The Untold Truth about The LaBrant Family
If you are a heavy YouTube user, the LaBrant name should sound familiar to you. The couple Cole LaBrant and Savannah Rose became overnight celebrities after starting their own Youtube channel, where they share their day-to-day lives with millions of subscribers. Ultimately they became a genuine internet super couple. But is this couple really as perfect as they appear?
A Bright Future
Cole LaBrant and his five siblings were born and raised in Troy, Alabama. He belonged to a Christian family. They had always been a cliquish family, so the fame and public attention Cole went on to garner was a surprise to them. The family was closely knit and lived a relatively quiet and private life.
In 2013, before TikTok came to life, Vine was the only social network back then that allowed users to make and post short looping videos. Cole’s first experience with the app came when he and his friends were bored, and trying to pass the time.
The Post That Changed Everything
Cole was with his two friends, Baylor Barnes and John Grice. They stumbled upon a dance contest when they were scrolling through the Vine app and considered joining it. As Cole later recalled, “it was all girls entering the vine contest” so, they were thrilled by the possibility of being the first guys to join in.
The three rehearsed for a bit and then posted their video. They received unexpected love. Just after a week, they had 100,000 followers. And it was at that moment Cole began to see the light.
Going Viral
These three buddies decided to go by the name Dem White Boyz. They never expected the fame to last. According to Cole: “We weren’t trying to get social media famous, we didn’t even know that was possible. They just consider it a temporary moment of fame but that moment turned them to celebrities.
They started jet-setting across the country and meeting and greeting in Hollywood. Out of three, Cole adjusted faster and had more fun than his friends. It soon became clear that they weren’t so into the new lifestyle
Hackers Almost Cost Cole His Career
Cole’s friends, John and Baylor, find it tiring to manage the spotlight and attention while Cole only got more fascinated by it. John and Baylor found rehearsals and content creation exhausting, so they agreed to let Cole rebrand their social media account.
After sometime Cole realized nothing comes without challenges as his new life came under attack from social media hackers. They almost ruined his career before it really got going. “They deleted all my pictures,” LaBrant told Zachary Fu. “I lost 100,000 followers in less than a week. It was just so humbling to see that, everything that I’d worked for about two years, just to see it all crumble. And it’s like, all this could literally be gone at any second.”
Cole’s Epiphany
Everything was looking great and proceeding smoothly for Cole until the hackers came into the picture. Cole’s social media accounts were hacked completely, they deleted all his pictures, this cost him a hundred thousand followers in the first week.
During this disastrous period, Cole had no access to his accounts. All that he had worked for seemed to be falling apart, and this forced him to reach deeper into his soul.
The Reason Cole Changed His Content
When he managed to regain control of them, he decided that it was time to start being more truthful with his content while he still had the platform. So he made a huge transition from a vine boy to a religious guy, in his content creativity. “It was a hard transition because we didn’t start out proclaiming the gospel,” he said.
“Making the transition from being a secular social media person to a Christian social media person, it was tough. Because people knew you for dancing or making funny videos, and now you’re talking about Jesus.”
Why Cole Lost His Followers
The transition to becoming a Christian content account had its challenges, followers were dropping and this made Cole worried.
Despite that, Cole didn’t give up. He continued to upload his videos on Vine and Musical.ly. In 2015, he started something new with his mother and entered The Amazing Race’s 28th season, but after all these efforts couldn’t help their financial shortfalls.
Separate Worlds
They came second in The Amazing Race, so, after missing out on the million-dollar cash prize Cole and his mother were highly disappointed but they knew that something big was about to come in their way. Then came Savannah Rose into Cole’s life.
Savannah was born and raised in California, a teenager with an unhappy home and a toxic marriage. She had heartbreaks in her life. Unlike Cole, love was a stranger in her home, causing much hurt in her formative years. Savannah did love her parents, but their relationship was pretty unhealthy.
Savannah Had a Troubled Past
Savannah’s parents got divorced when she was a toddler. After divorce her dad’s departure caused her and her sister to grow up without a father figure and this caused her a lot of irreparable damage.
“As a teenage girl, growing up without a dad made me go down a dark path,” she said. But she and her sister shared a tight bond, having each other’s back. And that bond only got stronger with time.
