A TikTok influencer’s toddler was temporarily taken away by child protection services after she posted a video of her husband swinging him around in cling film. Savannah Glembin shared an apology video to her 1.1 million followers after the clip sparked a fierce backlash.
“[Our son] has been taken from us until child protection services (CPR) can evaluate our home, because I posted a video of my husband and son playing,” the distressed mum says.
She continues: “[He] was laughing and smiling and it was just a funny thing.”
The TikToker’s fans did not appear to see the funny side after the mum posted the video of the young child, named Gunner, tightly wrapped in cling film and moved around by her husband Hank.
The child is unable to move his arms as they are strapped tightly to his sides.
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Many TikTok users expressed outrage at the video, with user @auntkaren0 labelling it “abuse”.
Reposting the video, the user said: “I don’t see what’s funny here. I don’t understand how putting your toddler in an uncomfortable position is funny and then posting it for views.
“Not only did you not just do this for your own entertainment, you thought this was going to be everybody’s entertainment.
“This is why I don’t like family channels like this, because they will go to any length for views.”
Another commented: “My anxiety when he fell forward and I was like omg he’s going to suffocate [sic].”
In response to the backlash, Savannah released a statement.
She wrote: “I made the biggest mistake of my life posting this video. Genuinely and truly he was laughing and smiling and was out of the plastic in under five minutes.”
Appearing visibly upset in a follow-up apology video, she said: “Right now, we’re dealing with a situation where Gunner has been taken from us until CPS can evaluate our home because I posted a video of my husband and son playing.”
She insists that her son was “at no point upset” during the incident.
“That video was skewed in a way [and resulted in] people thinking we were abusing our child. But he was laughing and smiling and it was just a funny thing Hank (her husband) did because Gunner was getting into the stove that day and tried putting a fork in a socket.
“Hank playfully wrapped him in cling wrap, he had room to move, he looked like a little cucumber. At no point was he in distress or crying.
“We would never hurt our son. He is the best thing that’s ever happened to us.
“The response that got… like I didn’t know that someone had thought it was bad until yesterday when cops showed up at our door and separated us, his family.
“We went down and made our statements, thinking Gunner was going to be returned to us that day.”
The TikToker added: “All I can say is that my son is so loved and cherished. He is my miracle baby, he was my fourth pregnancy after three miscarriages, he’s the light of my life.
“We made a mistake and we don’t deserve our child taken away because of it.”
