No one brings the HEAT like Tefi!

A proud Latina from Miami, Estefania Pessoa, known as @hellotefi on TikTok and Instagram, is a social media star who went viral for her passionate, hilarious way of sharing pop culture-related news. She has a loyal following of over 1 million fans who tune in to her videos every week to see what she has to say about everything from celebrity dating histories to advice on breakups. Tefi is here to give you the latest tea on all your favorite celebrities—and she's not afraid to tell it like it is. Whether you want to know about the latest scandal in Hollywood or want honest advice and a good laugh, Tefi has your back.

If you've ever watched one of Tefi's videos, you'll know that it kind of feels like you're getting advice from a best friend rather than just any random person from the internet —and we're not talking about some boring "you can do it!" kind of advice either. Tefi is that bestie you never had!

Q: How did you get into Tiktok? And why do you think so many people relate to your content?

A: At the beginning of the pandemic, I had a pop culture show where I would feature TikToks because they were so made fun of. It was starting to become like Vine in a way, but long form. It was just entertaining, and I started learning a lot about the supernatural corners of the internet. I had all this material from my show that had gotten canceled and decided to take it over to Tiktok. So I just started sharing the bits I had from the show and trying to continue my community there. It was really small when I began my Tiktok account. I had 10,000 followers from YouTube and wanted to continue fostering that community, so I just wanted to entertain people until I got my show back while the pandemic was happening.

Q: What has changed from the start of your career to now?

A: I think a lot has changed, but for me, I try to keep my head down and just keep working. In terms of opportunities, of course, those have changed! For instance, when I was younger, I dropped out of college. So I thought maybe I would never be the kind of pop culture commentator that I wanted to be. Growing up, I would watch all these VH1 shows and they always would refer to these same panels of people who were pop culture experts. I always wanted to do that! I never thought I was going to be able to do that because I don't have the network, the resume, or the education. Still, my life has changed where people come to me for my opinion, perception, and POV, as if I'm a historian.

Q: What would you say have been the perks of being a host and a social media influencer?

A: I want to say the perks are that I get to meet people and interact with people with the same interests as me. I get to interact with people and have a community I never thought I would have a community before. I get to go to red carpets, which is always cool. I've got to interview people that I grew up watching on screen. You know, if you told me four years ago or at the top of the pandemic that I would one day be interviewing Nicole Kidman, like that's a crazy concept and that was a "pinch me moment." But also, I feel another perk is also learning to trust myself more, especially in the beginning; I was doing things kind of like fishing, trying to see what people responded to. Finding my voice has been the best perk.

Q: What inspires your pop culture expertise?

A: I think talking about pop culture was always fun for me. When I would go to parties, I'd be so nervous and use pop culture as a conversation topic. I think what inspires me to do pop culture is a conversation. I always want it to be about feeling closer to ourselves and bringing up people we've grown up talking about, you know? And making friends also inspires me.

Q: What do you think is an underrated topic in pop culture media?

A: So my family is Colombian and Brazilian. On my Colombian side, I've had many people who have worked with Juanes [Famous Colombian Singer], and my first ever styling job was with him. My cousin was his assistant manager then, so I got to work with him! But Juanes has been pivotal in making these famous Latin artists popular today. He's why J Balvin is famous and Rosalia is where she is today. He listened to Rosalia perform at a lounge in Barcelona and introduced her to all of his management after hearing her. So yeah, Juanes is an underrated pop culture Dad!

Q: Do you think there's enough Latinx representation on TikTok? Why or why not?

A: It's weird for me because there was never a time in my life when I didn't know who Ivy Queen was. I grew up in Miami, and I think I have exposure to that community which many people don't. I think many Latino people, even the Latinx in pop culture today, don't talk about it enough. There’s a lot of people that are Latina but don’t talk about it. I can't imagine my life not being Latina; it must suck! I can't answer why; it's literally the first thing I talk about with people. But I know and feel that with people like Bad Bunny, etc., reaching more mainstream, maybe that'll change the people's vocalness about their Latinida.

Q: Did you have any Colombian role models growing up? If so, who and why?

A: Colombian role models? I mean, beyond my family, I want to say Shakira. She was everything to us. We played her cassette in the car as kids, and when she did "Whenever, Wherever, " it went everywhere! It was such a Colombian pride moment. There are so many Colombians in the media that I've been exposed to, even Sophia Vergara—watching her in real time, going from a model into an actress. When it comes to Colombian icons, I feel like all Latin American icons are everything to me.

Q: You’re also widely known for your tough relationship advice - why do you think it’s important to be tough when giving relationship advice?

A: I don't think it's necessarily tough; it's honest in a way where I never talk about things I haven't experienced or what I wouldn't tell my best friends. I always try to give relationship advice about your inner peace, not about what's best for the people around you and what's best for even the person's wife because I feel like that's common sense. But sometimes I think saying what's best for yourself isn't common sense anymore, especially as women, because we are taught to think about how everything will affect everybody else and what other people will think about us.

Q: Which pop culture scandal has shocked you the most recently?

A: Imagining Jason Sudeikis under a car is weird. That is so weird for me. When I see how celebrities text and when the texts are leaked -- I'm like, oh, Adam Levine too? Adam Levine's lack of sexting. I think attractive, rich people don't know how to flirt anymore. You know, that's always funny to me. They just put "what's up," with no effort and everyone's like, ahh!

Q: What advice would you give to fans who want to follow in your footsteps career-wise?

A: The moment you make a video because you're triggered by an insecurity of yours, or you're defensive. I would sit on that video for 24 hours. I know it feels like people are ganging up on you. If you look at it from a different lens, people will always criticize you but you have to decide which criticism to respond to and if it's even worth it. I sometimes think it's hard for me when people criticize me because I know I come from a good place. It's so frustrating to see people think of you or talk about you in a negative light because it benefits their platform. I think a lot of the time, what's happening is you form a community, and people love you. I think the moment you reach out and comment or say something like, "Hey, I want to understand this better," is a better approach than trying to take down everybody criticizing you because I think sometimes I'm too sensitive.

You just have to pick and choose who you're willing to open yourself up to versus people who make a bad comment or defend something that wasn't aimed towards them. There's always a middle ground, but you don't have to ever go off on somebody, for people who disagree with you are not your enemy. I think that's the hardest lesson for me.