According to Wikipedia, Avani Gregg turned a single clown makeup transformation video into a multi-platform career with over 40 million followers. The 20-year-old creator rose to fame in 2019 during TikTok’s explosive growth phase, built a beauty brand around authenticity and skin positivity, and transitioned from viral moments to sustained influence.
Her journey shows how Gen Z creators turn niche content into lasting careers.
Who Is Avani Gregg?
Avani Gregg is an American social media creator, actress, and beauty influencer born on November 23, 2002, in Indiana. She gained recognition on TikTok in 2019 through makeup transformation videos, particularly her viral clown makeup content that earned her the nickname “Clown Girl.” Gregg now maintains a presence across TikTok (30M+ followers), Instagram (14M+ followers), and YouTube (1.2M+ subscribers), where she posts beauty tutorials, lifestyle vlogs, and personal updates.
She became a founding member of the Hype House collective in late 2019, appeared in the Brat TV series “Chicken Girls,” and has partnered with brands ranging from beauty companies to fashion labels. Gregg’s content focuses on makeup artistry, acne positivity, and relatable teen experiences.
Why Is Avani Gregg Famous?
Avani Gregg became famous for a clown makeup transformation video posted in July 2019 that accumulated over 100 million views. The video showed her transforming from bare-faced to full clown makeup in seconds, set to “Lalala” by Y2K and bbno$. The timing aligned with TikTok’s rapid U.S. expansion and the platform’s algorithm favoring short-form makeup content.
Three factors drove her viral success:
Algorithm Timing: She posted during TikTok’s 2019 growth surge when the platform actively promoted beauty creators to diversify content beyond dance videos.
Transformation Format: The before-and-after structure satisfied viewer curiosity and encouraged rewatching, boosting engagement metrics.
Accessibility: Her makeup style was achievable with drugstore products, making it replicable for teen audiences who then created their own versions.
The video’s success led to rapid follower growth, brand attention, and invitations to join creator collectives. By October 2019, she had crossed 10 million TikTok followers.
Early Life & Background
Avani Gregg was born in Brownsburg, Indiana, to an Indian-American father and Mongolian mother. She has two older sisters, Shanti and Priya. Gregg trained as a competitive gymnast for over a decade before shifting focus to social media during high school.
She created her TikTok account in late 2018, initially posting lip-sync and dance videos common on the platform. Her early content received modest engagement until she experimented with makeup transformations in mid-2019. The clown video marked her first viral hit, leading her to commit to content creation full-time.
Her mixed ethnicity became part of her brand identity, with followers connecting to her representation as a South Asian creator in the predominantly white beauty influencer space. She’s spoken about experiencing racism online and using her platform to normalize diverse beauty standards.
The Viral Clown Video That Started Everything
What Made the Video Go Viral
The clown transformation video succeeded because it combined three viral triggers: surprise, skill demonstration, and emotional payoff. Gregg started the video fresh-faced, then revealed the completed clown makeup in under 15 seconds, creating a shock factor that viewers replayed.
The song choice mattered. “Lalala” was trending on TikTok in summer 2019, giving the video algorithmic priority. The beat drop aligned perfectly with her makeup reveal, creating a satisfying audio-visual sync that encouraged shares.
Technical execution also played a role. Unlike other makeup creators who showed the application process, Gregg cut straight to the final result. This editing choice respected viewers’ short attention spans and delivered instant gratification.
Fan Reaction & Cultural Impact
Fans flooded her comments asking for tutorials, product lists, and step-by-step guides. Within weeks, thousands of users posted their own clown makeup attempts, creating a secondary wave of content that kept Gregg’s original video circulating.
The trend spread beyond TikTok to Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. Beauty brands noticed the engagement and began sending Gregg products for promotion. By August 2019, she’d secured her first paid sponsorship with a makeup company.
The clown makeup became her signature, leading to variations: sad clown, pretty clown, zombie clown. This content strategy kept her feed fresh while maintaining brand consistency.
