The Real Housewives of New York star Erin Lichy faced strong criticism for the way she was holding her newborn son in a video.
Erin shared a video on her TikTok on Wednesday (April 2), which showed the mom of four holding her baby boy in one arm and making a martini in the other.
"She's backkkkkkk #newborn #postpregnancy," the caption on her video read.
Highlights
- Erin Lichy, who stars in Season 15 of The Real Housewives of New York, was slammed over a video of her holding her newborn son.
- Critics claimed the reality star appeared more focused on making herself a drink than properly supporting the baby.
- She later responded to the backlash, insisting that she was supporting her baby’s head.
Critics quickly slammed the reality star for failing to support her baby's head. "Oh my god the baby's head is just dangling whilst she's making a martini and TikTok. Priorities girl," one person wrote.
Image credits: erindanalichy
"The poor baby's head! I guess the drink was the priority," someone else fumed.
"I am normally the last person to judge other people's parenting as mine is not exactly everyone's cup of tea but honey hold his head up that's ridiculous," added a concerned mother.
Image credits: erindanalichy
Others defended Erin against the "mom police," emphasizing that she knew what she was doing and that the criticism was overblown.
"Everyone commenting about the baby's head, are you first time moms? Or moms at all? Lol 😂 it's the 4th child he'll survive, she's done this plenty," wrote one viewer.
A separate user chimed in: "It's her FOURTH CHILD. I held my babies like that all the time. The neck is supported by the elbow. Mom shaming is the worst offense."
On March 30, Erin announced that she had welcomed her fourth baby, Jack Hunter, with her husband, Abe Lichy.
The couple are also parents to Elijah, Levi, and Layla.
Critics accused the mom of not supporting the baby's head properly
Image credits: erindanalichy
In the comments, the 37-year-old said she was "annoyed" by the criticism of her parenting skills and clarified that the video "looks worse than it is."
She added: "Also HIS HEAD WAS SUPPORTED. was leaning down a little but like calm your t*ts it was a 5 second video."
In a statement to Bored Panda, Jeffrey Chassen, a representative for Erin, addressed the negative reactions to the clip, calling them “peak absurdity.”
"The mom shaming around this video has reached peak absurdity. Erin is a woman of many talents and yes, she, in fact, can hold her baby and a drink at the same time, responsibly.
"This is Erin's fourth child and every one of them is thriving. While we appreciate the well wishes from most fans, we do not need the armchair commentary about her newborn sleeping, safely, in the crook of her elbow."
Image credits: erindanalichy
In November, Erin told People magazine she was prepared to add "another act to the circus."
"Work and life have been so busy that I haven't really had a chance to even think about how it'll change things, but I think it will be pretty seamless to be honest.
"Three vs. four kids doesn't seem so scary."
Asked how she discovered she was pregnant, the RHONY star said one of her senses gave it away.
"I was out East with Abe and some friends when I suddenly became super sensitive to smells around me. That's when I knew — I thought, 'Da*n. Here we go again!'"
Erin addressed the criticism, saying the baby’s head was supported and people were overreacting
Image credits: erindanalichy
Erin is an entrepreneur and interior designer, while Abe is the founder and managing partner of The Advisory Law Firm.
The couple, who tied the knot in 2012, are the founders of the mezcal brand Mezcalum. They also co-host a podcast titled Come Together, in which they discuss relationships, friendships, and business, among other topics.
"From marriage and business to parenting, we're pulling back the curtain on what it really takes to navigate life as a team — the good, the messy, and everything in between," Erin and Abe announced.
She said the clip "looks worse than it is" and asked concerned viewers to calm down
Image credits: erindanalichy
In October, the couple faced a public marital crisis after Abe sold their shared Bitcoin without consulting his wife.
He said he made the decision after they had lost a significant amount of money on a previous handbag business, FRAMEWORK.
"We had no cash, and so we had all the debt from this business," the attorney shared. "I started my own law firm, but it took several years to start making real money again, so we had more kids, more bills, and still the debt."
Abe said "part of" the reason why he didn't tell Erin was because he felt it was his responsibility to "provide" for her.
Image credits: erindanalichy
"I didn't want to take it from our joint checking account, so I took it from the Bitcoin," he continued. "And I sent it and paid for the debt, and we ended up talking about it because she found out."
Though having that conversation felt liberating, the father of four said he was "in the dog house" for a long time.
Erin and her husband, Abe Lichy, announced the birth of their fourth child, Jack Hunter, on March 30
"I mean, he was trying to do the right thing and not stress me out — he knew that I was going through a lot, but, ultimately, I'd rather have the communication."
After the low point in their relationship, the spouses were able to rebuild their connection and develop an "open, honest relationship," explained Abe.
The reality star's video sparked debates about parenting
