The Carter Agency scandal was the talk of the town, with dozens of TikTok influencers claiming the agency had scammed them. Reports of the agency withholding payments and hiding original rates on brand deals were rampant.
Despite allegations against them, Carter Agency had represented dozens of TikTokers worldwide, including Celeste Polanco—a lifestyle content creator from Brooklyn with 100,000 followers on TikTok who signed up with their services in 2021 after being contacted by a representative.
The story of influencer Mia Polanco is just one of many that have sparked an ongoing investigation as more and more influencers come forward to share similar accounts regarding their experiences with the Carter Agency.
Many TikTok creators saw this agency as a way to funnel money from the platform, but Polanco alleges never receiving payment for deals she successfully completed with the company worth up to $10,000.
Her story and many others have prompted a thorough investigation into the practices employed by the Carter Agency, which hopefully comes to a legitimate resolution soon.
Polanco is just one of two dozen creators who have complained to The New York Times about the agency withholding money and concealing the rates of brand deals.
Celeste Polanco’s experience with the Carter Agency is not uncommon for many TikTok creators.
The platform’s mysterious algorithm serves up its videos to vast numbers of users, which has helped to chart a path from fame to fortune.
However, most users make no money, and those who do typically earn it by promoting brands and products. Talent agencies, like the Carter Agency, can help negotiate those deals.
Timisola Ogunleye, a 27-year-old creator who signed with the agency in 2021, said the agency brought her deals with Clean & Clear and Neutrogena, among other brands. She accepted the agency’s 30 percent fee.
Riri Bichri, a creator best known for her 2000s nostalgia parody videos, joined the agency in 2022.
She said, “I hoped I would sign a decent contract, which I didn’t. I hoped I was working with generally honest people, which I wasn’t.”
Arielle Fodor, a kindergarten teacher turned TikTok star better known as Mrs. Frazzled, has been using a spreadsheet to track the money the agency owes her.
According to emails from The New York Times, one brand told Ms. Fodor it had already paid the Carter Agency six months earlier for her work. Ms. Fodor showed the Times contracts that stated she was to be paid $28,000 for that deal, and she said she had not received a dime.
A Tiktok creator runs the Carter agency – How does it work?
The Carter Agency was founded by Josh Popkin, a former TikTok creator with over three million followers, who worked alongside his brother, Ben Popkin, and a few other managers.
Talent Agencies, including the Carter Agency, typically make their money by taking a percentage of creators’ earnings.
Documents reviewed by The New York Times indicated that creators typically agreed to the agency taking 20 to 30 percent of their earnings, with the rest going to the creator. However, many creators claimed they received far less or weren’t paid.
The Carter Agency would send clients a statement of work after securing a brand deal.
These documents detailed project deadlines, pay rates, and the type of videos the creators were required to make. Managers with the agency would frequently send these documents to their clients.