Career & Rise on TikTok
After the viral breakthrough, Gregg shifted from occasional posting to a daily content schedule. She diversified beyond clown makeup, creating tutorials for everyday looks, skincare routines, and “get ready with me” videos. This expansion attracted viewers interested in beauty content beyond the original viral hook.
Her follower count grew exponentially through late 2019 and early 2020:
- August 2019: 10 million followers
- November 2019: 15 million followers
- March 2020: 20 million followers
- December 2020: 25 million followers
The COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 accelerated her growth as homebound teens spent more time on social media, a rise that was later highlighted by Forbes as part of TikTok’s new generation of influential creators. Gregg capitalized on this by posting 2-3 times daily and engaging directly with comments.
She began incorporating acne positivity content in 2020, showing her skin without makeup and discussing her struggles with cystic acne. This vulnerability resonated with teen audiences dealing with similar issues, strengthening her connection with fans beyond entertainment value.
Hype House Membership & Collaborations
Gregg joined the Hype House in December 2019 as one of the collective’s founding members. The group lived together in a Los Angeles mansion, creating collaborative content and cross-promoting each other’s accounts. Her membership boosted her visibility through association with other viral creators like Charli D’Amelio and Chase Hudson.
The Hype House provided networking opportunities and brand deals. Companies preferred working with the collective because it offered package deals reaching multiple demographics. Gregg appeared in group sponsorship posts for fashion brands, tech companies, and entertainment platforms.
She moved out of the Hype House in mid-2020 but maintained collaborative relationships with members. The departure was framed as a personal decision rather than a conflict, though later interviews suggested creative differences and the pressure of constant content creation in a shared space.
Her acting career began with a role in Brat TV’s “Chicken Girls” in 2020, playing Gemma. The web series targeted the same teen demographic as her TikTok audience, creating natural crossover appeal. She appeared in multiple episodes and promoted the show heavily on her social channels.
Net Worth & Income Sources (2024)
Estimates place Avani Gregg’s net worth between $3-5 million as of 2024, though exact figures remain unverified. Her income streams include:
TikTok Creator Fund Earnings
TikTok pays creators based on video views through its Creator Fund. With average monthly views of around 200-300 million, Gregg likely earns $5,000-$10,000 monthly from the platform directly. This represents a small fraction of her total income.
Sponsored Content & Partnerships
Sponsored posts generate the bulk of her revenue. Creators with 10+ million followers typically charge $50,000-$100,000 per sponsored TikTok video, depending on brand budget and campaign scope. Instagram posts command similar rates.
Gregg posts approximately 2-4 sponsored videos monthly, suggesting annual earnings from sponsorships alone exceed $1 million. Partners have included fashion brands, beauty companies, and tech products.
Acting & Entertainment Revenue
Her role in “Chicken Girls” and other entertainment projects provides additional income, though acting typically pays less than sponsorships for influencers. Guest appearances and cameos in music videos supplement this stream.
She launched merchandise lines in 2020 and 2021, selling clothing and accessories through limited drops. While specific sales numbers aren’t public, similar creators report 6-figure revenues from merchandise when promoted to engaged audiences.
Brand Deals & Business Ventures
Gregg has partnered with Republic Brands Group for a vape product line marketed to legal-age consumers, drawing criticism from some followers who see the partnership as conflicting with her young fanbase. The collaboration demonstrates her transition from pure creator to business figure.
Beauty brand partnerships have included sponsored campaigns with e.l.f. Cosmetics, Morphe, and ColourPop. These align more naturally with her content and audience demographics. She’s worked with fashion brands like PacSun and Hollister, creating collection capsules and appearing in campaigns.
Her business strategy focuses on authenticity, only promoting products she claims to actually use. This approach maintains credibility with followers who can quickly detect insincere endorsements. However, the sheer volume of sponsorships has led some fans to question whether she’s over-commercialized her platform.
