THEN AND NOW: 14 popular Vine stars

shawn mendes

Shawn Mendes used to be a Vine star.
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  • In January 2017, the Vine app officially changed its name and purpose and so many Vine creators moved to create content on different platforms and work in different industries.
  • Some creators like Jake Paul and Liza Koshy now make content on YouTube.
  • Many former Vine stars have pursued careers in music, film, and TV.
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In late 2016, to the disappointment of many creators and fans, the six-second-video app Vine disabled direct uploads. The app had been a place for creators to experiment and use editing tools to share short-form comedy clips and music videos.

By January 2017, the app changed its purpose entirely and many people who had been creating Vines went on to foster careers on YouTube and in the film, television, and music industries.

Here's what 14 of the biggest Vine stars are up to today.

Nash Grier is now a model and actor.

Nash Grier recently modeled for Dolce & Gabbana.
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Nash Grier was one of Vine's most popular personalities. In 2015, he was featured on segments on talk shows like " Good Morning America"  and " The View." That same year, he and some of his fellow vine stars launched the UnitedXXVI clothing line with Aeropostale.

Over the past few years, Grier has made videos on YouTube and has acted in films and on TV shows. He was the star of the 2016 thriller series "The Deleted," a Fullscreen exclusive that has yet to see a follow-up season. Most recently, Grier was in the 2017 Netflix movie "You Get Me" alongside Bella Thorne.

He also models. In 2018, he walked the runway at the Dolce & Gabbana show during Men's Fashion Week in Milan. He also recently got engaged and he and his fiancée are currently expecting their first child.

The vine duo Jack & Jack are now a full-fledged music group.

Jack & Jack are in the music industry now.
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Jack Johnson and Jack Gilinsky, known professionally as Jack & Jack, essentially kicked off their music career on Vine.

In 2014, they released their original single "Distance." Over the next few years, the pop-rap duo continued to release singles and their song "Wildlife" peaked at 87 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 2018, they were featured on DJ Jonas Blue's song "Rise." The music video has over 300 million views on YouTube.

Their debut album, "A Good Friend is Nice," was released earlier this year.

Logan Paul went from Vine star to controversial YouTuber.

Logan Paul used to make comedy vines.
Todd Williamson/Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

After creating comedy videos on Vine, Logan Paul began making music and creating YouTube videos.

In 2017, he released the song "No Handlebars" and it was criticized by many, including the artist he sampled on the track, for objectifying women. That same year, his infamous "suicide forest" video went viral. In the video, Paul filmed the dead body of a man who had committed suicide. The video was later taken down.

Following the incident, Paul was removed from the Google Preferred program on YouTube, which negatively impacted the profitability of his videos. In February 2018, YouTube also dropped ad support from Paul's YouTube channel, greatly decreasing his ability to earn revenue from the platform.

He also hosts a podcast called "Impaulsive." In January, Paul came under fire when he said on his podcast that he was "going gay" for a month. He later apologized for his "poor choice of words."

He has also been criticized for some of the guests he's featured on the podcast, including Alex Jones, a far-right conspiracy theorist who has said the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school, which resulted in the killing of 20 children and six adults, was actually staged, not real.

Jake Paul was on Disney and he also creates YouTube videos.

Jake Paul creates YouTube videos.
Getty/Frederick M. Brown/Alexander Tamargo

Jake Paul is the younger sibling of Logan Paul and, like his brother, he has found a similar mix of success and controversy in his post-Vine days.

In 2016, he began starring as Dirk on the Disney series "Bizaardvark."

In January 2017, he raised $1 million in funding to start the influencer-focused talent-management company Team 10. Later that year, he and Team 10 released the song  "It's Everyday Bro." It reached 91 on the Billboard Hot 100 and eventually achieved platinum status in the US.

In July 2017, reports came out that Paul may be facing a class-action public-nuisance lawsuit after neighbors complained he had made their neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, a "living hell." His neighbors accused Paul of performing dangerous stunts for his YouTube videos and attracting noisy young fans to the area.

Following these reports, Disney and Paul "mutually agreed" that Paul would leave his role on "Bizaardvark," per Adweek.

In 2018, TMZ reported that Paul was sued for $2.5 million for allegedly trashing a home he had been renting.

Liza Koshy is still making videos and she now appears on TV.

Liza Koshy is a YouTuber.
Eric Charbonneau/Jordan Strauss/AP

Liza Koshy was known for her comedic vines. Now, she has a career online and on TV.

Her web series "Liza On Demand" premiered on YouTube in 2018 and was renewed for a second season. She won multiple awards for her work on this show and for her YouTube videos.

Her latest TV venture is as host of the 2018 revival of Nickelodeon's game show "Double Dare."Recently, she worked with Vogue to interview celebrities at the Met Gala.

Shawn Mendes went from a Viner to a world-famous musician.

Shawn Mendes has had multiple successful albums.
Andy Kropa/Evan Agostini/AP

Shawn Mendes got his start as one of the most-followed musicians on Vine. He was known for posting covers of popular songs and these eventually helped him to kickstart a full-fledged music career.

In 2015, the Canadian singer-songwriter opened up for Taylor Swift during parts of her "1989" tour. He's also headlined on his own tours around the globe.

