Tiffany Cianci

Tiffany Dawn Cianci (born November 25, 1981) (also known as Tiffany Dawn Soto), is an American influencer, activist, and former business owner. She is known as a host and organizer for livestream events, for her criticism of private equity, and for her legal dispute against the private equity group Unleashed Brands^[1]

Tiffany Cianci was born on November 25, 1981 in San Diego and grew up as a foster child.^[2][3][4] She attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she majored in advertising.^[4]

Following graduation, Cianci worked in the hospitality industry in Maryland.^[4] In 2014, Cianci brought a lawsuit against her then-employer, the Four Seasons Baltimore, where she claimed she faced harassment and gender discrimination condoned by the Four Seasons.^[5][6] Cianci and the Four Seasons eventually reached a settlement.^[7]

In 2017, Cianci left the hospitality industry and opened a children's fitness facility franchised through The Little Gym. In 2021, The Little Gym was acquired by Unleashed Brands.^[2] The acquisition led to a disagreement between Cianci and Unleashed, and her franchise was terminated in 2022,^[7] which she alleged was done in response to helping form a franchisee association.^[8] Cianci attempted to independently operate her gym and was sued by Unleashed for illegally continuing to use branding and intellectual property from The Little Gym.^[7] The dispute went to private arbitration, resulting in a mixed ruling in June 2023, which is currently under appeal.^[9]

In 2023, Cianci acted as a host and organizer for livestreamed events, facilitating a public conversation with Robert F. Kennedy Jr about her lawsuit and experience with the private equity industry. Clips of which were posted by the Kennedy Campaign on social media. Following this, Cianci managed logistics and hosted several additional livestream events featuring Kennedy and with other creators.^[1]

Cianci has garnered 286,000 followers and 3.5 million likes on TikTok. In 2024 and 2025, she gained additional popularity for her activism against the proposed ban of TikTok, where she conducted a livestream outside of a courthouse during a hearing on the proposed ban.^[10][11]

In 2014, Cianci was sued by her former landlord over unpaid rent, and an initial ruling awarded the landlord $27,384. However, this judgement was overturned on appeal in 2016 by the Maryland Court of Special Appeals, which named Cianci the prevailing party.^[12]

On July 6, 2022, The Little Gym International sued Cianci, alleging she continued to use their branding and intellectual property after her franchise was terminated. The Little Gym also alleged that Cianci used derogatory and misogynistic language to describe a customer. In September 2022, the case was moved into private arbitration in Arizona.^[7]

On June 8, 2023, the arbiter issued a ruling. It found that Cianci’s franchise termination was justified, that she illegally used The Little Gym's intellectual property, and that she would be unable to operate a non-affiliated gym in competition with The Little Gym. However, the arbiter simultaneously ruled that The Little Gym engaged in intentional defamation against Cianci, designating her as a prevailing party on that count. The case is currently under appeal.^[13]

Tiffany Cianci has expressed opposition to private equity as an industry and has been critical of various corporations. She has accused private equity firms of buying homes with the intention of ending single family homes to bankrupt the working class in America, and claimed that food brands collude to raise prices.^[14][15]

Cianci is a vocal advocate for the social media platform Tiktok, which she argues is an essential income stream for creators.^[16] She has actively protested against bans related to the app's ties to the Chinese government. In 2025, Cianci protested in Washington, D.C. against the ban of the app passed by Congress.^[11]

Cianci has also publically commented on Luigi Mangione, who allegedly assassinated UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in 2024. In a post on social media, Cianci stated that the “billionaire elite” demand that Mangione be charged with terrorism out of fear of future attacks.^[17]

Cianci strongly opposed the Iran-Israel War of 2025. During the conflict, Cianci stated on social media that Israel targets babies in Gaza.^[18] She also claimed that the United States fought the Iraq War on Israel’s behalf.^[19] Cianci has described the United States as “being manipulated as a paid for mercenary force for Israel through bribes, and puppet like manipulation.”^[20]