Relationships & Public Attention
Anthony Reeves Timeline
Gregg dated fellow TikTok creator Anthony Reeves from 2019 to 2021. The relationship became public content, with both posting a couple of videos and photos that generated millions of likes. Fans shipped the relationship intensely, creating fan accounts and edits.
The couple broke up in late 2021 after rumors of infidelity and arguments became public through social media drama. Neither provided detailed explanations, but both posted statements asking fans to respect their privacy. The breakup led to temporary follower drops as some fans took sides.
Post-breakup, Gregg has kept her romantic life more private, occasionally addressing dating rumors but not confirming new relationships publicly.
Acne Positivity & Authenticity
Gregg’s decision to post makeup-free photos showing her acne marked a significant shift in beauty influencer culture. In 2020, she began regularly posting skincare routines and discussing her dermatologist visits, normalizing acne for her teen audience.
This authenticity became a key differentiator from other beauty creators who maintained flawless images. Fans praised her transparency, and dermatologists noted the positive impact of influencers showing real skin conditions.
She’s addressed criticism about promoting makeup products while dealing with acne, explaining that makeup is self-expression rather than concealment. This nuanced approach resonated with followers navigating their own relationships with beauty products.
Social Media Presence Across Platforms
Gregg maintains active accounts on multiple platforms with distinct content strategies:
TikTok (30M+ followers): Daily posts mixing makeup tutorials, lifestyle content, and trending audio participation. Her engagement rate remains high relative to follower count, suggesting an active fanbase.
Instagram (14M+ followers): Curated photos emphasizing fashion, beauty, and personal moments. Stories feature more casual behind-the-scenes content and product promotions.
YouTube (1.2M+ subscribers): Long-form vlogs, detailed makeup tutorials, and Q&A videos. Upload frequency is inconsistent, with several-week gaps between posts. View counts average 500K-1M per video.
Twitter (1M+ followers): Personal thoughts, fan interactions, and promotional posts. Less active than other platforms, used primarily for announcements.
Her cross-platform strategy allows her to monetize different audience segments. TikTok drives discovery, Instagram converts casual viewers to fans, and YouTube provides a deeper connection through longer content.
Platform algorithms favor her content because she posts consistently, engages with comments, and participates in trending formats. Her content quality has improved technically over five years, with better lighting, editing, and production value.
FAQs
How old is Avani Gregg?
Avani Gregg is 21 years old as of 2024. She was born on November 23, 2002, making her a Sagittarius. She’ll turn 22 in November 2024.
What is Avani Gregg’s net worth?
Estimates place her net worth between $3-5 million as of 2024. This includes earnings from sponsored content, merchandise, acting roles, and creator fund payments. Exact figures remain unconfirmed as she hasn’t publicly disclosed financial details.
Is Avani Gregg still making content?
Yes, Avani Gregg remains active on TikTok and Instagram as of 2024, posting several times weekly, similar to other creators like Brooke Monk and Alix Earle, who also transitioned from viral moments to long-term influence. Her content has evolved to include more lifestyle and fashion posts alongside makeup tutorials. YouTube activity has decreased compared to 2020-2021.
What happened between Avani and Anthony Reeves?
Avani Gregg and Anthony Reeves broke up in late 2021 after dating for approximately two years. Neither has provided detailed public explanations, requesting privacy around the split. Social media drama and rumors of infidelity circulated, but neither confirmed specific reasons.
Does Avani Gregg still live in Hype House?
No, Avani Gregg moved out of the Hype House in mid-2020. She maintains friendships with some members but no longer participates in the collective’s collaborative content or lives in the shared mansion.
What makeup products does Avani Gregg use?
Gregg has promoted products from e.l.f. Cosmetics, Morphe, and ColourPop in sponsored content. She’s mentioned using drugstore foundations, NYX eyeliners, and various skincare brands in tutorials. Specific product recommendations vary as she tests new items regularly.
