Ophelia Nichols, Aka 'Mama Tot': 12 Facts About The TikTok Star
"Hey my little Tater Tot, can I sit with you?" Ophelia Nichols asked at the beginning of a May 2022 TikTok. It's how she begins many of her videos, which often have a supportive, uplifting tone. "You've got to feel a just a little bit better knowing that a stranger in Mobile, Alabama, loves and appreciates you," she said, peering into the camera. Fans turn to her videos when they need someone who seems like they understand, and Nichols — who goes by the nickname "Mama Tot" thanks to her trademark video introduction — is there to provide a sympathetic ear delivered with a pleasant Southern drawl.
In an interview with The Dumb Blonde Podcast, Nichols explained her positive outlook on life. "I don't have time to be angry and bitter and frustrated just because I got dealt a couple of s****y hands in my life," she said. "It takes so much more energy to just be that way, when you can just, you know, continue being a blessing in somebody else's life."
Mama Tot has indeed gone through several difficult situations, but fans love her because she's always willing to share how she turned lemons into lemonade, encouraging them to do the same. Whether you've been following her since she first started sharing videos online, or if you're wondering whether she might be a good addition to your FYP, read on to learn more about Ophelia Nichols.
Her father died when she was 13
When Ophelia Nichols was young, she loved her father. She grew up in Dog River, Alabama, and she was her father's third child, from his third marriage. Speaking with AL.com, Nichols remembered her dad as "very funny, very friendly, never met a stranger, accepted all people." She said much the same in a TikTok video posted in July 2023, revealing that her father ran a used car lot for several decades. "There wasn't a customer that didn't like my daddy," she recalled.
Unlike many used car salesmen, Nichols said her father was willing to work with families in need, reducing down payments to make sure that people who needed cars got them. Nichols insisted, "He was so kind." Unfortunately, he died when she was a teenager, suffering a heart attack while at a used car auction.
Nichols said her mother took the loss very hard. "My dad died when I was 13," Mama Tot explained on The Dumb Blonde Podcast. "That entire year after he passed, I didn't really see my mama ... She just kinda disappeared to her room, you know, didn't wake me up for school, didn't cook, didn't do anything." Even though this was traumatic for the young Nichols to go through, she noted that now she would be just as upset if her own husband had died. She allowed, "I empathize with that."
She was kicked out of the house as a teenager
Ophelia Nichols is open about the fact that she doesn't speak to her mother anymore. Mama Tot became a mama for the first time when she was just 15, and her mom was unhappy about that fact. After initially allowing her to remain at home, Nichols' mother kicked her out of the house. In an interview with AL.com, the future TikTok star revealed that she was left walking down the side of the road, baby carrier in hand, nothing else to her name. Thankfully, other relatives stepped in.
For a long time, Nichols worried that she wouldn't be able to raise her children without turning into her mom. "When my young'uns was little, I could hear myself say something that ... that would be very similar to something that she would say, and I would catch myself, and just feel awful," Nichols explained in a TikTok. Thankfully, she realized that she didn't have to repeat the patterns of her past, and she forged her own path. As she told AL.com, "All of my fears ended up being just that, fear."
Eventually, Nichols decided to cut off all contact with her mother. "When I walked out of my mama's life, it was a relief for me," she revealed in a lengthy video posted to her YouTube channel. "Like, I woke up the next day and literally told myself in the mirror, 'I don't have to be hurt again.'"
Mama Tot finally found her Papa Tot
Ophelia Nichols had her first child at 15. In an interview with AL.com, she revealed that she and her baby's father were no longer in a relationship by the time her son was born. "He cheated on me and broke my heart," she said. Still, he and his family helped raise their child. "I've since forgiven him for his ways ... his family never was astray from that baby. So he's been very much a part of my life," she reflected.
Nichols was married by 18 to someone else, and she had three more children before getting divorced. In a 2022 TikTok [0:14], Nichols described being cheated on by her husband. "I felt such betrayal over my physical body," she confessed. "When somebody really traumatizes you, you feel it everywhere."
She's since been in a relationship with Derick Nichols, a man she calls "Papa Tot" on her TikTok. They haven't had any kids of their own, but Papa Tot has helped raise Nichols' other children. He even has his own TikTok account, where he has over 400,000 followers of his own. Fans appreciate what appears to be a loving, supportive relationship; in the comments of one video, a follower wrote, "We thank you for caring for our Mama Tot, know that we hold you close to our hearts too."
Mama Tot joined TikTok to help people
Like many people, Ophelia Nichols joined TikTok in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. When she appeared on The Dumb Blonde Podcast, Nichols explained that it all started when her children sent her funny videos. "They know I love funny stuff," she said. "...I'm a total comedian fan." In a TikTok posted in October 2023, Nichols emphasized that she never meant to become a content creator herself. "I started this account because I was nosy, and I wanted to watch everybody else," she joked.
