Mum accused of ‘child abuse' after showing off ‘giant' 4-month-old baby whose size is ‘off the charts'
Maci Mugele shared the clip of her four-month-old baby Gunner Mattheyer on TikTok to the I Like Them Chunky song by Will.I.Am last month, when she was hit with backlash about his size.
9
9
A number of users left negative comments on the clip about Gunner's weight and suggested it was 'child abuse' - while others said his 'chunky rolls' are 'cute'.
Maci says that her baby is 'healthy' and doctors have reassured her that he's just big for his age.
Gunner weighed 8lb 1oz and measured 19.5 inches tall when he was born on February 19 but has since shot up to 22lb 8oz and now measures two and a half feet long.
The 21-year-old says that Gunner measured big throughout her pregnancy and continues to 'eat more than the average baby'.
The mum-of-one says she never expected it to go viral and rack up more than 20 million views.
Maci, from Chandler, Oklahoma, US, said: "He always measured a week or two ahead [when I was pregnant].
"I could just tell that he was pretty big and everybody already told me that my stomach was bigger than average.
"You only have two scans throughout your pregnancy so I went to an ultrasound place and paid for an ultrasound to be done to see how big he was.
"They told me that he was measuring quite large for how far along I was.
"I think I was like 34 weeks when he was measuring at 6lb 3oz.
Love Islander reveals if his unborn baby is a boy or a girl at incredible gender reveal party with The Challenge star girlfriend
"The doctors said that he's healthy but sometimes people just have big babies. He's big for his height as well so I think that contributes to him being bigger.
"Ever since the second day in the hospital he has eaten more than the average baby - doctors always told me he was eating a little bit more than the normal baby, which is fine they said."
Maci says Gunner is in the 100th percentile for his weight and the 90th percentile for his height.
The hospital lab worker says she was surprised by some of the reaction and pointed out that she didn't see how it could be cruel to feed a baby when they are hungry.
9
9
Maci said: "It made me upset to realise that there are people like that in this world that feel so comfortable saying these things about a baby.
"That's just so sad to me and I would never want people to say things about him like that.
"I thought that people would think it was cute if they saw it, but I didn't realise how horrible people can be.
"I don't know how it's cruel or abusive that I feed him whenever he's hungry.
"I feel like it would be abusive if I didn't feed him when he was hungry and crying.
"Like the doctor said, he's perfectly healthy and has no problem with his weight."
9
9
CRUEL BACKLASH
Since sharing the clip online, the video has gone viral, racking up more than 20 million views, likes, shares and comments.
Some users were quick to criticise Gunner's size in the comments, labelling it 'child abuse'.
One user said: "Absolute unit, he has booked in to put my new windows in next week."
Another wrote: "This should be child abuse."
A third added: "Girl the box your supposed to use is baby formula not mass gainer."
9
9
9
NEW FAN BASE
Other social media users defended Gunner's size, calling him 'cute' and many predicted that his size now is simply a good indicator that he will be tall when he gets older.
One user wrote: "The amount of people who are calling a BABY fat. He's got the chunk because he's going to be tall. It's kind how it works.
"They gain a lot of 'chunk' and shoot up. It's literally how kids grow.
Another added: "Chat he is healthy. That is all that matters.
"Yes he's a big baby but if you're so bored that a baby bothers you then something is clearly wrong, not with the baby, with you."
A third person said: "I love chubby little babies so much!
"The chunky little rolls look at his squishy little face! Everyone saying watch out for how much he'll eat as he's older this isn't the best indicator."
Another said: "Omg I wasn't ready. Those chubby little rolls. The cuteness aggression is severe right now."
What is baby led weaning?
Starting your baby on food can be a daunting, scary process.
And while mums have depended for years on purees and soft, easy to eat foods for their babies, there's another approach that often causes controversy.
Namely baby led weaning (BLW).
Instead of spoon-feeding your baby pureed or mashed foods, BLW means offering them "only finger foods and letting them feed themselves from the start", the NHS explained.
"You can offer a range of small, finger-sized pieces of food," they added.
"Some parents prefer baby-led weaning to spoon feeding, while others combine a bit of both.