“The Thought of Having a Baby Scared Me to Death”
Savannah had a relationship with Tommy Smith, but she wasn’t sure where she stood. Despite all the confusion, Savannah got pregnant when she was still a teenager and only 19. Savannah said, “I was scared to death,”. She had a lot of questions regarding managing her life with a baby when she was still a college student.
She thought her life would fall apart if she dropped out of school. Besides, her relationship wasn’t stable, so she couldn’t tell what to expect.
Savannah’s Heartbreak
She wrote, “Tommy, however, seemed oddly excited about it,”. “He even talked about us getting married. My parents never would have gone for that because they were not overly fond of Tommy.” In the past, Tommy had proven to be rather unfaithful.
“Not choosing the right guy and also just being cheated on by [my] boyfriend,” said Savannah. “I think it helped me understand how hurt my mom was [when she was] cheated on.” Although Savannah was heartbroken, her family had to put everything aside for the baby.
Fear of the Future
As Savannah was a teenager, she had a hard time processing the situation. Although she knew her mother and sister would be supportive and ready to help, letting them know about the situation was another big challenge for her. “Telling my parents about the pregnancy was very difficult,” she recalled.
Surprisingly, her parents were highly supportive, “They were really supportive of me, and they loved the idea of becoming grandparents.” They were so amazed by the new addition to the family that they tried to make their marriage work again. “I was beyond thrilled,” said Savannah. Savannah’s dad also asked for forgiveness and a second chance.
Savannah Didn’t Talk to Her Father
Sadly, even the arrival of a newborn couldn’t keep the marriage together. Hardly after two weeks, Savannah dad went back to the woman he’d left her mother for. This was a blood boiling moment for Savannah and increased her doubt about having a child with someone she couldn’t trust.
At that moment Savannah cut off completely from her Dad. Unluckily, her problems didn’t stop here. Before giving birth to Everleigh, Savannah discovered some heart-breaking news that further cast doubts on the future.
Bittersweet
“Around my sixth month of pregnancy, I learned Tommy, who had been eager to get married when he found out I was pregnant, was now cheating on me,” remembered Savannah. “I was done,” said Savannah.
Savannah gave birth to baby Everleigh on December 14th, 2012. Everleigh came out healthy despite all the troubles Savannah went through before her birth. With the love she had for her daughter, Savannah didn’t want her to grow up without a father, thus she accepted Tommy’s apology and took him back.
A Vicious Cycle
Savannah had dumped Tommy before childbirth, but with the love she had for her daughter she took him back, and he pleaded that he’d changed. “It wasn’t hard for me to believe him, as I felt I owed it to my daughter to make the relationship work,” she wrote.
“Within a matter of weeks after Everleigh was born, Tommy left me. Again. I felt horrible about myself. It wasn’t the last time. Tommy came back around whenever something big with Everleigh happened, like Christmas or a birthday.”
Behind Closed Doors
For her daughter’s bright future Savannah asked Tommy several times to come back. “Whenever he came by, we were so particular about Everleigh that we didn’t even fight,” she wrote. And for her, that was enough.
She remembers how this round and the round cycle would go “Just give me another chance,” Tommy would say. And Savannah always gave in for their daughter’s sake. With Everleigh they both would put on their best behaviour, and they hardly fought. “But once she was asleep or with my mum, the arguments started, the same old ones we always had,” she wrote.
Savannah Had a Low Self Esteem
Savannah suffered a lot in her childhood. However, nothing prepared her for the aftermath of Tommy’s departure. She barely had any self-confidence left. She would battle her self-esteem issues. At this point, she found it difficult to love herself and felt no one would want her now that she is the mother of a child.
“After every breakup, while Everleigh slept, I begged God to send someone who would love and respect me and my kid,” she said. She couldn’t get over the vicious cycle of rejection.
Why Savannah Started Vlogging
Her family did their best to help her forget about Tommy and move on with a strong perspective in life. Ironically, she only became more determined to make his turn a new leaf. “My Mum and sister constantly told me I deserved better, but their pleas fell on deaf ears,” she said.
“I felt they didn’t understand, but I was wrong,” Savannah continued. With time Everleigh grew into a pretty girl. Savannah’s escape route from the mental cage came through spending time and bonding with her daughter.
Faking Perfection
Savannah and her daughter spent a lot of time posting pictures and videos on musical.ly and gathered lots of followers. To the world, she was a happy mum with a beautiful daughter, but under the mask, she was nothing but a wreck.
