Oof. This is awful.
Last year, So You Think You Can Dance alum Brooklyn Larsen was gifted a fancy $1,700 SNOO smart bassinet from the baby brand Happiest Baby with the promise of tagging them in any related content. A pretty classic business deal these days for influencers — but when tragedy struck, the brand responded in the WORST way!
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Heartbreakingly, in November 2024, Brooklyn had a stillbirth, losing her second child Rocky with husband Tanner Larsen. The couple mourned the loss in a devastating post on Instagram at the time, sharing:
“Our hearts are completely shattered. Our perfect little boy didn’t make it. Late Sunday evening, at 40 weeks and 2 days, Brooklyn went into labor on her own. We arrived at the hospital, full of excitement, only to be told the devastating news that they couldn’t find his heartbeat.”
They added that they “never imagined that this could happen,” continuing:
“At 11:23am on Monday morning, Brooklyn delivered our son in less than 9 minutes. 8 lbs 10 oz of pure perfection. He was strong, beautiful, and was the perfect mix of Tanner and [their firstborn 4-year-old son] Rome. Holding him, memorizing every feature of his, feeling his spirit — he was everything we had dreamed of. We were blessed to spend the next 12 precious hours with him, surrounded by our family, pouring all of our love into him. We can’t fully express the depth of the pain we feel losing our son and Rome losing his little brother.”
Absolutely gut-wrenching! This came after the couple suffered a miscarriage in December 2023, too. Just so much pain for the family. And unfortunately, it was made worse by the baby brand.
Last week, Brooklyn’s sister McKenna Bangerter slammed Happiest Baby in a since-vanished Instagram Story, claiming they ordered the grieving mother to return the bassinet when she informed them of what happened. Jeez! McKenna wrote:
“Super disappointed in a certain brand during this unimaginable time for my sister. 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. The empty baby bassinet, still sitting next to her bed. Because she didn’t ‘deliver the content.’ I want you to think about why she couldn’t deliver the content.”
She continued:
“I’m absolutely disgusted by a BABY brand who promotes support for moms & babies — that doesn’t even have the decency to give her the space to grieve the bassinet she never got to fill.”
So insensitive! We can understand that they had an agreement when gifting the influencer the bassinet, but for them to care more about that than her upsetting loss is so brutal!! Especially since the sister pointed out other companies treated Brooklyn’s situation with “grace & empathy and not like a transaction.”
Well, now a spokesperson for Happiest Baby is FINALLY apologizing! Speaking to Today on Monday, the rep said the brand “sincerely” apologizes for the “misguided and ill-conceived communication” sent to Larsen’s management, expressing:
“We cannot express more emphatically our deepest sympathy for what she and her family have been through following the loss of her son. What was intended to be an effort to provide assistance clearly was a mistake that added to Brooklyn’s grief, for which we are truly sorry. We have taken internal steps to make sure it never happens again. What Brooklyn faced was a tragedy beyond comprehension, and we are heartbroken for her loss.”
Last week, a rep also told People that they initially only responded with love and sympathy, saying in part:
“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.”
The company then “communicated directly to Brooklyn’s manager (not Brooklyn herself)” out of “respect for her privacy” and offered to have the bassinet “picked up” just as “other grieving families had requested in the past” due to it being too hard to see an empty bassinet after such a loss. They insisted:
“Content had no bearing on this decision and was never mentioned.”
They now realize this “was a mistake” as every family deals with grief differently and have reached out to the influencer directly to apologize as well.
It’s going to take a lot more than these statements to win over some customers, though. Many fans and celebs have taken to Happiest Baby’s Instagram to leave outraged messages on Brooklyn’s behalf, including SYTYCD alum Witney Carson and influencer Allison Kucharczyk. Whitney 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 costumer and supporter.”
Allison commented:
“disgusted by the lack of human compassion & empathy”
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Jennifer Affleck also chimed in:
“Removed you from my registry. Shame on you and this company !!!”
So far, Brooklyn hasn’t commented on the drama, though she has been open about her ongoing grieving process, calling her “everyday reality” a “nightmare.” Our hearts go out to her in this truly difficult time! No parent should ever lose a child, especially like this. We’re sorry she had to deal with this bassinet ordeal immediately after her profound loss. May little Rocky rest in peace.
[Image via Brooklyn Larsen/Instagram & Happiest Baby/YouTube]
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