Chrissy Teigen is mourning the loss of her father, but instead of receiving sympathy, the model and TV personality has found herself facing backlash over what some social media users have called a “disturbing” and disrespectful post.
The star announced her father's sudden passing in an emotional post on Instagram last week.
"Yesterday I woke up with a daddy and went to bed without one,” she captioned the since-deleted post on June 10.
Highlights
- Chrissy Teigen was on the receiving end of criticism after sharing a series of images announcing her father's sudden passing.
- She included a photo from her dad's funeral featuring her husband, John Legend, and their daughter, Luna.
- Critics called Chrissy's post "disturbing" and inappropriate, while fans defended her personal way of grieving.
Image credits: Chrissy Teigen
She described her routine on the day she received the devastating news, which included a “hurried shower,” answering emails, and attending a friend's birthday party.
"And then my dad just like… f***ing died," she wrote.
Chrissy said she had always seen her father, Ron, as an “old dad” but was less emotionally prepared for the news than she thought.
Image credits: Chrissy Teigen
On Tuesday (June 16), the 40-year-old posted a photo to her Instagram Stories that appeared to have been taken during preparations for her late father's funeral.
In the photo, Chrissy is sitting on the floor in front of a casket while being embraced by her husband, singer John Legend, and their eldest daughter, Luna.
A framed photograph of Ron can also be seen next to the flower-covered casket.
Image credits: Chrissy Teigen
The mom of four’s decision to post the deeply personal moment was heavily questioned, with many arguing that it was disrespectful to her father and accusing her of trivializing the tragedy for the sake of social media content.
“Makes me like her even less. How about keeping this private? Would her dad have liked this splayed all over social media for her narcissism? I doubt it. Disturbing on all counts,” one person shared.
“Only Chrissy Teigen would post photos of herself in front of a coffin,” another critic commented.
Image credits: Chrissy Teigen
“I know that people in the public eye are used to being photographed all the time but something like this should be private,” a third viewer echoed.
One user compared Chrissy's picture to the image Erika Kirk shared after her husband Charlie Kirk’s assassination, which showed the late political activist’s hand as his body lay inside a coffin.
A separate commenter typed, “Some moments should remain private and not photographed for social media!”
Image credits: Chrissy Teigen
“By the way how much did the magazine give you for the photos? SAD,” one commenter asked on People magazine’s report of the news, despite the magazine reporting that Chrissy publicly posted all photos on her Instagram Stories.
Image credits: Chrissy Teigen
Many defended Chrissy amid the public backlash, with one fan pointing out that “everyone exercises grief differently.”
“Her father, so she can share whatever she chooses to and doesn’t need anyone else’s permission!” another fan clapped back.
“This is not for anyone to judge,” one netizen stated. “Losing a parent is hard enough. My heart goes out to Chrissy.”
Image credits: Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy also shared a video of Ron sitting at a dinner table joking about salmon, which she said he “hated.”
The Star Search judge described falling “to the ground” upon learning that she had lost her father.
"I thought that since we talk about it and I’ve come to terms with him always having been an 'old dad' that I wouldn’t have fallen to the ground the way I did,” she wrote.
Image credits: Chrissy Teigen
In 2018, Ron made headlines when he got a tattoo of his daughter’s face on his left bicep for Chrissy’s 33rd birthday.
The model and cookbook author appears to have inherited her father’s sense of humor. In photos she shared from Ron’s memorial, Chrissy is seen wearing his bulky utility vest in his honor.
"Dude, I get it," she shared in a video while modeling the vest. "All my things are in here. My phone, glasses, I have everything. Just can't... takes a little bit to find them. But I get it. I get it, Dad."
Image credits: Chrissy Teigen
She also remembered her late father as someone who hated “nearly everything in the world that wasn't a bass guitar, swing dancing, wood carving, animals, YouTube, or his family.”
The Cravings author concluded the tribute with a message addressed to Ron: “God, I love you so much. I will talk to you every night. Thank you for being such a great dad. Until we complain again.”
Chrissy has not revealed the cause of her father’s passing.
Image credits: Chrissy Teigen
John Legend also paid tribute to “Papa Ron” in the comments section.
"I'm so glad you got to spend so much time with your grandbabies. I loved seeing you beam with pride at the beautiful family you helped create. 🤍🤍🤍🤍," the All of Me musician wrote.
Born in Delta, Utah, Chrissy is of Thai descent through her mother, Vilailuck, and of Norwegian, German, and Sinti descent through her father.
After working as a briefcase model on the game show Deal or No Deal, she gained more visibility when she appeared in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue in 2010 and was named "Rookie of the Year.”
This isn’t the first time Chrissy has opened up while going through a personal crisis. In 2022, she revealed that she had to undergo an abortion to save her life “for a baby that had absolutely no chance.”
She and John share four children: Luna Simone, 10, Miles Theodore, 8, Esti Maxine, 3, and Wren Alexander, 3.