Ariana Grande Look-Alike Paige Niemann Says She Felt 'Misled' by Star's DM
Ariana Grande look-alike Paige Niemann discusses her feelings of being misled by a past direct message from the pop star. Niemann is now pivoting away from her impersonation brand to pursue a career in acting and modeling, as documented in her new Prime Video series.
Why it matters
The story highlights the complexities of digital identity and the parasocial relationships between celebrities and their online look-alikes.
Ariana Grande's viral look-alike Paige Niemann says she felt "misled" by the direct message the popstar sent her amid her rise to online fame years ago.
Here's the sitch -- Paige's new docuseries "Turning the Paige" debuted this week on Prime Video ... and fans are buzzing about the empowering message Ariana sent a teenage Paige as she was gaining traction for the uncanny impersonation and look-alike videos she was posting.
The message, which TMZ verified came from the Grammy winner, said that Paige was beautiful "without trying to make her face look more similar to someone else's." The DM wrapped up, "Always do what makes you happy of course but if I didn't say that to you, I'd regret it."
Now, Paige tells TMZ ... she had mixed feelings about the entire interaction.
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