“I pretended to be happy in the pictures and videos, but I really wasn’t. And my family saw through it”, she said. In reality, she was miserable. And just when it appeared she was beginning to forget about it all, her prayers get answered.
Cole Asked Savannah for a Shoutout
Cole discovered Savannah’s profile when he was looking for a way to rebuild his page. Ever since he started preaching on his page, his follower count had dropped significantly and he could do with some help.
While on Savannah’s page, he marvelled at her follower count and decided to reach out to her for some help. He sent her a message suggesting an exchange of shoutouts. However, he never returned to the app to check if she replied.
How Cole and Savannah Met
After several months, Cole and Savannah accidentally came across each other in California. He was at the mall with his brother when he noticed a vaguely familiar face. Although she was far away, he was certain he had seen her face before.
“First thing in my head was, ‘Wow, she’s pretty’,” he said. Then he remembered she was the girl he reached out to on Musical.ly. Neither of them could summon enough courage to approach the other. And so, Savannah managed to get her sister to help. Chantelle walked up to Cole and later introduced him to her sister.
They Never Thought They Were Right for Eachother
Although they exchanged numbers, neither of them gave it much thought. They couldn’t think much could happen between them because of the long-distance and scarcity of shared interests. As Savannah was four years older than Cole and a single mother as well.
They caught up to each other a few times while Cole was still in California. They realized they could help grow each other’s social media pages. And that was the starting point of their friendship. Before they knew it, feelings were already setting in.
Savannah Struggled to Let Her Guard Down
They couldn’t deny their feelings for each other after getting to know each other for a while. But due to Savannah’s past experiences, she found it difficult to trust Cole. He later admitted, “I don’t think anyone would have matched us together.”
The chemistry was undeniable, but Savannah’s anxiety was stronger. “I had put in my head that nobody would accept me since I had a kid,” Savannah explained. “I never thought I would find somebody who would not only choose and love me but choose and love my daughter even more.” But Cole proved her doubts wrong.
A Match Made in YouTube Heaven
Cole treated Everleigh like he was her real father. “You should always be open to God’s possibilities, you never know whom he has willed for you,” Cole said. Their love started to grow stronger.
They also displayed their bond on social media pages. And that brought them to outstanding success. New followers trooped in their hundreds, and their YouTube channel, Cole&Sav, proved to be a big hit.
Getting Likes and Making Money
In 2017, Cole proposed Savannah. As expected, Savannah said yes 6 months later, and they got married. They renamed their YouTube channel to The LaBrant Fam, to reflect their new status. They started posting their daily life updates, and soon, the account became so big that they started making a good amount from it.
With over 12 million subscribers and counting on YouTube, the celebrity couple had things going their way. Savannah’s follower tally on TikTok stands at 22 million with Cole coming closely behind. Nailbuzz estimates suggest the couple is worth over $12million.
Taking on the Father Role
The LaBrant family received a lot of love from fans. The most appealing and attractive feature that fans adore the most was the lovely relationship between Cole and Everleigh. “Sometimes, I couldn’t help remembering I wasn’t her real dad,” he said. However, as time went on, Cole and Tommy began to get along.
“Of course, I never wanted to steal the spot of her real father. I really just wanted her to know how a dad should treat his wife and kids”, said Cole. “Everleigh can rest assured knowing she has two loving dads, and I had to drop my pride for that.”
Cole and Savannah Faced Backlash From Their Fans
Cole and Savannah posted vlogs about almost everything, including pranks on one another and Everleigh. However, the critics began to hover. In a particular vlog, their fans felt the prank was a little too over the top, and the couple received some harsh criticism.
The couple had pranked four-year-old Everleigh into thinking the family dog was being given away. “We have to give Carl out as we cannot take care of him well enough,” Savannah told her daughter. The news shook Everleigh, and not even the explanation that it was a prank could prevent her from getting upset.
Their Fans Were Disappointed
The dog prank continued to make waves on social media for a long time and lots of fans chastised them for it. Some of the fans believed that Everleigh was treated unfairly. They said that her emotional stability was tampered with for fame.
Unfortunately, the vlog became a very controversial topic, and clinical psychologist, Dr Azmaira Maker questioned the couple’s decision to put Everleigh in that situation. “Although it was a prank, we must remember that children are fragile beings,” she said.
Are They Using Their Children for Fame?
