The Surprising Truths About The ACE Family, YouTube’s Famous Vloggers
Since the ACE Family hit YouTube in 2016, they have gained over 19 million subscribers. Their channel, Instagram accounts, and merchandise stores earn them $17,500 every day. But the family's fame has come with controversy.
The ACE Family story involves more than what they post on YouTube. It includes a secret marriage, a psychic's prediction that came true, and a charity event that turned into a scandal. Raed on to learn the truth about Austin McBroom and Catherine Paiz, plus their three children.
Both Austin And Catherine Had Followings Before YouTube
Some people may think that Austin and Catherine rose to fame out of nowhere. But both had significant social media followings before starting on YouTube. Austin McBroom was a college basketball player for Eastern Washington University, and he played other sports as well. Catherine Paiz modeled for Azzelia Swimwear and Victoria's Secret.
Both ACE family parents had followings on Twitter and Instagram before they began vlogging in 2016. Fans followed them to their original channel, called Catherine and Austin Vlogs.
The Couple Had A Rocky Start
Austin often jokes about how Catherine was immediately smitten. He told Power 106 Los Angeles that the couple met at a family gathering, and "she was thinking about me ever since." However, Catherine claims that it took her a while to warm up to Austin.
While Catherine moved slowly in the relationship, Austin sped things up. He eventually declared his love for Catherine, but she "kind of ignored" it. Catherine said that she wasn't used to people being so upfront.
Catherine Thought That The Relationship Wouldn't Last
Catherine was a die-hard romantic. Her mother said that she adored relationships and the idea of love. However, she was skeptical about Austin. By the time they had started dating, Catherine had lost her faith in love.
After their first date, Austin and Catherine didn't talk for a week. They both stubbornly refused to be the one who made the first move. Finally, Catherine called Austin to set up their second date, and their relationship went smoothly after that.
Put A Ring On It
On August 24, 2017, the ACE family uploaded a video called "AUSTIN PROPOSES TO CATHERINE." Austin proposed to Catherine on her birthday, and he took her up on a plane to skydive. Right after popping the question, he and his new fiance jumped off the plane!
Catherine's ring has a platinum and white gold gem that she happily showed off on Instagram. Fans were elated that the couple was finally marrying after years of dating and a few kids.
They Secretly Got Married
For a while, fans knew that Catherine and Austin were engaged, but they didn't know about their wedding. On January 18, 2020, the family posted a video titled "WE GOT MARRIED … (THE TRUTH)." They explained that they eloped secretly in their backyard.
Austin explained that they got married in t-shirts and flip-flops, with neither sets of family around. However, the couple is planning a larger wedding to "have pictures to look back on and give to our grandkids and their kids and their kids."
Their First Video Exceeded 12 Million Views
The ACE family's first video went live in July 2016, about a month after the birth of their first daughter, Elle. It was titled "The ACE family Q&A" and currently has over 12 million views. In it, Austin and Catherine answered questions that their fans sent.
The couple answered questions about how they met, although they twisted the truth a bit (Austin said they had met at the zoo). They also said that they wanted to have more children.
Skyrocketing In Popularity
Catherine and Austin entered YouTube in 2016. Austin was still playing NCAA basketball at the time, and Catherine was pregnant with their first daughter, Elle. No one expected their YouTube channel to become as popular as it did.
The family's subscriber count grew from thousands to millions. They renamed the channel the ACE Family, which stands for Austin, Catherine, and Elle. Austin's father said that he hadn't anticipated their success, but he was proud of his son.
A Psychic Predicted The Couple's Future, Including Their Kids
In their first YouTube video, Catherine mentioned that she would likely have three kids because of a prediction earlier in life. When she was ten, a psychic predicted her future relationship. She noted that Catherine would meet a man named Austin.
"After I met Austin and after everything happened in our lives, I ended up realizing that the psychic was right about everything she said," Catherine said. She knew that she would have three kids and at least one son.
They Host Charities And Giveaways
The ACE Family has given a lot back to the community. Catherine and Austin have hosted massive giveaways, including donating a Jeep. They have also donated thousands to charity and hosted fundraising events. Their favorite type of fundraising event is a basketball game that often involves other YouTubers or celebrities.
The ACE Family also thanks their fans at the end of every video. They often mention fans by name and will also give away merchandise.
...However, One Charity Turned Into A Scandal
Although the ACE Family has donated thousands to charity, some of their events resulted in accusations. The most infamous was a basketball charity event in June 2018. The event involved other YouTubers such as Ricegum, the Paul brothers, and a celebrity performance from Glenn Travis.
The event sold out, and they raised $100k. But afterward, the ACE Family only sent $75,000 to charity. They never explained why they did so or where the other $25,000 went.
Second Child, First Pregnancy Filmed
The ACE parents had their first child before starting YouTube videos. But when Catherine got pregnant again in late 2018, the family could share the pregnancy details, including some ultrasounds and doctor's appointments.
Their second child was another daughter named Alaïa. When the ACE family posted a video fo the newborn, over 25 million people tuned in to see the new family member. The video began with Catherine's contractions and ended with Alaïa's first cries.
Finally, A Baby Boy
While the ACE parents loved their daughters, they always wanted a baby boy. Their dream came true in January 2020, when the couple announced that they were having a boy. An Instagram video of the ultrasound received over 5.3 million views.
According to Catherine, the psychic predicted that her son would be "a very powerful, powerful, powerful man," and her "protector." Catherine gave birth to her son, Steel, on June 20. The baby is already stealing fans' hearts.
