INFLUENCER Emilie Kiser has returned to TikTok with a video that left her fans in tears four months after the death of her toddler son.
The mom admitted she was “really nervous” to be making a video after Trigg, 3, drowned in their family’s pool in May.
Emilie Kiser speaking in a video making her return to TikTok on Saturday[/caption]
Trigg Kiser, 3, died on May 18 after he drowned in the family’s pool[/caption]
Brady Kiser, middle, was meant to be watching Trigg when he fell into their pool and drowned[/caption]
Kiser, 26, paid a touching tribute to her son by wearing a gold necklace that spelled out his name.
The social media star has been offline since Trigg’s death, only briefly returning to her account last month to share a written statement about the tragedy.
“Hey you guys, don’t even know what to say,” Kiser said in the video posted on Saturday.
“It’s been a minute since I’ve obviously come on here. Not gonna lie, I’m really nervous right now. I don’t really know if there’s any right way to start this video, but I’m going to do my best.”
Dozens of fans in the comments of the video shared that they were reduced to tears by the mom’s bravery to share an update during her grief.
“I started crying when I saw your face, like seeing an old friend after heartbreak + I want to give you the biggest hug,” one TikTok user wrote.
Another commented, “I started crying when I saw your face, like seeing an old friend after heartbreak + I want to give you the biggest hug.”
Other social media stars showed their support under the post for the mom, who consistently posted about her family before the horrific accident.
Influencer Nara Smith wrote under the post, “Sending you all the love.”
Reality star Taylor Paul commented, “We are all here for you mama, there is no right way, it’s only your way period.”
In another show of support for Kiser earlier this summer, the mom’s friend and fellow influencer, Avery Woods, shared a video where she also wore a necklace with Trigg’s name on it.
Kiser said in the video that she wanted to return to the platform, where she has over 4 million followers, because she missed the community and conversations she had on the app.
“I have missed getting to chat with you guys everyday,” Kiser said.
“I really do love this community we have here, and I hope that in coming back and sharing what I choose to, I can reconnect with you guys and, hopefully, help anyone going through a similar situation.”
Emilie Kiser’s full statement
Emilie Kiser shared the following statement about her son’s death to social media on August 28
Loss of this magnitude feels impossible to put into words. I’ve spent days, weeks, months trying to find them and also take the time I’ve needed to digest the loss of my baby.
Trigg is our baby and our best friend. The light and spirit he brought into this world was bright, pure, joyful, and undeniable. We miss him every second of every day and continuing forward often feels unbearable. I never thought we would experience grief in this way or the pain of losing him so suddenly. It’s a pain, heartache, and void that no family should ever have to endure. I take full accountability as Trigg’s mother, and I know I should have done more to protect him. One of the hardest lessons I carry is that a permanent pool fence could have saved his life, and it’s something I will never overlook again. I hope amidst this pain, Trigg’s story will help prevent other children and families from suffering the same loss.
To our family: we would not be getting through this without you. The support you have given us, the unconditional love, and the way you show up is something we will never be able to repay or thank you enough for. We truly have the best and most supportive friends and family who have, quite literally, carried us through this and continue to do so daily.
To my audience and the people who have supported us: I cannot thank you enough for the kind messages I have received, for the outpouring of love for our family, and for the support you have brought me in these extremely tough times.
The only way through grief is to keep going minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, and every moment since that day I’ve done my best to keep picking myself up.
When I started on social media in 2021 as a new mom, my goal was to connect with other moms and find a community. I have found that and so much more through all of you. I found a community, a hobby I love, and a job I am so grateful for. I have always been my authentic self on social media and tried my best to share my everyday life honestly, while also being mindful of what I didn’t choose to share. I now have seen through this tragedy how relationships online lack boundaries, especially in protecting children’s privacy. Moving forward, I will be establishing more boundaries with what I share online.
In the future, I hope to be in a place to share more about how I am navigating this grief, but right now, all I can say is thank you for the love, compassion, patience and space you’ve given us to grieve. I am more grateful for it than can ever be expressed.
Emilie
Source: Instagram
The mom said she wants to be honest about her grief in her videos, but that she wants to maintain a level of privacy so that she can process the tragedy “day by day.”
“I’m not going to act like things are fine and dandy, and I don’t want it to come off that way with me coming back and making content again,” she continued.
“This is really therapeutic for me. I miss talking to you guys, but I don’t know what that’s going to fully look like. I don’t know how much I’m willing to share, especially about my grief journey.”
Kiser then shared some clips of her cleaning her house in silence.
“I have some time right now, so we’re going to reset this house for the week ahead,” she concluded.
“I’m excited to do so. It always feels good going into the week with a clean home, so let’s go and clean together. If you want to watch me clean, then keep watching.”
As of Monday morning, the video has over 4 million likes and 33 million views on the app.
‘YOU DON’T OWE US ANYTHING’
Her fans continued to show their support for her in the post’s comments.
“Just watching you make a coffee and clean is good enough for most of us,” one user wrote.
“You don’t owe us anything. We love you regardless of what you choose to share or not share.”
Another commented, “I can feel the heaviness in your heart just from watching this.
“Give yourself grace and only share what you want or nothing at all if that’s your choice.
“You don’t owe anybody in this app anything.”
Emilie didn’t post on TikTok for months after Trigg died in May[/caption]
Emilie Kiser is known for sharing content about her family on TikTok and Instagram[/caption]
In the last video posted of Trigg, he giggled in bed with his dad and baby brother[/caption]
TRAGIC ACCIDENT
Kiser’s husband, Brady, found Trigg unresponsive in the family’s backyard swimming pool in Chandler, Arizona.
The toddler was unsupervised in the backyard for more than 9 minutes, 7 of those he was underwater for, police records said.
He was rushed to the hospital, where he stayed in critical condition for six days until he died on May 18.
Kiser had been out of the house at the time as Brady was watching Trigg and their 6-month-old Teddy.
Brady allegedly left Trigg unsupervised to watch a basketball game when the toddler tripped and fell into the pool, police said.
Cops said the dad’s attention was “divided” because he had placed a bet on an NBA playoff about an hour before Trigg fell in the pool.
Kiser didn’t mention her husband in her new video. She was seen wearing a gold wedding band, but not her engagement ring.
After her son’s death, Kiser won a legal battle to keep details of his last moments private.
“I don’t know when I’ll be ready,” she said in the new video.
“If you are going through anything similar, I just want to say that I love you, I’m here for you and I understand how hard it is.”