However, Nichols found herself unexpectedly moved by a video. She watched as a girl told a story about showing off a new dress to her mother, only for her mother to respond in an uncaring way. Nichols wanted to talk to that girl, but she didn't know how. "It took my daughter all of five minutes to train me on how to stitch," Nichols told The Dumb Blonde Podcast [2:37]. She made her first video (via AL.com), telling the other creator, "Hey, my little tater tot! I had one of those mamas, too, that used to tell me I was fat and ugly from the time I can remember. ... I don't know who told you you're not beautiful, but I think you are!"
To Nichols' surprise, her response quickly went viral. The comments were moving, all people who needed positive messages. Nichols told AL.com she decided, "I'll use this account to help people feel better about things."
Her son was tragically murdered
In June 2022, Ophelia Nichols logged into TikTok and revealed that her family had experienced a tragedy. In a since-deleted video (via People), she said, "Today would've been my baby child's 19th birthday. But he was took from me last night ... My son was murdered. He was shot." In a press conference (via Fox10), police revealed that Nichols' son Randon Lee was killed at a gas station, reportedly while selling drugs. "It was marijuana," the police officer revealed. In a second video about the killing, according to People, Mama Tot insisted that she didn't know what her son had been up to. "it just don't cross your mind that they would be doing anything to get themselves into trouble," she said, adding, "Nobody [has] the right to shoot my son. That's all I know right now."
In the aftermath of her loss, Nichols relied on her husband for support. "I knew my husband loved me, but he really showed it through all this," she said in a follow-up video after her son's funeral (via E! News). Papa Tot made phone calls on Nichols' behalf and was by her side at the funeral, where he cried for the first time.
Nichols has been open with her fans about how hard it's been. She shared a post on Instagram about her grieving process several months after Lee's death, ruminating, "The pain doesn't go away. We just find ways to help us manage it."
Ophelia Nichols showed her son's killer compassion
In the wake of her son's murder, Ophelia Nichols struggled to maintain the positive outlook she had become known for online. According to People, she posted a video on TikTok admitting that she had "a hatred in my heart that I don't recognize." She claimed, "I've never felt hate for anybody."
Randon Lee was murdered in June 2022, and it took several months for the killer to be caught. In fact, the police didn't even catch the killer; instead, the man who murdered Mama Tot's son turned himself in that August. Reuben Gulley, only 20 years old, gave himself up at the Mobile Metro Jail, according to WKRG. He was held without bond. In a since-deleted video (via Yahoo!), Nichols told her followers, "I'm getting a hundred messages saying 'you must be so happy right now.' I am not. I am not happy." Instead, she found herself shocked by how young Gulley looked in his mugshot. "There's one thing that he and my baby child had in common, and that was that they both had a mother that would do absolutely anything for them," she reflected. "I'm sure they have that in common."
Speaking with AL.com in 2023, Nichols said it was the love of her fans that got her through the traumatic situation. She said, "They think that I do something for them. They have no idea what they do for me."
She tries to educate her followers
In the few years she's been famous on TikTok, Ophelia Nichols has amassed an impressive 12.3 million followers as of press time. A further 3.2 million follow her on Facebook, and 776,000 people follow her Instagram account. That's a massive audience, and Mama Tot recognizes the responsibility that comes with so many people paying attention to you. Accordingly, she tries to educate her followers who may need help and not even know it.
For example, in 2022, she made a TikTok video about the concept of "financial abuse," offering advice to people in abusive relationships where they are dependent on their partner for money. "Get yourself a separate checking account that nobody knows about but you," she advised, suggesting that anyone in precarious situations squirrel away as much money as they can in case they need to leave their partners. In another video, Nichols relayed how she fixed her credit after an ex left her saddled with copious debt. "I know exactly how you feel because I lived it," she explained.
Nichols also shares tips about what it's like to be a content creator. In one video, she suggested that anyone who wants to follow in her footsteps doing brand deals should be sure to do their research about who they partner with. "Make sure ... that they are reputable and credible," she said, "and they're not known for doing harmful things to their clients." Solid advice, if you ask us!
She has her fair share of haters
Ophelia Nichols tries to keep her online content as positive as possible, which is sometimes difficult to do in an age where negative attention is rewarded with clicks and engagement. Accordingly, Nichols deals with trolls online who question whether she's really as optimistic as she seems. "I don't play a character or nothing," she insisted to AL.com.
Still, her fans have noticed that her comment sections sometimes fill up with people who don't buy the message or think it's all an act. There's even a whole Reddit community dedicated to picking apart her videos. On /r/NotTheTaterTot, skeptics mock her appearance, try to catch her in inconsistencies, and question her intentions, discussing her videos in posts that have titles like "What in the world is this fakeness?" and "I'm calling bulls***."
After one TikTok follower asked other commenters "Why yall so mean to someone who doesn't have a mean bone in their body," Mama Tot posted a TikTok to discuss the negativity she receives online. Her theory is that a lot of the backlash she receives is related to her willingness to do brand deals and sponsored posts, as many creators do when their accounts become as big as hers is. "It happens to every single large, usually woman creator," she said. "And it stems from cattiness, and jelliness, and envyness. ... Jealousy! Jelliness... that's a new word!"