The couple realised that they made a mistake. They apologise for it and promise to get Everleigh a new puppy, which lightened up her mood. But fans couldn’t help but feel something was off. The subscribers began to develop a close affinity for Everleigh. They were concerned about whether her parents were milking her for fame and riches.
There were some articles written online about how Cole was taking advantage of Everleigh. Coincidentally, the LaBrants wedding video, viewed over 44 million times, was titled “Vows To My Four-Year-Old Daughter”. Fans and critics began to suspect the family-centred itself around Everleigh to gain online acceptance and likes.
They Were Accused of Lying
Cole constantly assured his fans that his love for Everleigh was nothing short of genuine. During this period the family continued preaching the gospel through their social media platforms. Cole and Savannah had two kids together now.
Sadly, the trouble proved to be never far away from the family. They then posted a video saying they had to leave their home because of wildfires in California. According to the couple, they were issued evacuation orders and were driving up to San Francisco because of the “huge fires right by our house.”
Unhappy Neighbors
The LaBrants’ neighbours in California said to Fox11 reporters that they didn’t receive any evacuation orders. The video posted by the LaBrants had shown thick clouds of smoke in the background and described it as “right by our house.” This angered their neighbours, who claimed no such thing occurred.
One of their neighbours said, “I think it’s really bad of them to exploit a very sensitive situation like this for more views or likes on their channel”. Cole and Savannah were contacted for a response but the couple issued no statement.
Cole’s Controversial Tweets
Part of the perks of being famous is that every moment of your life is in the spotlight. The recent controversies got fans digging up about the overnight celebrity family. People found several things of concern about Cole.
In 2017, Cole tweeted about Savannah and his wedding night. They got criticised upon sharing such personal information. A fan tweeted “I don’t understand why Twitter had to know that…yikes”.
Prom With Selena Gomez?
Back in his vine days, Cole had a dream of taking Selena Gomez to prom. He has always been honest about his crush on Selena Gomez. In 2014, Cole sent Selena a prom date invitation via Twitter. Selena didn’t reply to the initial tweet.
Cole decided to send her another tweet and not to our surprise the second tweet was ignored, but Cole didn’t give up. After that failure, he just didn’t stop and posted a video on YouTube, which featured him miming several Selena Gomez songs. The video was a success, finally Selena representative told Cole that she was too busy to attend prom with him.
Ctrl Alt Delete
Last year, Cole received negative spotlight after posting a tweet. His fans were not so happy about it. He posted a video in which his cousin “Peanut” was used as a stepping stool for Cole’s daughter to reach the swing. The caption read “This is my adopted cousin, Peanut, helping girls get off and back ON the swings.”
“We all need to be more like Peanut,” he continued. Thousands of people reported that video and called it offensive. The video already received thousands of views before Cole deleted it.
Building an Empire
Savannah and Cole along with their three children are taking advantage of the social media spotlight. It’s not just Savannah and Cole but little Everleigh is growing her fan base separately while only 7-years-old. She has over 5 million followers on Instagram, which most of us can only dream of.
Everleigh’s current net worth is almost $1million according to Nailbuzz. There are hundreds of brands who are willing to collaborate with her.
They Were Harassed by Fans
The LaBrants had built a very positive relationship with their fans, but some incidents began to make them scared of exposure. In a vlog titled Our Family Is Being Harassed, the couple complained about an anonymous pizza order made in their name.
They didn’t pay much attention to it at the beginning. But the orders kept coming, and the couple had to bring in the police when one of such pizzas was delivered to their daughter’s school. They were worried about Everleigh’s safety, and the police assured them that an investigation would be carried out.
Watch This Space
Whether they’re a topic of controversy, of religious faith, or of love, the LaBrant Family shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. With a growing fanbase and picture-perfect looks, the internet just can’t seem to get enough. Brands also line up to collaborate with the LaBrants for the massive exposure they guarantee.
According to The List, these vloggers make about $5.5 million a year just from ads that run on their channel, and every day they gain more followers. So, the only question that remains is, are the LaBrants really all they make themselves out to be? We’ll let you decide.
Source: Buzzy Usa
Warning: Undefined array key "preview" in /home/tokcdooh/newsnetwork.co/wp-content/plugins/oxygen/component-framework/components/classes/comment-form.class.php on line 75
Warning: Undefined array key "preview" in /home/tokcdooh/newsnetwork.co/wp-content/plugins/oxygen/component-framework/components/classes/comment-form.class.php on line 79