A BABY brand is under severe scrutiny after it “demanded” that an influencer who lost her baby return a gift the company sent her.
So You Think You Can Dance alum, Brooklyn Larsen, was told she needed to return a $1,700 smart bassinet after she lost her son, Rocky.
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Larsen, 29, reportedly signed a promotional agreement with Happiest Baby, under which the company would send Larsen a bassinet in exchange for ads on social media.
However, when the influencer’s son died in November 2024, Happiest Baby requested the product back as Larsen could no longer fulfill her end of the contract.
Larsen’s sister, Kenna Bangerter, called out the company for its treatment of her suffering sister.
“@happiest_baby…sent my sister a baby bassinet after my sister said she would tag them in content with her newborn baby,” Bangerter wrote on her Instagram story.
“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 bassinet, still sitting next to her bed.
“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.”
Bangerter called out Happiest Baby for not treating her sister with “grace and empathy” like other brands did.
She said she regrets ever having worked with the company in the past.
Friends and fans of the dancing show alum were appalled by the company’s request.
“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,” dancer Whitney Carson wrote.
Fellow So You Think You Can Dance alum Allison Kutch added that she was “disgusted by the lack of human compassion & empathy.”
Happiest Baby responded to Bangerter’s Instagram story by making a public apology on its social media, claiming the team was “devestated” to hear about Larsen’s sons passing.
“In December, we sent flowers to Brooklyn’s home, and shared our condolences in a note to her manager (with whom we communicated),” the company wrote.
“Content was never a consideration, and at no time did we mention anything about content or obligations since her loss.
“We offered her team (not her directly, to respect her privacy) to set up a courier pickup to help alleviate a potentially painful trigger. In our experience, some grieving families prefer to have certain items removed from their homes.
Happiest Baby full statement
On Instagram, the company wrote:
“In December, we sent flowers to Brooklyn’s home, and shared our condolences in a note to her manager (with whom we communicated),” the company wrote.
“Content was never a consideration, and at no time did we mention anything about content or obligations since her loss.
“We offered her team (not her directly, to respect her privacy) to set up a courier pickup to help alleviate a potentially painful trigger. In our experience, some grieving families prefer to have certain items removed from their homes.
“Our entire mission is to support families, and it pains us to know that Brooklyn’s experience with us did not reflect that,” the company continued.
“We have apologized directly to Brooklyn for any additional hurt we may have caused. The well-being of families is and always will be our utmost priority.”
“Our entire mission is to support families, and it pains us to know that Brooklyn’s experience with us did not reflect that,” the company continued.
“We have apologized directly to Brooklyn for any additional hurt we may have caused. The well-being of families is and always will be our utmost priority.”
Bangerter commented under a TikTok of the situation: “Six emails demanding the bassinet back isn’t an offer.”
The Happiest Baby did not immediately respond to The U.S. Sun’s request for more information.
