The Scoop: Happiest Baby muddles response to criticism over handling of influencer’s stillbirth

Happiest Baby is facing heavy criticism over allegations it demanded a bassinet be returned from an influencer after her baby was stillborn.

The company gave one of its Snoo bassinets to influencer Brooklyn Larsen ahead of the birth of her son. Tragically, Larsen’s son, Rocky, died in utero in November.

Now, Larsen’s sister, McKenna Bangerter, claimed in her Instagram stories that Happiest Baby “demanded (Larsen) send the bassinet back,” according to People magazine.

But Happiest Baby tells the story a different way.

“We know that many parents who suffer such unimaginable and tragic loss often 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,” the company wrote in a response to People. “Content had no bearing on this decision and was never mentioned.”

The company said that after Rocky’s death, they sent flowers and condolences to Larsen. They also said that after Bangerter’s post, they reached out to apologize to Larsen and have coached the team member responsible. Social media response has been swift and negative, with both regular people and fellow influencers slamming Happiest Baby for a lack of respect during a time of grief.

“This is not representative of who we are,” Happiest Baby’s statement concludes. “It’s not what we believe in or stand for. We are a small company whose sole mission is to support families, especially during their most vulnerable moments. We are so sorry that Brooklyn’s experience with us did not reflect the care and compassion we strive to show every family. 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.”

Why it matters: Larsen and her family suffered a deep tragedy, which has an individual grieving process that needs time — perhaps a lifetime — to play out.

We don’t know exactly what Happiest Baby said in its message. Was it an offer to retrieve what could be a painful memory of what was lost or a demand for the return of a sleep system that retails for $1,695? Without the actual emails and messages, we just don’t know. But Happiest Baby’s statements don’t shed any light on the situation.

At once, they claim that they offered to have the bassinet picked up as a kind gesture to the family, but also that their actions are “not representative of who they are.” If they truly made a well-intentioned request with the proper caveats around it (“We completely understand if you prefer to keep it…”), then why such a complete apology? If they’re merely bowing to social media pressure with a complete retraction, they wind up making themselves look worse.

To be sure, it’s a difficult situation for any company to be in. Social media response can be swift and brutal, and whoever speaks first gets to set the narrative — Bangerter in this case. But by so completely walking back their actions, they give credence to what she said and potentially extend this crisis even further.

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Allison Carter is editorial director of PR Daily and Ragan.com. Follow her on LinkedIn.