Happiest Baby, maker of the SNOO high-tech smart sleeper, had sent Brooklyn Larsen a bassinet with the expectation that she would tag the brand in any related content. Brooklyn—a dancer and influencer best known for her appearance on Season 11 of So You Think You Can Dance—faced the unimaginable in November 2024 when her son, Rocky, was stillborn at full term. She later emailed the company to inform them of the loss, explaining that she would no longer be able to fulfill the promotional agreement.
In the weeks that followed, Happiest Baby asked to collect the bassinet—an offer that, to Brooklyn’s sister McKenna Bangerter, crossed a line. She saw it not just as poor timing, but as a heartless move toward a mother still reeling from the loss of her child.
McKenna, with over one million followers between Tiktok and Instagram, shared the shocking message in an Instagram story:
“super disappointed in a certain brand during this unimaginable time for my sister. namely @happiest_baby.”
She added: “after sending an e mail 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.”
Public Outcry and Celebrity Reactions
The post quickly went viral, sparking outrage from parents, influencers, and celebrities alike. Many accused the company of treating Brooklyn like a marketing asset instead of a grieving mother.
Celebrity mums like Brooklyn’s fellow So You Think You Can Dance alum Witney Carson called out the brand. Carson commented directly on Happiest Baby’s Instagram page: “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.”
Thousands of followers flooded Happiest Baby’s social media accounts with angry comments, demanding accountability and compassion.
Allysun Parker with handle @allysuntaylorparker, a commenter on Happiest Baby’s Instagram page, wrote: You wanted a mother to send back the bassinet she didn’t get to bring her baby home to? How about some flowers, how about a letter, how about anything better than making her send back the product and being upset about a brand deal?! They lost a child! Have a heart.
Happiest Baby, Maker of SNOO, Issues an Apology
Happiest Baby responded publicly to the backlash, explaining their initial actions after learning of Rocky’s stillbirth. In a statement issued to PEOPLE, a representative of Happiest Baby said: “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… We just wanted her to know we were thinking of her.”
The company clarified that their communication was directed to Brooklyn’s manager—not to Brooklyn herself—“out of respect for her privacy.”
They also addressed the decision to offer to retrieve the SNOO, saying it came from prior experiences with grieving families. The statement said: “Many parents… 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.”
They emphasised that “content had no bearing on this decision and was never mentioned.”
Still, the company acknowledged that their approach caused harm, and wrote: “That was a mistake — every family’s pain is unique,” the statement continued. “We reached out directly to Brooklyn to apologise for the added hurt we caused.”
Happiest Baby claimed they have since taken corrective action, including coaching their team to respond more sensitively going forward. “We are so sorry that Brooklyn’s experience with us did not reflect the care and compassion we strive to show every family,” the statement said.
The company ended by reaffirming their values and asking not to be judged by one person’s error by concluding: “We hope that one person’s misstep does not overshadow the hearts and efforts of an entire team working with love and devotion to protect babies and bring comfort to parents.”
Happiest Baby also responded to multiple Instagram comments, issuing apologies and insisting it was never their intention to add to Brooklyn’s grief.
For Parents in Singapore: Stillbirth Support Is Growing
Stillbirth is an unimaginable tragedy—and unfortunately, it’s not as rare as many think. In Singapore, the stillbirth rate was approximately 1.86 per 1,000 total births in 2021, according to WHO. The emotional toll is immense, and for years, bereaved parents had limited support or recognition for their loss.
That’s changing.
As of April 2024, Singapore updated its legal definition of stillbirth. A stillborn child is now defined as a baby delivered from 24 weeks of pregnancy onwards, revised from the previous threshold of 22 weeks. This change reflects a more accurate medical understanding of foetal viability and aligns with Singapore’s Termination of Pregnancy Act. Importantly, it also ensures that support services and documentation—such as a stillbirth certificate—are made available to families whose loss meets this definition.
This adjustment carries deep emotional significance for many parents. By legally recognising stillbirths from 24 weeks, families receive formal acknowledgement of their baby’s life and loss—offering not just validation, but access to support systems tailored to their grief.
Moreover, in Singapore, parents experiencing a stillbirth are entitled to the same parental leave and benefits as if the child had been born alive, including the Government-Paid Maternity Leave (GPML) for mothers and Government-Paid Paternity Benefit (GPPB) for fathers, if they meet the eligibility criteria.
Today, there are more resources in place in Singapore for parents who experience stillbirth:
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Bereavement Care in Hospitals: Both KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) and National University Hospital (NUH) offer comprehensive bereavement support services. These include counseling, memory keepsakes like footprints and handprints, and private spaces for parents to say goodbye.
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Stillbirth Certificate: Since 2021, parents in Singapore can officially register a stillbirth and receive a Certificate of Registration of Stillbirth—a meaningful recognition of their child’s life.
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Peer Support and Counseling: Organizations like Child Bereavement Support Singapore (CBSS) provide free support groups, professional counseling, and healing workshops for parents navigating pregnancy loss.
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theAsianparent’s Project Sidekicks: This regional initiative aims to reduce stillbirths by promoting foetal health awareness, encouraging daily kick counts, and providing emotional support via theAsianparent app. The app includes a Kick Counter tool and a Healing Mode for grieving parents.
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Community Mental Health Services: Family Service Centres (FSCs) across Singapore offer mental health support and counseling. Additionally, helplines such as Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) at 1767 are available for anyone in distress.
These initiatives reflect Singapore’s commitment to supporting parents through the profound grief of stillbirth, ensuring they receive the care and recognition they need during such challenging times.
Loss Should Never Be Met with Red Tape
Brooklyn Larsen’s experience is a heartbreaking reminder of how grieving parents can be let down by systems that prioritise procedure over empathy. In Singapore and beyond, it’s critical that we build a culture of care—where parents feel seen, supported, and treated with the compassion they deserve. Let’s work toward a society where no one is made to feel like their pain is a policy issue—and where healing begins with humanity.
If you’ve suffered a loss, know this: your grief is valid, your child’s life mattered, and help is available.