Ophelia Nichols is open about her breast augmentation
Ophelia Nichols' many followers know that Mama Tot isn't afraid to share details about her life with the internet, and that includes diving deep into her 2017 breast augmentation. In an October 2023 TikTok video, Nichols opened up about her decision to get surgery and the ways she was able to make it happen. "I'd saved for them for a little bit," she said, adding that she also applied for a line of CareCredit, "which is like a credit card for like, plastic surgery, doctor's office, vets. It's really neat." Nichols' primary concern when choosing her augmentation was not size, she said, but "better." She explained, "That's why ... the implant itself is on the smaller scale."
While Mama Tot claims to have done all her research leading up to the surgery, she was still surprised by how much pain she was in after going under the knife. At first, she was still numb, and she thought that meant she was handling the pain well. "When day three and four got here," she said, "it was very painful. For whatever reason, it was the worst back pain of my life."
Unfortunately, one of the implants slides a bit because the surgeon "cut the pocket" too large. As a result, Nichols will need to have them replaced. "Take us along for the new surgery," a fan asked in the comments section of the video. In typical Nichols fashion, she replied, "Of course!"
Mama Tot called out another creator
In 2022, Dr. Kenneth Wilstead, a.k.a. "Dr. Kenny" — a TikTok-famous dentist — offered to fix one of Ophelia Nichols' teeth. She responded that she actually liked the way her smile looked, so she suggested that he pass his gesture on to someone more in need. Dr. Kenny agreed, sharing a video on both of their Instagram accounts in which he offered to fix the smiles of three followers on Mama Tot's behalf. "A smile is just so important and I can't help but be inspired when she suggested someone else get the smile I offered her," he wrote.
In September 2023, NBC News spoke with multiple women who alleged that Dr. Kenny had made inappropriate remarks. One woman even sued, alleging that he groped her. A woman named Taylyn Peaco posted a message she received from the dentist's account, inviting her to submit photos of herself and her smile, "Clothing optional." Peaco said, "You took my most vulnerable moment and one I would never post online, and that was supposed to be funny?" Wilstead, for his part, implied that someone else had sent the message from his account. "I have staff who help handle my social media," he told NBC, insisting that he plays a character online.
Nichols disavowed Dr. Kenny following the scandal. In a TikTok video still pinned to the top of her profile at press time, she said, "I'm really tired of being disappointed by people ... I can no longer support [Dr. Kenny]."
She's a fierce LGBTQ+ ally
In 2015, Ophelia Nichols lost a cousin named Bear to suicide. She memorialized him on Instagram in 2021, writing, "HE is one of the major reasons why I am an advocate for LGBTQ+." She sells shirts in his memory, and she tries to support her queer followers in any way she can. In June 2023, Mama Tot spoke at Central Alabama Pride (via TikTok), telling the crowd, "Look, I'm a straight woman. Okay? You know, people don't look at me and be like, 'Yeah, I don't really wanna be your friend cause you're straight as an arrow.' ... That sounds ignorant as hell to me. You are no different than anybody else. You are just as precious and loved and wanted."
Nichols uses her platform to show up for her LGBTQ+ followers in numerous ways ... sometimes literally! According to The Sacramento Bee, after one creator was rejected by their family, Mama Tot offered to walk them down the aisle. It's something she's done before for other followers who need someone by their side on their special day. Nichols also makes videos "hyping up" her Tater Tots, including one in 2022 for a commenter who came out to their family and found themselves alone. "If they ain't gonna celebrate you, well, I be danged ... I guess I'm gonna have to do it," Nichols said in her TikTok. In the caption, she wrote, "I will forever be proud of you."
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Mama Tot is actually Grandmama Tot
Beginning in the summer of 2023, Ophelia Nichols began teasing some important, exciting family news. In June, she posted a picture on Instagram with her son Cole. She captioned it, "So proud of my youngin." Eagle-eyed fans noted that his ribbon read "Daddy To Be." She confirmed the news more explicitly the following month, sharing another selfie and writing, "So proud of my son Cole. He's about to be dad y'all. We can't wait."
Later that July, Mama Tot shared an update: She's now Grandmama Tot! In a TikTok titled "Aspen is here," Nichols revealed that her son's baby had arrived. "I had the pleasure of being in the delivery room when my grandbaby was born," she said, noting that she'd given birth four times herself but had never actually witnessed a birth as a spectator. "Man, was it the coolest thing I ever seen," she marveled.
Nichols has posted several photos of her granddaughter on Instagram in the months since her birth, including one snap in November where the baby appears to be hooked up to a medical apparatus of some sort. Nichols didn't elaborate, but fans offered prayers in the comments section anyway. A week later, on Thanksgiving, Nichols shared a photo of her husband holding the baby, medical machines nowhere to be seen. Here's hoping all is well!