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Txunamy Ortiz has all of the style, charisma and talent you'd expect from a 14-year-old influencer-turned-actress. But lately, she's also been cultivating something less expected from a person who's been internet-famous since kindergarten: an air of mystery.

Between all the things she's not yet allowed to share about some of the most exciting upcoming projects on her résumé (and all the things she's just plain not interested in sharing about her personal life), there are moments when it feels like the words "top secret" are printed in bold, red letters across her face.

"I think what happens in your personal life should stay personal," Txunamy explains with matter-of-fact confidence of her approach to social media, where she says she's more likely to share random videos than details about herself or her friendships.

This mindset may seem like a contradiction for someone who achieved fashion influencer status at 6 years old, thanks to the OOTD pics her mom snapped every morning before school. ("It wasn't like, 'Oh, I'm gonna make her famous,'" she shares of her mom's decision to post the photos and the organic way her career took off. "It was just, 'I'm gonna post photos because she looks cute.'")

But growing up in the spotlight forced Txunamy to learn to balance the pressures of social media with creating (and keeping) her personal boundaries.

Especially because as her following grew, so did her family's: Their YouTube channel, Familia Diamond (which launched in 2017 and now has 8.63 million subscribers), chronicles the day-to-day nonstop adventures of Txunamy and her younger siblings Diezel ("he's really funny"), Solage ("she's a bouncy, lots of energy, light-in-the-dark kind of girl") and Ranger ("he's so cute!"). 

"My siblings are chaos, every day, all day—and they're great," she shares. "We're always laughing together about something ridiculous. We're all so close and tight-knit. It's a really special bond." 

While Txunamy may be a private person at heart, the magnetic energy that led to her family's internet fame has made her a recognizable face around the world. So it was not much of a surprise when some amaze opportunities began to appear in her DMs. Pretty soon, she landed an acting manager and started auditioning...badly, apparently.

Unlike her effortless success as an influencer, Txunamy says she really struggled with acting at the start.

"I wasn't very good. I could only memorize, like, one line," she says, laughing at the thought of one particularly cringey early audition. "I think it was a second callback, and it was for a commercial for, like, contacts or something. And I bombed it. It was horrible. I was so nervous that when they were like, 'State your name and age,' I went, '...What?'"

It didn't take long for Txunamy to overcome her audition anxiety and, by the time she was 8, she landed her now-iconic role as Brittany Diamond in Brat TV's Mani (and, later, Chicken Girls).

Since then, Txunamy has quietly laid the groundwork for her impressive next chapter, which includes her first-ever feature film and multiple TV shows (including at least one high-profile Apple TV+ drama and an Amazon Prime Video project)—as well as the intriguing sort of mandated secrecy typically associated with can't-miss content.

While she can't spill any plot secrets, she can't wait to share what she's been up to with her fans—and the powers-that-be in Hollywood. "I'd love to be nominated for an award. It's exciting to think about, and it makes me work extra hard." Also inspo? The performers she's met along the way. "I really admire Lana Condor. She's really made a name for herself in the industry. I aspire to be like her." 

But not being allowed to share more about all of her hard-earned professional flexes was nothing compared to the last big secret she had to keep, which involved exciting news about something even more important to her than any acting role: her family.

Spoiler alert: Txunamy's mom is pregnant with the newest soon-to-be member of the Ortiz crew—which the fam announced back in July. But Txunamy knew much earlier than that. In fact, she even predicted her mom was expecting.

The mother-daughter duo created a heartfelt video to reveal the positive pregnancy test, celebrating the happy news with screams and tears. Txunamy then had to keep her lips zipped for two entire months before the family was ready to make her mom's exciting update Instagram-official. 

Sharing a pregnancy reveal with your mom (and even sensing she was expecting before she did) isn't an everyday occurrence for your average teen, but Txunamy has always been a bit wiser than her years.

"I'm always told I appear older simply because I radiate mature energy," she says. "Probably because I'm the big sister and I love taking care of my siblings."

And while Txunamy is handling her career, her role as a big sib and even the start of high school with her trademark maturity, that doesn't mean she doesn't like to have fun.

Case in point: her plans for Halloween, which include trick-or-treating ("I'm trying to savor it as much as I can before I'm too old for it," she says of candy collecting), hitting the amusement park ("Halloween Horror Nights is so fun to do with friends") and pressing play on some scary flicks ("I'm always rewatching The Conjuring"). 

As for what she's dressing up as? While she will share her past fave ("a cute little bunny costume with a big pink tutu—I wore it for Halloween for like four years straight"), this year's concept, like much of Txunamy's world, remains a secret. Guess we'll just have to wait and see. 

Hey, girl! Just wanted to let you know that this story originally ran in our October/November 2023 issue. Want more? Read the print mag for free *today* when you click HERE.

Credits: Photographed by Mike Azria. Styled by Lo VonRumpf. Hair by George Fragkioudakis. Makeup by Sophia Hutch. 

by Kayleigh Roberts | 10/31/2023