Fashion Designer Camila Coelho Under Scrutiny After Controversial Baby Balcony Picture
Critics say she was putting her kid in danger.
Parents will do a lot to get great pictures of their kids — but most draw the line at safety. And then, of course, other parents will judge other parents’ decisions to where that line lies. That’s what fashion designer and influencer Camila Coelho is learning after she snapped a shot of her and her baby on a balcony and posted it on Instagram.
On February 28, the 35-year-old Brazilian fashion influencer posted a picture of her and her 7-month-old baby Kai hanging out on a balcony in Paris, France, with the iconic Eiffel Tower framed in a bright blue sky behind them. It was a gorgeous picture, but a lot of judgement quickly followed, based on the fact that the baby’s feet are on the balcony’s ledge and she has just one arm around him.
“Pls avoid holding the baby so close to the ledge no matter how careful we are it’s just unexplainably dangerous,” one person wrote.
“This picture makes me so nervous!!! Don’t put the baby in the balcony please,” another said.
“How far can you go for likes? Yes you are in Paris and yes, you have a view. No need to put a baby on the edge of a balcony. In some countries I think you can be accused of neglecting your baby,” a third wrote.
The comments poured in — about 4,000 — most of them negative.
The whole thing was reminiscent of Michael Jackson dangling his 9-month-old baby Blanket off a balcony way back in 2002. People were, uh, more than a little critical about that.
Coelho didn’t respond in the comments or publicly at all, at least in any outward way. But then this week, she posted a very similar picture, perhaps as if to say that she is going to parent her way, and post the pictures she wants to post.
In this video, the baby is in the same spot, but she’s sipping tea, too.
It seems like symbolism for her thoughts on the matter, for sure.
She also posted yet another picture on March 12, this time with the baby angled away from the ledge and in both of her arms.
Coelho welcomed Kai with husband Icaro in August. It’s their first child.
"It's something I dreamed of for so long," she told People about becoming a parent. "I'm exhausted, but I've never been so happy."
