Zoe Laverne has 18 million followers on TikTok and if she were to fall for one of them, we’d hope they’d be of age. She has a lot of options to choose from!
But no.
Laverne was recorded kissing a 13-year-old fan and later admitted to “catching feelings” for him.
There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s rewind a second. Laverne’s TikTok fame is due to her lip-synching and dancing videos, which is a popular trend on the app.
@zoelaverne hmm
@zoelaverne y’all see that?
The 13-year-old in question is frequent collaborator, Connor.
@zoelaverne #duet with @zoelaverne duetting every time we see each other!! @cxnnorjoyce ❤️
https://www.tiktok.com/@zoelaverne/video/6870552744541818118?lang=en
People learned about the inappropriate relationship when messages between Laverne’s ex-boyfriend and former friend leaked. In the message, her best friend admits why the two are no longer friends:
“I left because of her interactions with Connor. They got very intense and it’s something I do not stand by what so ever. It’s pedophilia.”
@cxnnorjoyce surprise 🙂 @zoelaverne
A few days after the texts were revealed, a video of the two kissing emerged. Laverne live-streamed her apology and attempted to clarify her situation.
“I didn’t groom Connor, I wouldn’t do that. He’s a kid and I’m aware of that. It just happened,” Laverne said. “We both were in a dark place when we first became friends and we both just ended up catching feelings for each other. And friends do that, they catch feelings for each other. That’s not a bad thing. Yes, the age is a bad thing. Yes, it’s wrong. Yes, it’s not good. We both realized that and we stopped.”
Laverne’s mother also took to social media to support her daughter.
UPDATE: Zoe Laverne’s mother defends Zoe (19) kissing a 13-year-old fan. Zoe’s mom says “Anybody can reach over and kiss somebody. They’re best friends.” pic.twitter.com/jOlN1BYWgn
— Def Noodles (@defnoodles) October 28, 2020
According to Laverne, she and Connor are no longer in contact with one another.