KINGSTON, Jamaica — Popular TikToker and entertainment personality Amelia “Milk” Sewell has dismissed reports circulating on social media that she is homeless or has “hit rock bottom”, insisting that she is simply in the process of finding a new place to live.

Sewell said claims that she is living out of her SUV are false, accusing several social media platforms and blogs of exaggerating her circumstances to generate clicks and views.

“Stop using my life as clickbait and views! Rock Bottom?! No way!!” she declared.

The entertainment personality is required to vacate an upper St Andrew property by October 31, bringing an end to a 10-year stay. She said she has viewed 22 properties in her search for a new home, but high rental costs and stringent application requirements have made the process challenging.

The bigger story, she said, is a sky-high rental market that can leave creatives like her locked out, even when they have money to pay.

“They want three months of pay slips, a job letter and bank account statement out of a laundry list of requirements,” Sewell told Observer Online.

“The job letter and pay stubs, I don’t have, and that is my main problem. Most landlords just feel better hearing about a 9-5 even if your bank statement is showing proof of money coming in and that is my issue,” she said.

“Creatives do make money and they can pay rent. I know I can pay my rent; the usual proof of a steady nine-to-five job doesn’t always reflect a creative’s ability to earn,” she added.

Sewell said she is generating income from running Airbnb properties, TikTok and is working in production on various film projects.

“This experience of trying to find a place has shown me that some changes need to be made, like implementing a rent cap based on the neighbourhood the place is located in,” she said.

As an Airbnb superhost, she also has the option of using her superhost free stay coupons while continuing her search.

“I just haven’t found the right place yet to rest my head. Everybody goes through a little rough patch in their lives sometimes, this is just one of those times. It’s so easy to spin the narrative. That day when I asked on TikTok if anyone knows anybody renting, it was to garner the strength of ‘word of mouth,” she said.

The rental prices she has encountered have left her equally unimpressed. Milk described one self-contained studio advertised for $100,000 as an open space made from a carport and plywood.

“There is something wrong with rent and real estate culture,” she said, calling for closer government monitoring of rental charges. She argued that excessive rents contribute to “inflation that affects everyone, not just creatives”.

However, the TikToker’s frantic apartment search has become social media fodder—and Milk isn’t amused.

She said her mother and father have been pillars of support. Milk is also frustrated that commentary about her house hunt has revived discussions of her sordid sexual past, and she now wishes everyone would just move on.

“Why are we even still talking about the (sex) tape?” she asked.

Beyond her own situation, Sewell is appealing to Entertainment Minister Olivia “Babsy” Grange to advocate for creatives navigating rental applications, opening bank accounts and seeking loans.

“Babsy needs to talk to us about the nuances of navigating real-life situations like loans and rental properties. Jamaica is a big creative powerhouse. They need to look at us as real contributors to our society,” she said, adding, “Creatives matter.”

— Claude Mills