Emilie Kiser addresses the criticism she continues to face from supporters.
Go to TikTok On Friday, August 14, the 27-year-old content creator shared a lengthy video to clear up rumors and address the backlash surrounding her and her husband Brady‘s parenting decisions.
Emilie, whose three-year-old son Trigg died last year after drowning in her backyard pool, began the video by confessing that she knew she had “made mistakes” and was “an imperfect person.”
“Our family is no stranger to tragedy and the speed at which life can change. And the only thing I can say is that we are no stranger to the worst that can happen,” she said.
Influencer Emilie Kiser gave fans a glimpse into family life with husband Brady Kiser before the tragic death of their three-year-old son Trigg. Us Weekly confirmed on Sunday, May 18, that the toddler died after being pulled from the family’s backyard pool on May 12. “The investigation into the circumstances of this incident is ongoing (…)”
Emilie said one of the most hurtful rumors was that she and Brady continued to swim in their backyard pool, where Trigg lost his life.
“We didn’t do it, we won’t do it and we don’t swim in our swimming pool where our child drowned. I feel extremely angry at times and overall really sad and hurt that this was even rumored or speculated on, but I just want to know that this is not something that is happening in our backyard and we are barely able to set foot in our backyard,” she said. “So I really hope that now that I’m dealing with this, this rumor finally comes to an end because especially in honor of our son and the way he tragically lost his life, and even if our son takes swimming lessons, that’s hard. We don’t swim in our pool.”
Emilie clarified that her family now has a fence around their pool, which some people felt was “too little, too late” following Trigg’s death. She also confirmed that her 17-month-old son Teddy attends ISR (Infant Swimming Resource) classes.
@emiliekiser Thanks for listening 🤍 I hope you all have a safe and happy weekend.
In July, Emilie argued that Teddy was not allowed to wear a life jacket the entire time the family was on a boat, despite the tragedy with Trigg.
In Friday’s TikTok post, Emilie provided more information about how this decision was made, but admitted it was the wrong move.
“He was fussy and we decided to take a moment to calm him down. And we see now that that was a mistake and that there is no reason why a child should ever wear a life jacket, which is why I understand this is an important conversation about water safety with life jackets,” she said. “Because even though it seemed like the right thing for our child in the moment, I understand that anything could have happened and something could have gone wrong.”
Emilie also spoke candidly and at length about the mental toll of having the public judging her every move, even as she tries to become a better mother in the future.
“I’m exhausted and it’s impossible to prove to people who only want to see the worst in you that you have good intentions or that you’re telling the truth or that these things aren’t true,” she said.
Emilie added: “I know that there will always be people who will take everything I say and twist it, and that has scared me for a long time, especially in the last year. I feel like I can’t say anything right. I can’t do anything right. I can’t talk about my grief because if I talk about my grief, then people think I’m doing it with the wrong intentions or I’m trying to make money from it.”
