The two internet celebrities are best known for their work on the social media platform, TikTok, but are they related in any way?
Tony Lopez and Addison Rae are not related, but they were in a relationship at one point. They work very closely together, and have even spent time living in the same house – the Hype House – but they’re not related.
Read on to learn more about these influencers and their relationships.
The Dawn of TikTok
TikTok came crashing into the social media scene way back in September of 2016. It was an immediate hit with so-called “influencers” and “content” creators. Until then, the masses had relied on platforms such as YouTube, and shortly after, Vine. However, TikTok’s versatility and marketing know-how soon projected it to the top of the pile.
The basis of the platform is simple: you share videos. These videos can be overlaid with music, graphics, effects, and then shared to the world. The majority of users aim for comedic content or display musical and dancing talents. Ultimately, it’s just another social media app to add to the already overflowing pot.
However, the success was tangible and undeniable. The platform catapulted a few dozen individuals into the spotlight. The content creators – often teenagers – utilized the platform to find fledgling fame, and capitalize on it. There were sponsorships, endorsements, and branding deals handed out thick and fast to those that could push them.
In 2020, a mass scandal arose, when it was determined that TikTok was essentially spyware. There were many allegations against the Chinese-built technology, claiming it was a data collection tool. As the year wore on, so did the controversies, but TikTok would ultimately remain strong.
Enter The Creators
The content creators became massively familiar faces on the platform. Their videos – some of which were known to be masterfully created – were shared on and off TikTok. There were commercials and advertisements running on every site imaginable. It seemed TikTok’s reach went far and wide, and you couldn’t escape it.
In 2019, a venture was launched by two popular TikTok personalities: The Hype House. Following in the footsteps of other internet-famous individuals such as Faze and the Sidemen, the goal was ‘content creator collectivity’. The biggest names in the brand would come together and live in the same mansion, contributing to each other’s work.
This is where Addison Rae and Tony Lopez enter the frame. In 2020, Rae was the second-most subscribed to personality on TikTok. She’d receive tens of millions of views per month – if not more. Tony Lopez wasn’t far behind, being an incredibly popular persona in his own right.
Many rumors circulated that Addison Rae and Lopez were dating while they were in the house. Social media gurus analyzed the messages and comments that were surfacing on platforms like Twitter and TikTok, trying to figure it out.
In mid-2020, it was reportedly confirmed. The two were definitely dating, and the information was made public. There was a long-form video posted to YouTube in May, which analyzed the situation and revealed all. You can see this video below.
However, that information all but confirms that Addison Rae and Tony Lopez are not related in any way. While Lopez is part of a group called the Lopez Brothers, they don’t have a Lopez sister. The confusion may stem from Addison’s side though, as her father’s last name is Lopez. This is not a relation, though.
Making It Big
For Tony Lopez, having the attachment to Addison Rae may have worked wonders for his TikTok career. She’s undoubtedly one of the queens on the platform, with over fifty million followers by July 2020. The top persona on TikTok was one Charli D’Amelio, who boasted a mindblowing seventy million followers.
Her huge following made Rae the most successful member of the Hype House crew. She’d also secured a huge following on other social media platforms, such as Instagram and YouTube. As of 2020, she was worth a reported $2 million. There were suggestions that she could earn as much as $14,500 per sponsored post on her popular Instagram account.
It looks like it runs in the family, though. Bizarrely, both of Addison Rae’s parents – Sheri and Monty – are also TikTok’ers! Apparently, all three are signed to the same talent agency. It doesn’t end there, as Addison’s two younger brothers also run a TikTok page. Birds of a feather, right?