Inside The Lives Of The Hype House Stars

Slumber parties used to be the only way for a bunch of friends to sleep under the same roof. That is, until the dawn of social media. Young influencers with millions of followers thought it would facilitate a more creative environment by being around similar people. This meant going behind a typical coworking space to actually living together. It first started with the short-video app Vine. Then came mansions with YouTube stars like Jake Paul's Team 10. In December of 2019, Thomas Petrou, Chase Hudson, and Alex Warren dreamed up the name Hype House and signed a lease for a mansion in Los Angeles. "They introduced themselves with a Backstreet Boys-esque photo shoot, and within minutes #hypehouse began trending," according to The New York Times.

In this new space, some of the crew lived in the house full time while other influencers would occasionally visit. The house is a rotating cast of influencers, with plenty of drama, relationships, and good times. Plus, there's no shortage of documentation thanks to constant vlogs, TikTok videos, and Instagram posts. Big stars got even bigger, like Charli D'Amelio and Addison Rae. Some members left the house to pursue solo careers, while others show no signs of leaving. And in 2021, several members signed on to star in a Netflix reality series about their lives, according to the official house Instagram account.

For everyone wondering what it's like to be an influencer, this is a look inside the lives of the Hype House stars.

As of May 2021, Charli D'Amelio is the most followed account on TikTok. With over 115 million followers, she's also the first person to snag over 100 million followers on the platform. This shows both the insane growth in popularity of the app and also D'Amelio's universal appeal. Her videos, mostly consisting of her dancing, are the perfect combination of entertainment in 15-second clips. As she was continuing to dominate the app, Charli joined the Hype House. She sometimes collaborated with Lil Huddy, who was once her boyfriend. That is until "a messy war of words as part of the TikTok influencer debacle known as the 'TikTokalypse,'" per Highsnobiety.

Charli and Lil Huddy split up, and so did her relationship with the Hype House. She moved on from the house to continue her social media career. This included more than just dancing, including "digital content opportunities, live touring, podcasts, books, TV, licensing deals, and endorsements." And most of this all happened before the star even turned 17. Since she's still a teenager, D'Amelio credits her family with treating her like any normal kid. "My parents have always been, 'We don't care how many followers you have. You still have to do the dishes and take out the garbage," she explained. According to D'Amelio, she only puts out wholesome content and tries to "be the best person I can be, on and off screen."

The D'Amelio family produced not one but two mega TikTok stars. Charli's older sister, Dixie, has an impressive following on the app. As of 2021, over 51 million people followed her account. With huge fan bases on YouTube and Instagram too, Dixie has no shortage of opportunities. Part of her growth can be attributed to her time in the Hype House, where she and Charli both collaborated with the other members. But just like her sister, Dixie decided to leave the house and build her empire in a different way. 

In a vlog for Vogue, Dixie revealed what a typical day in her life is like. She started with a morning workout, followed by a virtual fitting with the luxury brand Valentino for a photoshoot. Then, it was off to the recording studio to work on her music career. But it's not just work all day for the influencer. Dixie confessed that she loves "chill" evenings where she can unwind by baking or playing video games. Fans will get a much deeper insight into her days, thanks to Hulu. According to the Los Angeles Times, Dixie and Charli signed on to star on "The D'Amelio Show." The documentary-style series follows the sister and their parents as they all navigate their "growing family empire."

Everything changed for Addison Rae soon after going to college. She had her first million followers on TikTok only a few months into her first semester, thanks to her dancing videos. Rae's success took off and she dropped out to focus on social media full time. As a rising star on the app, she joined the Hype House alongside the other biggest star of the app, Charli D'Amelio. Though D'Amelio had more followers, according to Forbes, Rae was the highest-earning star on TikTok by 2020. Her fame only grew and ultimately, she decided to leave the Hype House. And as of April 2021, she had over 79 million followers on TikTok, according to Bustle.

As a high-profile star, her days are filled with work on other projects. According to the article, most days she's on virtual meetings and "reviewing decks for a new product within her clean beauty line, Item. Other times she's doing a chemistry read or an audition for a film or television project." For example, she starred in the movie "He's All That," a "Gen Z-oriented remake of the beloved 1999 teen rom-com 'She's All That.'" Rae also spends a lot of time with her mom. The two appear on many TikTok videos together that Rae posts on her account. And the two also host a podcast together on Spotify called "Mama Knows Best." Rae also released her debut single "Obsessed" in 2021.

