Who is TikTok Star Bella Poarch?

When Bella Poarch joined the ever-popular TikTok app in April of 2020, little did she know that within months she would be one of the biggest TikTok stars. Her popular lip-syncing videos have made her a favorite on the popular social app, but many might not know the story behind it. The mysterious viral star has only been famous for a few months, but questions already abound about who she is and how she got so famous. 

How old is Bella Poarch?

Perhaps adding to the intrigue of the young TikTok star’s rise is her strange, seemingly nonexistent nature before her fame. From her name to her age, her actual existence is shrouded in mystery. Although several she is often listed at 19 years of age, according to In the Know, the veracity of this came into question. Although her age does not appear on any of her social media platforms, Poarch once posted a screenshot of Famous Birthdays page that stated she was just 19, but other life events make some believe she’s older. 

According to Poarch, she joined the Navy in 2017. However, if she were really 19 years old, this would not be legal. The Navy requires its recruits to be at least 17 years old. Poarch turned 16 that same year. Poarch has hinted at being 19 years of age but never confirmed this. Unless the start of her Navy career is incorrect, however, she’s likely older. 

This mysterious saga surrounding her age might best sum up her young career as a TikTok celebrity. Since her first viral video, many have wondered what it is about Poarch that resonated most with people. 

How did she get famous? 

Poarch rose to fame when a relatively innocuous video of her lip-syncing a mashup of hip-hop songs went viral. The video was not unlike dozens of other viral TikTok videos. Still, as her video zeroed in on over 10 million likes, some began to wonder how such a normal video reached such astronomical numbers from an account that, until then, had no significant success stories.

Add to that the fact that Poarch was doing something at least two other videos featuring similar subjects. The questions over why Poarch’s video spread well beyond TikTok and made its way into several major publications, like Buzzfeed, too. Whatever the case may be, Poarch was the definition of an overnight success story. 

With overnight success, however, comes overnight scandal. While it did not appear to compromise her young fame, Poarch, born in the Philippines, was briefly embroiled in some controversy after posting a tattoo she got featuring the rising sun. However, the image she chose has a different meaning to several Koreans. The TikTok star apologized, explaining that the tattoo was a testament to her love for South Korea.

Poarch got the tattoo covered up, and the controversy appears to be behind her. 

Where does she go from here? 

A debate has raged on about Poarch and her brand. Her social media presence outside of Facebook and Instagram was seemingly nonexistent before April of 2020. The quickness to which she rose to fame through a relatively basic video and brand raised questions. Some have gone as far as to accuse her of being part of some nefarious scheme.

Whatever the case may be, Poarch has risen the ranks as quickly as one can imagine. She continues to post lip-sync videos, comedy bits, and pictures of her growing collection of tattoos to this day. Now, just months after sending her first video out, she collaborates with big-name stars on Tyga, and her ever-growing fan base remains in the millions. How long this will last remains to be seen, but in a year where TikTok Stars have dominated in more ways than one, Bella Poarch might be on top of them all.