At one point in an influencer’s career or another, controversy will seek them out. For popular feel-good TikToker Ophelia Nichol, also known as “Mama Tot,” that moment is now.
The controversy came about when Nichol, who has 12.8 million followers on the platform, shared a video criticizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) response to Hurricane Helene. The now-deleted post, which has since been downloaded and widely shared online, was reportedly filled with misinformation about FEMA’s response to the storm and saw the influencer veering into dangerous conspiracy theory territory.
The conspiracy theory in question, commonly being peddled in conservative circles, accuses the U.S. government of withholding disaster relief support to Republican victims of the hurricane, in favor of Democrat-leaning areas. These kinds of conspiracy theories, though unsubstantiated, have quickly gained traction in the days after the storm, despite all available reporting suggesting that the Biden administration is doing everything in its power to help those affected.
Mama Tot’s followers were particularly disappointed by her right-leaning views, with the positivity-influencer formerly known to lend her support to progressive causes, including LGBTQIA+ rights and anti-human trafficking efforts. Some have even questioned whether her advocacy, in the end, was all for clout. According to reports from Social Blade, the TikTok star lost around 200,000 followers within a matter of days following the backlash. On Sunday alone, she lost 100,000 followers, swiftly followed by another 100,000 the next day.
Defending herself, Mama Tot posted a follow-up video claiming that her original post was not intended to be political. “I have been on this app since 2020, and I’ve loved on people the entire time,” she said. “Not one time have I ever used my platform for politics or for any of that stuff.”
“For one, people do not even know how to help one another when it comes to politics. They just do not. They hate you if you do not agree,” she continued. “Like, I can’t deal with it. And people want a safe place to come to. People do not want to see all that mess. The world is so hyped up right now. It is like one big ball of evil. But I have never made my page about politics.”
She also said that she didn’t explicitly discuss politics or FEMA in the original video. “I never said anything about those things. None of that. I just expressed how frustrated and sad and angry I was that [the victims] have had to go through this,” she concluded.
Despite the controversy, Mama Tot has continued donating supplies to those affected by Hurricane Helene. While for some fans, these actions are enough to show Nichol’s true intentions, others remain suspicious about her motives. For Nichol, all she can do now is ride out the storm.