Chase Hudson was a star on TikTok before TikTok even existed. The app was originally launched as Musical.ly for members to post videos of themselves lip-syncing to songs. Hudson rarely goes by his birth name but his nickname Lil Huddy because his father's nickname is Huddy. As a co-founder of the Hype House, Lil Huddy is one of the few members that stayed a member into 2021. And despite being one of the biggest names on TikTok, he set his sights on the music industry. 

Lil Huddy admitted that he didn't write any music before decided he wanted to be a rock star. "I actually met with Interscope before I had anything," Hudson told Billboard, referring to the famous record label. "It was just kind of all an idea at first, and then I started to go in the studio, and really prove to them what I'm capable of. And then it happened, just after a couple of demos," he explained. Lil Huddy signed with Immersive Records and in 2021, he released his first two songs, "21st Century Vampire" and "The Eulogy of You and Me." Reportedly, Lil Huddy wrote these two pop-punk singles, plus two other songs, in only a week. He is aware that many people know him just as an influencer, so he has a lot to prove. "I can't get everyone to think I'm this musician off the bat, but people will slowly catch on," he said.

Fans of Hollywood movie magic will understand the appeal of Avani Gregg. While some influencers are popular just for being popular, Gregg rose to fame in part for her incredible artistic talent. She's known for intricate makeup videos where she turns herself into characters based on music or inspirations. The star told Entertainment Tonight that these videos can take up to six hours to complete. She explained this set her apart from other content makers in the house, so she was asked to join. Plus, she knew Chase Hudson prior to joining the Hype House. But Gregg's path wasn't always in makeup. In fact, she used to be a competitive dancer and was a "training level ten gymnast" for ten years of her life. Sadly, an injury to her back forced Gregg to quit training. Her success on TikTok happened quickly, and she credits her family for being supportive through her unconventional path. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them," Gregg said.

In her private life, Gregg linked up with Anthony Reeves. This fellow influencer was a member of the Sway House, a similar model to the Hype House. Gregg explained to Interview that she initially reached out to Reeves in a private message, asking for fashion tips. After off-and-on messaging, the two met in person, sparking a romantic relationship. Soon, the pair became what fans called "The TikTok couple."

Though she was an original member of the Hype House, things soured quickly for Daisy Keech. In a since-deleted video, she revealed the reasons she decided to leave the house only a few months after its debut. As recounted by Seventeen, Keech claimed to give $18,000 to Thomas Petrou and Chase Hudson for use as a deposit on the house. And even though she had already known Petrou as a friend years before, Keech felt her voice went unheard in house decisions. "She reportedly wasn't ever credited as a cofounder, and she had no access to the Hype House's social media accounts nor the brand deals they were getting," the article explained. She went on to directly criticize Petrou, saying he loved "to be able to tell people what to do, when to do it and how to do it." When she voiced all her concerns to Petrou, he allegedly unfollowed her from the Hype House collective account and told other house members to do the same. 

After leaving, Keech started another house that some saw as direct competition. She, along with influencers Abby Rao, Chase Keith, Kinsey Wolanski, started The Clubhouse, per Seventeen. Then, as Keech explained in a YouTube video, she moved out of The Clubhouse. With no collective house, Keech continued to focus on growing her platforms. On her YouTube channel, she posts a lot of workout and diet videos.

Ryland Storms posted a YouTube video showing what it's like to be a member of the Hype House. During his vlog of a "day in my life," he hung out with other members just goofing off, and at one point, even tried to show off some of his athletic skills with trick basketball shots. On his TikTok account, Storms is usually posting videos alongside the other Hype House members. Though he sometimes dances, Storms generally exudes an easy-going vibe in all of his posts. Amazingly, he may have criticized other Hype House members before moving in as a member. He posted a TikTok video hinting that he "talked s***" on other TikTok stars, only to move into a house full of creators. He captioned the video, "I mean who didn't start as a joke then got into it let's be real."

