Paris Hilton is not backing down after a controversial parenting decision of hers recently went viral. The mom of two just shared a statement defending her choice and reiterating how much she loves her kids Phoenix, 19 months, and London, 9 months, who she shares with husband Carter Reum.
It started earlier this week, when The Simple Life alum shared an adorable video of Phoenix on vacation. “Watching Phoenix explore the world has been so special to me! ????✨ I am so grateful to be a #SlivingMom ????✨” she captioned the TikTok, which has over 624,000 views. In it, her toddler explores a Sunreef catamaran boat over open water. He toddles around the moving boat in the video, and fans were concerned about his safety because he was wearing no life jacket.
The comments flowed in, most of which were said out of kindness. “Momma, please have him wear a life jacket always on a boat!! Stuff happens. That’s why they’re called accidents. With love ????” one person wrote. Another said, “He is so adorable. ???? Please please have a life jacket on him, they run off so fast, and the edges are open to the water. I say it bc I truly care. ❤️❤️❤️”
Now, Hilton has addressed the controversy, insisting that her son was perfectly safe the whole time. “Hey Mamma’s, thank you for the advice & always caring about my #CutesieCrew ????” she wrote in a comment. “It’s a big boat & my husband and I are following him around everywhere & watching like hawks.”
“My babies are my world!????????” she added.
There you have it! Of course, it’s a little sad that she had to remind people that she loves and cares for her kids (you can see it by the smiles on their faces!), but I love how she addressed the concerns and did it in such a nice way. Of course she isn’t going to knowingly put her children in danger!
The comments replying to Hilton were (mostly) supportive. “???? we know you’re a great mom, this boat is wayyy larger than it appears on camera, he is totally safe,” one person wrote. Someone else said, “Mama, you’re doing juuuuust fine! The babies are happy and healthy and from what I’ve seen, you and your hubby allow for safe explorations and that’s all that matters!????”
Still, others mentioned that there are some laws around children 12 and under wearing life jackets on moving boats (check your state HERE) and others that say it’s better to be safe than sorry, especially when drowning accidents are so common. “I love you but I think if you Google some of the accidents that have happened and how common it truly is you may choose differently. Just a suggestion ????” someone else said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drowning is the number one cause of death for children ages 1-4. And the number of drowning deaths is rising — drowning increased by 28% for this age group in 2022 compared to 2019. So, it’s a good reminder that you can’t be too careful!
Before you go, check out what these celebrity moms have to say about being mom-shamed.
