Josh Richards Is Way More Than Just A TikTok Star, Y'all
TikTok is quickly becoming one of the most influential social media platforms of 2020. Each video is under a minute long, so it's so easy to find yourself watching numerous clips back to back. Besides inspiring countless dance challenges, TikTok has also helped many creators rise to fame. If you want to know the biggest influencers on the app, start with Josh Richards, who is a total social media sensation.
The 18-year-old star can be found taking over every social network out there. TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat — you name it. Richards has a collective 26 million devoted followers across all his social media accounts, and they love watching him because he offers a variety of content.
Fans looking for quick, bite-sized videos follow Richards' TikTok page, where they watch him take on the latest dance challenges and trends. Meanwhile, fans who enjoy longer clips of Richards' day-to-day life head to his YouTube channel, which is full of Q&As and sit-down videos talking about the biggest rumors and feuds within the TikTok world.
Fans truly never know what to expect when it comes to Richards' videos, and that's why they keep coming back to his pages for more. If you're becoming a fan, get to know Richards with these five facts about him.
1. Richards is a member of Sway House.
In January, TalentX launched the content collective Sway House, consisting of members Richards, Jaden Hossler, Bryce Hall, Anthony Reeves, Kio Cyr, and Griffin Johnson, who all began living and collaborating together in their Los Angeles mansion. He frequently has them appear in his videos and he does the same on their channels.
After five months of being an active Sway House member, Richards announced on May 30 he would be taking a hiatus from the collective.
"I have decided to focus on furthering my projects & ventures in the entrepreneurial, music, social media, and artistic industry," Richards told fans.
2. He had beef with Hype House's Lil Huddy.
Following months of speculation Sway House and Hype House were feuding due to Hossler supposedly revealing a secret about Lil Huddy, causing him to unfollow the Sway House members, things finally blew up when Richards and Hall dropped their diss track "Still Softish." In the song, Richards accused Lil Huddy of sliding into his girlfriend's Nessa Barrett's DMs.
Lil Huddy (whose real name is Chase Hudson) did not respond to Elite Daily's previous request for comment on the song's lyrics.
3. He's dating fellow TikToker Nessa Barrett.
With eight million followers, Richards' girlfriend, Nessa Barrett, is another huge creator on TikTok. In a February Q&A video shared to his YouTube page, Richards explained he DM'ed Barrett after seeing her appear on his "For You" page. The pair has been together since October 2019.
4. He's an actor.
Richards' IMDb page shows he has acting credits in the movies Summertime Dropouts and Brother's Keeper, and fans will be happy to hear he has another film coming up called The Cardinal Sin.
"As I kid I always loved watching movies and when I was with my friends, we'd always go outside and reenact the movie," Richards told FamousBirthdays about his dreams of being an actor in an October 2018 video.
5. He wants to use his platform to make a difference.
On June 7, Richards published an op-ed on Medium explaining the goal he set for himself when he first started gaining fame.
"When I moved to L.A., I hoped to make a difference in people’s lives," Richards began. "It’s why I co-founded TalentX Entertainment, a creator development company, to help my friends monetize their platform and make sure they are being taken care of to the fullest. It also gave me the opportunity to mentor upcoming creators — something I wished I had received when I started."
Richards admitted he had gotten wrapped up in the L.A. partying culture along the way, but he promised to not take his platform lightly moving forward.
Richards has already done so much to use his platform for good. In a February interview with Deseret News, Richards revealed he attended Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where he helped raise awareness for climate change. Along with other creators, he rewarded three fans with $5,000 each for creating the best videos about helping the environment.
All in all, Richards is one creator you need to watch out for on TikTok. His followers continue to increase each day, and it will only be a matter of time before everyone knows him.