In the summer of 2021, Storms decided to jump out of the Hype House and into the boxing ring. The Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, posted a flyer on Instagram promoting an event called "YouTubers vs TikTokers: Battle of the Platforms." The boxing extravaganza features stars from the two social media platforms fighting each other. And the last billing of the fight shows Storms squaring off against YouTube star Tanner Fox. He'll have to find other channels to talk about the fight because, in 2021, Twitter suspended his account for violating the company's guidelines.

Larri Merritt, who goes by Larray, grew up in Compton, California. In an interview for Forbes, he described a difficult childhood full of bullies and suppressing his true self. Larray said that in his hometown, "men didn't accept people who are flamboyant. So, I had to hide myself and act straight; which was the most terrible thing as a child." Even when he moved out of Compton and into the suburbs with his dad, Larray said that his life was still difficult. At that point, he had a healthy following on social media but remembered people bullying him and shouting "homophobic slurs from their cars at me." This didn't stop Larray from posting and growing, 

Part of this influencer's appeal is that he's so accessible to his fans. He admitted that "sometimes I give my fans my number and I'll FaceTime them or I'll Zoom them." According to Larray, the fans are the main reason that influencers became popular in the first place. He's even quick to call out other influencers who can become numb to the popularity. Larray recalled once when a fellow influencer refused a fan photo, he "took the fan's phone and took the picture."

In addition to his YouTube vlogs about life in the house, Larray is also expanding into other forms of entertainment. He is also a rapper and musician. And according to Forbes, Larray is trying to get into acting work and was scheduled to appear in a time-travel movie.

The existence and continued success of the Hype House can largely be credited to Thomas Petrou. According to The New York Times, he and Chase Hudson allegedly began thinking of the idea in November of 2019 and 13 days later signed the lease on the Los Angeles residence. But more than just signing the lease, Petrou acts as somewhat of a "dad of the house," according to Seventeen. Alex Warren, one of the house's original members, explained on The Tom Ward Show how important Petrou is to all the members. "Thomas has done an absolutely insanely good job at getting Hype House to where it is. This house would not be where it is without him," Warren said.

Prior to the Hype House, Petrou was a YouTube star. And at one point, he was a member of another collective of influencers called Team 10. But the group, led by Jake Paul, ultimately kicked out Petrou, Seventeen reported. Petrou allegedly explained in a since-deleted video that "a few complaints about a few things that added up and that was the excuse to fire me." 

Petrou's YouTube channel is filled with videos talking with many members of the house, including his girlfriend Mia Hayward. And the two may have taken a step further in their relationship. In a 2021 post on Instagram, Petrou and Hayward are seen together in a series of photos. And in the last pic, Hayward shows off a diamond ring.

The Hype House welcomed its first set of twins as members with brothers Jack and James Wright. According to Seventeen, the Wright brothers — who only turned 17 in 2020, were the youngest members of the house at the time. Jack posts many videos on his TikTok account hanging with his twin. And he also shares the screen with another famous Hype House member, Sienna Mae Gomez. In a YouTube video, Jack shared what it was like to live in the Hype House for a day. It involved boxing in the house gym, doing backflips into the picturesque pool, and trying on a zebra print jacket.

Jack and his brother are also incredibly talented athletes. According to an Instagram post by their dad, both were top eight in the nation as All-Americans in pole vault and shot put. Their dad also shared that his two boys helped out in a mission to Germany. On another Instagram post, he explained their help with the non-profit organization History Flight. The mission involved "researching, recovering and repatriating America's service members," according to the organization's website.

When she was 15 years old, Sienna Mae Gomez posted a video that would change her life. As recapped by Nylon, Gomez danced in "high-waisted sweatpants rolled down to show her stomach after eating." The young woman's openness about her body appearance quickly resonated with fans and her popularity skyrocketed. Though it was an overnight success, Gomez said that all along, she knew she wanted to be famous. "I just knew that I wanted to work in the entertainment industry. I wasn't ever sure how I was going to get there, what the path would be, but I always had that faith that I was going to be there," Gomez explained. And big names started to align with Gomez. Singer Lizzo posted a body positivity dance video based on Gomez. Plus, a sponsorship deal with Maybelline to be one of the faces of the beauty brand. She also started to collaborate with other stars like YouTube's popular chef from "Binging with Babbish."

