt like I had no control over my body or mind and I had no idea what was wrong but it would turn on and off like a light switch."

Dixie also explained that the disorder started to affect her relationships with the people closest to her because it caused changes in her personality and attitude. It also had an effect on her anxiety as a result. Luckily, she decided to get professional help, and hopefully, sharing her story has encouraged many others to do the same.

Dixie D'Amelio is more than just a TikTok star — she's also a music-lover, and right before she was headed to college, she changed her mind and decided to give music a try for a bit. Little did she know how much it would change her life.

During an interview with Wiz Khalifa for V Magazine, Dixie admitted that, even though she's naturally shy, she loves performing. "When I do have a chance to perform, I give it my all," she said. She also revealed that she'd been interested in the entertainment industry and music since she was young. "Growing up I did theater and other music-related activities," she told Khalifa.

She also revealed that one of her biggest inspirations and influences in the industry is Billie Eilish. She added that she wants to be able to share her own mental health struggles through her music like Eilish does, adding that she's still working on becoming comfortable with that. She hinted at perhaps including those types of songs on her debut album.

Going from TikTok star to respected musician can be tough, and Dixie is trying to navigate that the best she can. "That's why I'm working on trying to find my sound and what kind of music I want to do and to be taken seriously," she said, adding, " I don't want to just be another influencer in music messing around."

One of the reasons the D'Amelio family is so successful is that they've got a knack for business, so it was no surprise when they launched their own family brand in 2022, simply titled D'Amelio Brands.

"We're starting this brand company where we're going to go out and create a bunch of different brands and own the IP," Marc D'Amelio said in an interview on Squawk Box (via CNBC). These brands will include products like shoes and skincare (via Forbes).

In an interview with Forbes, Charli and Dixie expressed their excitement over this new venture, revealing that it can basically be credited to the fact that they want to strike while the iron is hot. Social media fame can be a fickle thing, and you can easily go from a TikTok star to a nobody in a matter of days. Charli and Dixie seem to be well aware of this, and are intent on enjoying their fame as long as it lasts. "That's why we're doing this now and doing it the way we want to do it," Charli told Forbes, adding, "We must take advantage of the moment." Dixie added that, aside from obviously enjoying all the perks that come with being a massive TikTok star, they truly are passionate about what they do. "With our true passions, it's not about money, but sharing what we love with the world," she said.

Being on "Dancing with the Stars" is stressful enough without having to compete against one of your family members, but that's the exact situation Charli and her mother, Heidi D'Amelio, found themselves in.

The news was announced on "Good Morning America," and it was revealed that Heidi and Charli made some mega history as the first family members to compete in the show. Heidi told the outlet that she was shocked when she got the call; Charli thought it was a prank. "But when they were like, 'No, this is real,' I was so excited for the both of us — especially to do this together," she said. Both mom and daughter seemed keen to take to the dance floor: Heidi admitted that she hadn't put on her dancing shoes in a while, but was excited to see if she could still pick up choreography as fast as she used to, while Charli seemed excited about the prospect of learning some brand-new moves to incorporate into her TikTok dances.

It also appears that the mother-daughter duo didn't allow the competition to get between them. When the judges asked Charli how the show was affecting her relationship with her mom, it appeared that the two were rooting for each other. "I'm so proud of her. It's so nice seeing her look so comfortable and be the star. That's who I think she is, and that's what she is to me," Charli said (via Gold Derby).

When everyone loves watching your life unfold on TikTok, there's a good chance a streaming network might offer you the chance to start your own reality TV show, and this is exactly what happened to the D'Amelio family. Hulu offered them the chance of a lifetime, and they took it. Now, "The D'Amelio Show" is watched by thousands of fans and even got renewed for a second season (via "Good Morning America").

While all the fortune and fame looks glamorous from the outside, having the whole world know everything about your life can't always be easy. In a video Dixie made for Vogue's "24 Hours With ..." segment, she admitted that she was nervous about making the show. "I make a lot of mistakes and I know it's all going to be caught on camera now," she confessed, adding that she and Charli have arguments (like all siblings do), and knowing that the world might see that can be pretty daunting.

Charli, on the other hand, told Teen Vogue that she was incredibly excited about the show. "It's something that I never expected I would be doing," she said. "I'm just excited to show people the whole family dynamic and what our lives are like when the cameras aren't on." Their dad, Marc, was also very keen, telling Deadline, "We've always been a very close family, but this experience has brought us even closer and we're really excited to share a glimpse of our lives with the world."