Outrage as Happiest Baby demands influencer return bassinet after her infant's death

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The baby brand Happiest Baby has sparked outrage online after allegedly demanding influencer and 'So You Think You Can Dance' alum Brooklyn Larsen return a $1,700 SNOO bassinet following the heartbreaking death of her infant, Rocky. 

Brooklyn, who had planned to promote the bassinet to her 100,000 followers, was unable to fulfill the content due to her tragic loss.

Brooklyn's sister, Kenna Bangerter, took to Instagram to express her disappointment, slamming the brand for "demanding" the grieving mother return the bassinet after explaining why she couldn’t deliver the content.

Grieving mom Brooklyn Larsen's sister Kenna Bangerter says she's 'absolutely disgusted' with Happiest Baby

Replying to an Instagram user who asked, "Has Brooklyn felt supported during her grieving process? Ily both," Brooklyn Larsen’s sister, Kenna Bangerter, wrote, "Super disappointed in a certain brand during this unimaginable time for my sister, namely @happiest_baby."

She continued, "After sending an email regarding the content she wasn't able to send - because her baby passed away - they demanded she send the bassinet back." 

Kenna further wrote, "The empty bassinet, still sitting next to her bed. I want you to think about why she couldn't deliver the content. I'm absolutely disgusted by a BABY brand who promotes support for moms & babies - that doesn't have the decency to give her the space to grieve the bassinet she never got to fill."

Kenna went on to express regret for promoting Happiest Baby in the past, stating, "It's all business for brands like these, you know? I used and have promoted this company for years & now I feel regretful I ever did." 

However, she also praised another brand, Factor Meals, for their ongoing support, saying they continued to send meals despite Brooklyn not fulfilling her last obligation with them on the day of her son Rocky’s death.

Happiest Baby's spokesperson issues an apology on behalf of baby brand

A spokesperson for Happiest Baby issued an apology on behalf of the brand and explained the steps taken to respect Brooklyn's privacy while attempting to retrieve the bassinet, as per Sky News.

The statement read, "When we learned of Rocky’s passing in December, we were heartbroken for Brooklyn and her family. We immediately sent flowers and our sincere condolences, and there was no mention of anything else. We just wanted her to know we were thinking of her. Out of respect for her privacy, we communicated directly to Brooklyn’s manager (not Brooklyn herself)."

The spokesperson further explained, "We know that many parents who suffer such unimaginable and tragic loss often find that the sight of an empty bassinet or crib can become a painful reminder of their grief—and parents want to remove it—so we offered to have her SNOO picked up. Content had no bearing on this decision and was never mentioned."

"A team member acted based on what other grieving families had requested in the past. But that was a mistake—every family’s pain is unique. We reached out directly to Brooklyn to apologise for the added hurt we caused. We’ve also taken corrective action and coached (and will continue to coach) our team to ensure every future approach is always sensitive to each family’s individual grieving process," they stated.

The spokesperson concluded by emphasizing the company’s core values: "This is not representative of who we are. It’s not what we believe in or stand for. We are a small company whose sole mission is to support families, especially during their most vulnerable moments."

Happiest Baby brand faces backlash for demanding Brooklyn Larsen return gifted bassinet

Upon learning of Happiest Baby's actions and their subsequent apology, many internet users and Brooklyn Larsen's followers quickly voiced their outrage online.

One wrote, "Very disappointed in your brand and the way you have handled the situation with Brooklyn. Be better for future mothers. Lost me as a customer and supporter," and another said, "THIS BRAND DOES NOT SUPPORT MOTHERS."

A person wrote, "This brand doesn't support grieving mothers," while someone else added, "For Rocky and Brooklyn 🖤 these guys deserve none of your money."

"This brand is heartless," an individual declared, whereas one more demanded, "This page need to be shut down."

A person slammed, "You Emailed the mother 6 times DEMANDING that it be returned. You are FULL OF IT." "This brand would rather have content than support a grieving mother. Boycott!" read another comment. 

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