Over the past few years, Mendes has released three albums and has won dozens of music-related awards for his work.

David Dobrik is still making videos.

David Dobrik makes vlogs.
Todd Williamson/WireImage/Getty/Richard Shotwell/AP

The Vine star began his YouTube career in 2015 and now he regularly posts vlogs of his life. His channel has over 12 million subscribers and he was dubbed vlogger of the year at the Shorty Awards in 2017.

In 2015, he created the comedy series "David's Vlog" and starred on it. In 2018, he had a role in the film "Airplane Mode."

Cameron Dallas has had a few deals with Netflix.

Cameron Dallas starred in the movie "Expelled."
Paul A. Hebert/Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Cameron Dallas got his start in early 2012 by posting prank videos on Vine. He even won the choice Viner award at the 2014 Teen Choice Awards. That same year, he starred in the Netflix movie "Expelled."

Dallas is also known for starring in the Netflix reality series "Chasing Cameron." The show had just one season that debuted in 2016.

He's also a model. In 2016, he did a campaign with Calvin Klein. In 2018, he walked the runway at the Dolce & Gabbana show during Men's Fashion Week in Milan.

Dallas also dabbles in music — in 2018, he released the single "Why Haven't I Met You" with Columbia Records.

In 2018, Dallas was arrested on assault charges and released on a $5,000 bond. He later Instagrammed his mugshot and, in the caption of it, seemed to imply that he'd acted in self-defense, an argument his lawyer later echoed in court. It's not clear at the time of this post whether or not the case has been settled.

Recently, makeup artist Cole Carrigan accused Dallas of drunkenly throwing water at him in what he characterized as a homophobic attack.

Lele Pons now has a TV career.

Lele Pons hosts a show.
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Lele Pons was the first Viner to hit 1 billion loops and she was known for making comedic videos.

In 2017, she had the most-viewed Instagram stories of the year, signed a brand deal with the major beauty-brand Covergirl, and judged on the panel for Miss Universe 2017.

She also has an acting career. Pons appeared on the first season of the murder-mystery show "Escape the Night" that aired on YouTube Premium. That same year, in 2016, she made a guest appearance on the second season of MTV's "Scream."

Pons is also set to host the upcoming season of the Mexican singing-competition show "La Voz México."

Andrew "King Bach" Bachelor was one of the most-followed creators on Vine.

King Bach still does comedy.
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You might know Andrew Bachelor as King Bach, one of the most-followed Viners of all time.

The comedian now stars in spoofs and acts in films like "To All The Boys I've Loved Before" and "The F**k-It List." He was also a recurring character on the TV series "The Mindy Project."

Gabbie Hanna creates YouTube videos and records music.

Gabbie Hanna's album is set to be released this year.
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Gabbie Hanna is a successful Vine star and YouTuber who has gone on to kickstart a music and acting career.

Hanna wrote and illustrated " Adultolescence ," a book of poetry, in 2017. That same year, she took on one of her first acting roles on the YouTube series "Escape the Night."

Also in 2017, she released her first single as a recording artist, "Out Loud." She has since released multiple songs over the past few years. Her debut album "This Time Next Year" is set to be released this year.

Rudy Mancuso is active in the music industry.

Rudy Mancuso was briefly an opening act on Justin Bieber's "Purpose" tour.
Chelsea Lauren/Getty/Richard Shotwell/AP

Rudy Mancuso is a Brazilian-American performer who transitioned from Vine star to YouTuber. Mancuso has also launched a career as a singer-songwriter and director.

In 2017, Mancuso opened for Justin Bieber at a few shows during the Latin-American leg of the "Purpose" world tour. Mancuso has also directed music videos for Lele Pons, Alesso, and O.A.R.

In 2017, Mancuso was accused of plagiarizing parts of his second single, "Sirens." Some said the track was basically "a cover of" the song "Ambulance" by Eisley, a rock band.

The song was later removed from YouTube and Apple Music, per The Daily Dot. It seems to have also been removed from Spotify.

Brittany Furlan went from an influential internet personality to an actress and podcaster.

Brittany Furlan married a musician.
Rich Fury/Richard Shotwell/AP

Brittany Furlan was one of the most popular female Viners in the heydey of the platform. In 2015, Time magazine named her one of the 30 most influential people on the internet.

In 2018, she was featured in the documentary "The American Meme," which was produced by Netflix. In February, Furlan married the famed musician Tommy Lee.

She also has a podcast called "Worst Firsts" and is an actress who has appeared in films like "We Are Your Friends" and "The Dirt."

Josh Peck went from Nickelodeon actor to Viner to voice actor.

Josh Peck has a child.
Dan Steinberg/Jordan Strauss//AP

Josh Peck is primarily known for starring on Nickelodeon's "Drake and Josh" when he was a teen. In his adult life, Peck received a lot of attention for his comedic Vines.

Since 2016, Peck's acting career has continued. He had a role on the short-lived sitcom "Grandfathered" and he has done voice acting for the "Angry Birds" and "Ice Age" franchises.

He also runs a YouTube channel with almost 3 million subscribers. He is married and has one kid.

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