In her personal life, Gomez is allegedly dating one of the Hype House members, Jack Wright. And by the time she was 16, Gomez was already making a ton of money from her videos and various deals. According to Cosmopolitan, at the end of 2020, she was worth an estimated $150,000.

Since the start of the Hype House, Kouvr Annon has been an integral member. She and her boyfriend Alex Warren, along with Thomas Petrou and Daisy Keech, were the four people who lived full-time at the Hype House in the beginning. According to The New York Times, Annon was 19 at the time she relocated permanently into the Los Angeles mansion. Prior to the collaboration house, she was already dating Warren. According to Seventeen, Annon and Warren started dating in 2018. At the time, the couple was in a long-distance relationship until Annon relocated to Los Angeles. When she made it out to California, the two stayed together, and fans loved their content. Annon often posts cute videos with Warren on her TikTok account. 

As recounted by Seventeen, Annon revealed in 2020 that she was the subject of a viral video. But the video became popular for hurtful reasons — someone posted a popular video criticizing Kouvr's body. She posted on Instagram that she struggled with body image, especially around other women. "It's so hard to be confident in yourself and love yourself when the world tell you that [you're] 'fat' or 'ugly.'" Fellow Hype House member Charli D'Amelio stood by Kouvr's side and also condemned the body-shaming video. She posted on Twitter and asked her followers and everyone reading to put an end to body shaming. "Its disgusting and disrespectful," she said, adding, "its not a joke."

Easily the most extravagant member of the house, Nikita Dragun is known for her incredible fashion and beauty. She owns a cosmetics line called Dragun Beauty and posts videos on YouTube showing makeup tutorials. But this model and influencer didn't always have such a glamorous lifestyle. Growing up in Virginia, "she was the only boy on the cheerleading team and dreamed of becoming a female pop star," according to Interview. As Dragun explained, she would be bullied by boys about her sexual orientation. But those same bullies also reportedly said she was "going to be so famous."

Even at a young age, Dragun was unafraid to be bold in fashion choices. She remembered in high school wearing everything from "booty shorts, combat boots, a purse" to sporting eyelashes. She posted her first video to YouTube in 2014 and continues to be completely open with fans. This included documenting her entire transition for all her fans to see. And with her posts, she hopes to pave the way and "show that a trans person could sell the fantasy."

Alex Warren is one of the co-founders of the Hype House. And according to The New York Times, Warren was the one who thought of the name. Chase Hudson wanted to call the collaborative mansion the House of Olympus but was outvoted by Warren's name choice. But not long before starting the infamous influencer house, Warren was nearly at rock bottom in his life. On The Tom Ward Show, Warren revealed that when was 17 years old, his parents kicked him out of their house. With nowhere to sleep, he called his friends and hopped from place to place. He spent several nights sleeping in his friends' cars, all while making vlogs about the experience. Even without a proper home, Warren told himself and others all along that he knew he wanted to be a YouTuber. This openness helped his dream come true and turned Warren into a star on YouTube.

After moving to the Hype House, most of his days are spent hanging with his girlfriend, Kouvr Annon. Warren posts photos and videos of the couple on his Instagram page and YouTube channel. "I don't do drugs, I don't do alcohol. My absolute high, like dopamine, is when posting," he told Tom Ward. "Once I have a video go up, it is the best feeling in the entire world," he said about creating content.

Though other members in the house may have more followers or a general theme, Patrick Huston is just himself. He's posted videos of himself playing video games on his YouTube channel. Once, he even tried cooking with his housemate Nick Austin. He also gave viewers a peek inside the famous collab house when he vlogged a day in the life at the Hype House. This involved flipping water bottles, trips to Target, eating noodles, and folding laundry — essentially, mostly nonsensical things that could be expected by a bunch of young and energetic influencers living together. 

His closest friend in the house may be Calvin Goldby. The two often appear in each other's videos but decided to collaborate even more than being part of the house. Both guys co-star on the YouTube channel called "Calvin and Pat." It's filled with videos of the two goofing around and playing pranks on other members of the house. The two also hung out with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a video involving a dog shock collar.