San Diego influencer sparks debate over paying to post photos

A social media influencer based in San Diego caused controversy after telling a fan she must pay to post a photo with her, Daily Mail reported. The fan, Caraline Catlett, shared the encounter on TikTok, describing how the influencer said she does not allow others to capitalize off her face.

Catlett, who recently moved to California and has 179,000 TikTok followers, recounted approaching the influencer to compliment her and ask for advice on growing her own following. The influencer reportedly responded that her attractiveness is why people follow her.

When Catlett asked to take a picture, the influencer said she could not post it without paying her, stating there is not enough room in the industry for everyone. Catlett said this interaction made her determined to grow her account past the influencer's few hundred thousand followers out of spite.

The TikTok video has been viewed more than 3.5 million times and sparked discussion about entitlement among influencers. Catlett emphasized she would not reveal the influencer's identity or encourage online harassment despite the negative interaction.