In the latest “unbelievable” controversy to hit a YouTube creator, a Los Angeles mum has deactivated her channel after she was found forcing her crying son to pose for a video thumbnail.
Jordan Cheyenne, who boasted a channel with more than 530,000 subscribers before it was taken down, released a video on Wednesday titled “We are heartbroken”.
According to the Daily Dot, it came after her puppy was found to have parvovirus, a highly contagious infection that can cause severe illness and death in unvaccinated dogs.
The now-deleted video has since been reposted online, and shows Cheyenne telling her son Christian to “act like you’re crying”.
Christian, clearly upset, replies: “I am crying.”
Cheyenne then proceeds to strike several poses with her crying son, before ending the video. It’s understood that the mum forgot to edit out the footage before uploading it to the social media platform.
Alongside deleting her YouTube channel, Cheyenne has removed her Instagram account. Her Twitter profile, which has been inactive since April, remains online.
Twitter users have since responded to the footage with anger and criticism, describing it as “disturbing” and “disgusting”:
dude. the jordan cheyenne video is so disturbing and hard to watch. social media can be so dark.
— Andrea Russett (@AndreaRussett) September 12, 2021
That video of Jordan Cheyenne forcing her son to be on camera when he was upset about their puppy possibly not making it is DISGUSTING. No child should be treated like that and then she blames it on being “emotionally exhausted”. Okay well clearly your son is too ma’am
— Katelyn 🏳️🌈 (@KatelynSue_) September 10, 2021
Shitty parenting brought to you by Jordan Cheyenne. https://t.co/c1s2ebsYhM
— Carmine Sabia (@CarmineSabia) September 10, 2021
I will NEVER understand showing your child breaking down on the internet. You’re supposed to protect them. These kids that come from families who vlog everything, get bullied at school all the time. Family channels shouldn’t exist. Most of them have done this at some point
— bri✨21 and bi (@itsmebri777) September 9, 2021
— Dr. Benjamin Bussin (@JaceFace117) September 9, 2021
“act like you’re crying” “i AM crying” what in the….
— dylan kelly (18+) $5 OF (@dylkells) September 8, 2021
"I'm actually cry-" "I know, look at me" pic.twitter.com/ehKqxG8cwH
— Aime Caigo (@AnMercury1) September 10, 2021
I feel bad for the children of vloggers… imagine all of the therapy these children are going to need.
— k8lyn ♈︎ ♑︎ ♏︎ (@PuseyKaitlyn) September 9, 2021
This is not just disturbing, it's disgusting and manipulative, signs of a narcissist.
— Jennifer (@TomsMom1997) September 10, 2021
That sudden stop of tears and then forcing her son to look more upset then he already is - is worth a look from authorities in my opinion. What else is she forcing him to do for the camera
Oh… my god?
— Kendall Rae ✨ (@KendallRaeOnYT) September 10, 2021
A day after the backlash, Cheyenne appeared on The Dad Challenge Podcast – hosted by Joshua Barbour – and said she was “literally horrified at myself” after watching the footage back.
“I should have taken such a step back in a vulnerable moment and my son was already crying and cries were very genuine. Creating a thumbnail should have been the last thing on my mind and I can’t even watch it back because it’s so cringe.
“I think what’s best for me going forward is to not include Christian in my YouTube content,” she said.
In a statement to the Daily Dot, Cheyenne said she took down her social media profiles because “nothing matters but the health and wellbeing of my child”.
She said: “Getting completely offline, cancelling all my videos and monetisation, and prioritising my child are all I care about. I’m disgusted and horrified at what I did and there is absolutely no excuse. It’s terrible on so many levels.
“I love my child more than anything and will regret this moment forever. I will not be going on any interviews or doing any PR or spending hours commenting on people’s videos about me. The right thing to do is get offline completely and prioritise family.”