All Of Their Children Have Instagram Accounts
Every day, the ACE family portrays their daily life on YouTube. Both parents also have Instagram and Twitter accounts, but their children also have social media accounts. Elle's Instagram account has five million followers. The four-year-old doesn't post herself; though, Catherine runs the account and writes captions from Elle's perspective.
One-year-old Alaïa also has an Instagram account ("ran by mommy") with 2.8 million followers. Steel McBroom, who was born in June, already has an Instagram account with one million followers.
Allegedly Faking A House Robbery
In 2018, another scandal arose from the ACE family. On August 16, they posted a video titled "SOMEONE BROKE INTO OUR HOUSE..." The couple claimed that someone robbed their home while they were at Disneyland.
However, people thought that the way Austin and the police acted was suspicious. They accused the ACE family of faking the robbery. In response, the family provided police documents of a robbery that took place after the allegations. People accused them of paying someone to rob their house for "proof."
They Have Two Lavish Mansions
In 2019, the ACE Family moved into a new home--one of two mansions that the couple owns. The family built their home from scratch, and they posted a tour of the new $10 million pad on May 16.
The house has 12 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms, and it covers 20,000 sq. feet. It also features a large pool, gym, and home theater. It's no wonder why the Ace family house tours rake in millions of views.
They Also Profit Off Of Merch
Many YouTubers sell merchandise to promote their channel. The ACE family started a store early on, selling hats and shirts with sayings that they repeat on their blog (such as "looking like somebody's auntie"). When they reached three million subscribers, the family started their own product line.
To this day, their store still sells merch that updates frequently. Shirts, socks, jackets, hats, and phone cases often go up for sale. Those sales add even more money to their massive income.
Do They Show Off Their Money Too Much?
As Catherine and Austin's wealth grew, the couple had no problem showing it off. They often wore Gucci, Balenciaga, and Louis Vuitton in videos. In 2019, the couple made several videos about building their Hollywood Hills mansion. This led many viewers to claim that the family was losing their relatability.
The ACE family doesn't seem to mind, though. Every year, they receive around $6.4 million in YouTube and merch revenue, and that will only grow as their subscriber count increases.
Catherine Is Not Her First Name
Fans know the ACE Family mother as Catherine Paiz. But in the YouTube video "SECRETS ABOUT US!!!" she said that Catherine is her middle name. She claimed that her real first name is "an older lady name," which is why she doesn't use it.
Catherine didn't reveal her first name in the video. After doing some digging, Hollywood Mask reported that her legal name is Dolores Catherine Johnston Paiz. She was named after her mother's foster mom.
Catherine Moved A Lot And Worked A Lot
Although Catherine Paiz grew up in Montreal, Canada, she frequently moved throughout her youth. She lived in Florida, China, and eventually Los Angeles. She also worked retail jobs at Baskin Robbin's and Victoria's Secret. Because of her traveling experience, Catherine is trilingual, knowing English, Spanish, and French.
While in Los Angeles, Catherine pursued acting. She modeled for Victoria's Secret and Azealia Swimwear. She also acted in independent films such as You Can't Have It and Lilin’s Brood.
Other Channels Have "Copied" The ACE Family
Because of the ACE Family's success, other family vlogging channels have popped up. The BANKS Family, Jasmine and Joshua, and The A Family (among other channels) have created similar YouTube channels. This has led some fans to accuse other channels of "copying" Austin and Catherine.
Sometimes, fans even accuse Austin's own brother of being a copycat. Landon McBroom and his wife Shyla run the family vlogging channel This Is L&S. But with the Ace Family's success, who wouldn't want to hop on the trend?
Parenting Has Been Easy For Them
Three kids are a hassle for many parents. But the Ace family has claimed that parenting is easy for them. "I think there is no tough part," Austin said in an interview with Power 106 Los Angeles.
Catherine added that Elle is a well-behaved baby, and Steel gets along with both of his sisters. Her children rarely cry, and she claims that she's never had a sleepless night. It seems that the couple got lucky with their kids.
Their Key To Success Is Consistency
The ACE Family has credited their success to consistency. They post daily videos and frequently update their other social media accounts, as well as their merch stores. "Consistency is the number one key," Catherine told Power 106 Los Angeles.
Austin's advice to new YouTubers is to be yourself and not set expectations too high. He emphasizes that you should "just work hard and be consistent." Their career took time to kick-off, after all.
The ACE Family App Went Terribly Wrong
In 2018, accusations arose over the ACE Family App. According to Austin, the app provided exclusive videos to "real ACE family members." The problem? Customers had to pay a subscription fee to watch these videos.
That would be fine if not for the troublesome merchandise sales. App users claimed that they would order merch on the app, and it would take months to arrive. If merch went out of stock, they would still charge users.
Starting A Music Career "For Fun"
Like many YouTube stars, the ACE family tried their hands at music. In 2017, they produced their first music video, "You're My ACE." The video garnered over 27 million views, but the couple claimed that it was "all for fun" and not for a professional career.
Since then, they have released two other music videos: "This Is Real Love" (2017), "Giddy Up" (2019), and "Only One" (2020). Each has tens of millions of views. They have also posted behind-the-scenes videos about how they created the songs.
They Don't See Themselves As Celebrities
Despite having over 19 million subscribers, the ACE family do not consider themselves to be celebrities. "I see ourselves as, you know, a regular family," Catherine said. "I wouldn't say we're celebs, but...I mean, yeah, the fans see us like that."
The parents add that they never feel like they're working. "It's not pressure because it comes so natural to us," Catherine added. She and Austin claim that they are just being themselves on camera.
