A grieving mother has found herself in an unexpected controversy after baby brand Happiest Baby allegedly demanded the return of a gifted bassinet—just weeks after she suffered the devastating loss of her newborn.
Brooklyn Larsen, a former contestant on So You Think You Can Dance, was gifted a SNOO bassinet worth $1,700 in exchange for social media promotion. But in November, tragedy struck when her son Rocky was stillborn. As she and her family struggled to come to terms with their heartbreaking loss, she reportedly received multiple requests from the company asking for the return of the unused item.
Sister Calls Out ‘Heartless’ Demand
Larsen’s sister, influencer McKenna Bangerter, took to social media to expose the brand’s alleged insensitivity. In a series of Instagram Stories, she called out Happiest Baby for its lack of empathy.
“Super disappointed in a certain brand during this unimaginable time for my sister,” Bangerter wrote. “@happiest_baby sent my sister a baby bassinet after she agreed to promote it. After she emailed them explaining that she wouldn’t be able to post the content because her baby passed away, they demanded she send the bassinet back.”
Bangerter emphasized that the bassinet remained untouched next to Larsen’s bed, a painful reminder of what she had lost. She accused the company of prioritizing its bottom line over basic human decency. The post quickly gained traction, with social media users expressing outrage over the brand’s handling of the situation.
Company Responds to Growing Backlash
Amid the rising criticism, Happiest Baby released a statement saying they had no intention of pressuring Larsen. The company claimed that they had initially expressed condolences and sent flowers through her management team. They also stated that the request to retrieve the bassinet was made with the intention of alleviating a potential emotional burden.
“In our experience, some grieving families prefer to have certain items removed from their homes,” the statement read. However, the company acknowledged that their approach had been inappropriate and issued an apology to Larsen for any distress caused.
Despite this, Bangerter disputed their explanation. In a follow-up TikTok post, she claimed that her sister received multiple emails demanding the return of the bassinet. “SIX emails demanding the bassinet back isn’t an offer,” she wrote, pushing back against the company’s damage control efforts.
Public Outrage and Calls for a Boycott
The controversy ignited widespread backlash, with many condemning the brand for its alleged lack of compassion. Social media users accused Happiest Baby of prioritizing a business transaction over basic empathy.
One user wrote: “Offering to remove it is one thing. DEMANDING it back repeatedly is something else entirely. They failed her.” Another commented: “They should have let her decide if she wanted it gone. Not pressured her at a time like this.”
The outrage only grew when the company later posted in support of Pregnancy After Loss Month, a move many found hypocritical. The comment section quickly filled with criticism, with people calling the post performative and insensitive in light of the scandal.
Brands Facing Scrutiny Over Compassion
This incident is not the first time a parenting brand has come under fire for its treatment of grieving or struggling parents. In December 2023, baby brand Kyte Baby faced a similar backlash after allegedly refusing to accommodate an employee who needed to work from home to care for her sick newborn.
Marissa Hughes, an employee at Kyte Baby, had recently adopted a baby with serious health issues. When the baby was admitted to the NICU, she requested to work remotely, only to be denied and subsequently fired. After her sister shared the story on TikTok, the brand faced massive criticism, leading to an apology from CEO Ying Liu, who admitted the decision was “insensitive and selfish.”
These incidents highlight the importance of compassion in corporate decision-making—especially for brands that market themselves as family-oriented. Consumers are increasingly holding companies accountable, and the way businesses respond to tragedy can have lasting consequences. While Happiest Baby has apologized, the damage to its reputation may already be done.
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