‘Pookie is looking absolutely fire tonight.’
It was that simple compliment, first spoken in a strong southern drawl by investment banker Jett Puckett to his stunning wife Campbell two years ago, that set them both on course to TikTok stardom.
Campbell, a glamorous and softly spoken former air hostess, had already established a modest online following by sharing lifestyle and fashion content. But as soon as she introduced the internet to her wealthy, chino-wearing husband Jett, TikTok couldn’t get enough.
The pair began posting videos showing off their outfits – during which Jett lavished praise on Campbell, whom he affectionately nicknames ‘Pookie’ – and have since racked up millions of views and 1.5million followers.
Other videos show Jett – who many accused of punching above his weight in the looks department – gifting his wife of seven years designer bags, diamonds and roses as well as bringing her breakfast in bed. In other words, Jett is the internet’s ultimate ‘wife guy’.
‘I need this love’, reads one comment under their videos. ‘I want my own Jett,’ says another.
However, as Pookie and Jett’s fame has grown, so too has scrutiny of their relationship. And recently, after having their baby girl Paloma in November, whispers that their online personas are a facade have become ever louder.
They have been branded a ‘walking ’ by some, who say the pair are exploiting their marriage to gain followers and lucrative advertising contracts.
Jett Puckett and his wife, Campbell, have amassed 1.5million followers on TikTok, where they are known for showing off their outfits
But the couple have been branded a ‘walking ’ by some critics
Many of Pookie’s TikTok videos show Jett showering his wife with gifts, including designer bags, diamonds and roses
One industry source told me: ‘This couple know what they’re doing. It’s inherently performative. They are not realistic, they’re social media influencers who know what goes viral. They have generated characters for their brand and it’s worked a treat for them. It actually sets a very unrealistic expectation, especially with young women who want to get married one day.’
Indeed, the Pucketts’ story reads like a romance novel. The couple met in 2015 while Campbell was working for American Airlines and Jett was pursuing an MBA at the University of Pennsylvania.
‘I walked up to the prettiest girl at a wine bar in Philadelphia, just started talking to her,’ Jett said of their meeting.
‘Two days later, we were inseparable. I knew I was going to marry her. She looks like a princess, talks like a princess and sleeps like a princess.’
Just ten months later, the couple were engaged.
Jett bought the ring – a £150,000 six-carat diamond – six months after they met.
He told her he loved her in Paris, proposed in Hawaii and they travelled to 20 countries within 18 months of meeting.
Then, the Atlanta-based couple exploded on the social media scene in the winter of 2023, when Pookie posted a video of Jett gushing over her outfit – which included a £23,000 Hermes Kelly bag. Many weren’t sure whether his fawning persona was satirical or not – but it didn’t matter. The video now has a staggering 11.4million views.
‘Pookie is looking absolutely fire tonight,’ quickly became a trending phrase on social media – quoted by celebrities including singer Meghan Trainor, chat show host Jimmy Fallon, and actor Sylvester Stallone.
The couple quickly realised they had struck an algorithm goldmine and continued posting similarly corny videos, each racking up millions of views.
Pookie’s channel now features Jett in almost every video, whether it be them shopping, cooking or going to the zoo together.
Although Jett already had a healthy income as managing director of a mergers and acquisitions company, the couple are now bringing in the big bucks from their over-the-top displays of affection online.
A recent video shows Campbell unpacking eight Hermes boxes. Inside one was a £1,300 teapot and a £2,000 cup and saucer set. In another, a £25,000 Birkin bag.
And back in November, following the birth of their daughter Paloma, Pookie posted a video of her newborn dressed in a £700 Hermes cashmere onesie and £200 matching socks. The influencer revealed that once she knew she was going into labour, she immediately ordered the outfit to arrive at their house overnight.
Capitalising further from their following, they have also launched a clothing brand called Quintessential Love with ‘Pookie’ branded jumpers and hats. A rugby shirt costs £80 and a hat, £30. Their collection sold out as soon as it launched.
The couple now live in a multi-million six-bedroom house in Georgia which they bought in 2022, decorated with framed Hermes scarves and featuring a ‘museum for the family heirlooms’ and a huge swimming pool.
As one source told me: ‘The way she’s curated their relationship and dynamic on social media is very smart, it draws a lot of fascination because the adoration he gives her is the stereotypical princess treatment. Which is typically what women want from a man.’
They had a daughter, named Paloma, in November last year
Pookie with one of her ‘push presents’. She revealed to her followers that once she knew she was going into labour, she ordered her baby’s going home outfit to arrive overnight
The family live in a multi-million six-bedroom house in Georgia decorated with framed Hermes scarves and a ‘museum for the family heirlooms’
And the controversy doesn’t stop there.
In February last year, pictures of Pookie at college surfaced. One showed her posing in front of a Confederate flag – widely viewed as a symbol of racism in the US. In another, she wore a costume for an ‘Old South’ plantation-themed ball. Immediately, keyboard warriors began accusing her of being a racist and supporting slavery.
The influencer responded by saying: ‘At the time these photos were taken, I was 20. I didn’t fully understand the impact of my actions the way I do now, 12 years later. I fully apologize for the harm this may have caused for some and take full responsibility’.
But the internet pile-on continued.
It was alleged by a ‘close friend’ of the couple that Jett set rules for Pookie in their marriage.
The anonymous social media user claimed that he ordered Pookie to have breast surgery, maintain a thin physique and wear tight clothing – although there is no evidence of these stipulations.
But an appearance from the couple on relationship podcast The Skinny Confidential only added fuel to the fire, as listeners claimed Jett came across as ‘controlling’ when discussing his wife.
‘Pookie doesn’t wear much makeup, but my two pieces of advice would be hair is the most important,’ he said on the podcast.
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‘If a woman wants to look her best, her hair has got to look good. A lot of girls these days are wearing a lot of makeup. She doesn’t wear that much. That’s the way to go, the more natural look needs to come back.’
The couple have also been accused of deleting comments that address these rumours from their account.
Meanwhile, Jett’s line of work has come under fire as well. He began his career working in private equity, during which time his company bought up small dentist surgeries and other health businesses.
One social media user commented on one of their videos: ‘I wish more people understood the damage that private equity does to this country. It’s almost impossible to get a veterinarian at an affordable price, soon we will not be able to afford the dentist. Why are we making these people popular and giving them more money?’
Despite all of this negativity, Jett insists his gushing affection for Pookie comes naturally.
In a Ted Talk in June, he revealed: ‘Campbell and I don’t stand out because we scale tall buildings, we merely love out loud.
‘I learned it from my late grandfather who loved my grandmother out loud for over 60 years. He was the most masculine man I’ve ever known and he taught me you can be a man and still openly express love and affection for your wife.’
So what do the pair say to their critics? During that Skinny Confidential episode Jett laughed off the allegations that their relationship is manufactured: ‘Now we just laugh at the negative comments because they all stem from a place of jealousy. We’re in love and totally obsessed.’ Indeed, theirs is a very lucrative kind of love.