Grieving Mum Asked To Return Gifted Bassinet After Baby's Death—Fans Call Baby Brand 'Heartless'

A grieving mother has been left reeling after baby brand Happiest Baby allegedly insisted she return a gifted item she never got to use—just weeks after the heartbreaking loss of her child.

Brooklyn Larsen, a former contestant on So You Think You Can Dance, had received a £1,315 ($1,700) SNOO bassinet from the parenting brand in exchange for social media content. But when her son Rocky was tragically stillborn in November, her world turned upside down—and the brand's request only added salt to the wound.

Larsen, along with her husband and eldest child, was navigating the aftermath of an unthinkable tragedy when she was reportedly met with multiple messages requesting the return of the unused bassinet—something her supporters have branded heartless and cruel.

Sister Calls Out 'Disgusting' Demand

Larsen's sister, influencer McKenna Bangerter, took to Instagram to expose the ordeal.

'Super disappointed in a certain brand during this unimaginable time for my sister, namely @happiest_baby – who sent my sister a baby bassinet after my sister said she would tag them in content with her newborn baby,' she wrote in an Instagram Story.

'After sending an email regarding the content she wasn't able to send because her baby passed away, they manded she send the bassinet back. The empty baby bassinet still sitting next to her bed. Because she didn't "deliver the content".'

'I'm absolutely disgusted by a BABY brand who promotes support for mom & babies – that doesn't even have the decency to give her the space to grieve the bassinet she never got to fill,' she added. Her words sparked widespread fury online, with many accusing Happiest Baby of prioritising profit over compassion.

Company Responds Amid Mounting Backlash

Happiest Baby released a statement claiming they never intended to pressure Larsen over promotional obligations. They explained that once they learned of Rocky's death, they sent flowers and condolences via Larsen's manager and did not follow up with content-related requests.

The company claims they suggested retrieving the bassinet only to remove a potential emotional trigger. 'In our experience, some grieving families prefer to have certain items removed from their homes,' their statement read.

However, the brand later admitted their handling of the matter was inappropriate and said they had apologised to Larsen directly for causing additional distress.

Bangerter wasn't buying it. She accused the brand of pestering her sister, writing on TikTok: 'SIX e-mails demanding the bassinet back isn't an offer.'

Internet Users Accuse Brand of Cold-hearted Behaviour

Social media users quickly rallied behind Larsen, calling the brand's conduct tone-deaf and disgraceful. Many felt the company was more concerned with reclaiming the expensive product than providing meaningful support.

'Telling her management "Hey, we will take it back if having it there is too much on her" is different than demanding it back 6 times lmao they messed up and now they're doing damage control,' one Instagram user wrote.

Another commented: 'They should have let her decide if she wanted it gone. Not demanded it back like it was just a transaction.'

Calls for a boycott of the company quickly gained traction.

Matters worsened when Happiest Baby published a post in support of Pregnancy After Loss Month. Users flooded the comments, calling the move hypocritical in light of the allegations.

One person wrote: 'In honour of pregnancy? After you required a mom who lost her baby to return products because she didn't "deliver content"... when her baby passed away.'

Another added: 'You force them to return products gifted to them because they "couldn't deliver content" after her sweet boy didn't make it. She deserved better. DO BETTER.'

Not the First Time a Parenting Brand Is Under Fire

In December 2023, baby brand Kyte Baby came under fire when it turned down a worker's request to work from home to take care of her ill infant. Issues arose when Marissa Hughes, a worker at Kyte Baby, and her partner adopted a baby with 'various health conditions.' When the baby was admitted to the NICU, Hughes requested to work from home. Instead of showing her compassion, the family-oriented company fired her.

Hughes' sister made a TikTok video sharing the saddening situation. This, in addition to Hughes having to create a GoFundMe campaign to cover NICU costs and adoption fees, led Kyte Baby to be dogged for its heartless behaviour.

In response to the backlash, Kyte Baby CEO Ying Liu took responsibility for the incident.

'I was the one who made that decision to veto her request to go remote," she said in a TikTok video. 'This was a terrible decision. I was insensitive and selfish [...] I cannot image the stress that she had to go through, not having the option to go back to work and having to deal with a newborn in the NICU. Thinking back, it was a terrible mistake.'

Such stories underline the urgent need for compassion in corporate dealings—especially for brands that claim to champion parents and families. As the situation continues to unfold, it sends a strong message to companies that their conduct in the face of tragedy matters just as much—if not more—than their marketing slogans.