"There's no right or wrong way – the most important thing is that your baby eats a wide variety of food and gets all the nutrients they need."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
10 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Arrest made in murder of American Idol executive and her husband at LA mansion as chilling new details emerge
A suspect has been arrested after an American Idol executive and her husband were found dead inside their $5million Los Angeles mansion. Police arrested 22-year-old Raymond Boodarian on Tuesday following the grisly discovery of award winning music supervisor Robin Kaye and her husband Thomas Deluca, both 70, on Monday afternoon. Boodarian is not believed to have had any relationship with his alleged victims. Police allege he was burglarizing the home on July 10 when the couple unexpectedly arrived home. CCTV footage allegedly shows Boodarian entering the home about 30 minutes before the couple got home. He did not force entry, and instead found an open way to get inside. He allegedly shot them both dead during a struggle when they caught him in the act. Police believe it was an isolated event, and that Boodarian acted alone. Two calls were made to the LAPD about a possible burglary on the day of the couple's deaths, but when officers responded they were unable to get inside because the home is 'highly fortified', ABC reported. They saw no visible signs of forced entry and a helicopter which flew overhead did not alert officers to any dangers, so they left the scene. They returned to the six-bedroom four days later at 2.30pm following a call for a welfare check, shattering a back window to gain access to the home. When they entered, they discovered Kaye and Deluca both shot in the head. Authorities witnessed blood at the front entrance of the couple's home before breaking through a window to enter the property, a source told TMZ. According to neighbors, a person, who may have been armed, was spotted hopping a fence on the tree-lined street in the ritzy California neighborhood. Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department were called to the six-bedroom home (pictured) for a welfare check, but when they entered, they discovered Kaye and Deluca's lifeless bodies Kaye with Singer La'Porsha Renae and producer Randy Jackson in 2017 After hearing of the tragic deaths, American Idol issued a statement, calling Kaye 'a cornerstone of the Idol family.' 'We are devastated to hear of Robin and her dear husband, Tom's, passing,' a spokesperson told Daily Mail. 'Robin has been a cornerstone of the Idol family since 2009 and was truly loved and respected by all who came in contact with her. 'Robin will remain in our hearts forever and we share our deepest sympathy with her family and friends during this difficult time.' Kaye worked as the music supervisor for singing competition American Idol for the last 15 seasons, or nearly 300 episodes, per her IMDB page. Over the years, she won several Guild of Music Supervisors Awards for her work on the show. She also worked for other well-known shows, including Lip Sync Battle, Hollywood Game Night, and Worn Stories. Kaye also worked for the NAACP Image Awards, The Singing Bee, Miss USA, Miss Universe, American Inventor, The Dance Scene, Dance Your A** Off, Your Chance to Dance and Adventures of Power and Crashed. During the 7th Annual Guild of Music Supervisors Awards in Hollywood in 2017, Kaye spoke about her career path, which she said was often unappreciated. 'It's one of those parts of the business that people don't even know it exists,' Kaye said. 'It's a very important part of films and TV. Pretty much everything in the entertainment industry has music in it and people just think that it's there.' Her husband was a musician who last released an album called Street Rock in 2022. His first 'acclaimed cult favorite debut' album. 'Down To The Wire,' was released by Epic Records in 1986, Deluca's website detailed. Deluca penned songs for popular hit makers, including Kid Rock, the band Molly Hatchet and Meredith Brooks. The couple purchased the home in January 2023, according to public records. It was previously owned by late rapper Juice WRLD who died in 2019 from an overdose, neighbors told KTLA. The home was also used a rental property before being sold to the couple, neighbors said.
The Sun
24 minutes ago
- The Sun
Suspect arrested over shooting of American Idol music supervisor Robin Kaye and husband ‘gunned down inside LA home'
A SUSPECT has been arrested after American Idol music supervisor Robin Kaye and her husband were found dead in their home. Robin and husband Thomas DeLuca, both 70, were found dead with gunshot wounds to their heads in their Los Angeles mansion on Monday, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to The U.S. Sun. 4 4 4 Now, police have arrested Raymond Boodarian, 22, although the nature of his arrest is not yet clear. Family members had called for a welfare check for the couple on Monday, July 14, after they hadn't been heard from in four days, police said. When cops arrived at their home in L.A.'s swanky Encino neighborhood, they found blood at the front entrance of the house, TMZ first reported. Officers smashed a window to get inside, where they discovered the couple's bodies. They were both declared dead at the scene at around 2:30 pm. Footage obtained by ABC affiliate KABC showed the home's sliding glass door was shattered. Neighbor Hannah Massachi, a local realtor, told The U.S. Sun locals are 'very shaken' and desperate for answers. 'They were a lovely couple, I saw them a few months ago," she said, adding, "Why would somebody do this?" 'I've lived here for over 30 years. Everyone is proud to live in Encino and all the celebrities are here, all the movie stars. I've sold many homes here," she said. Police had been called to the couple's $5 million home just days earlier. EERIE SCARE On Thursday, a suspect tried to get into Kaye and Deluca's house while possibly carrying a gun, residents told NBC affiliate KTLA. The couple's neighbors said they called police after someone saw a person hopping the fence. "We didn't see or hear anything. My renter called 911 on Thursday because she saw somebody hopping the fence," neighbor Amee Faggen told KABC before the victims were identified. "And I have no idea if that was related or not. They came and left, the helicopters and police came." It's unclear if the two incidents are related. POOL CLEANER SPEAKS OUT Kaye and Deluca's pool cleaner, Mauro Quintero, turned up at their home on Tuesday to get paid like usual, he told The U.S. Sun. Instead, he found crime scene tape and learned they had been murdered. He said Deluca recently told him about another attempted break-in over a month ago. 'Tom told me about a month ago that people tried to break in in the middle of the night," Quintero, 55, said, adding that the intruders were scared off by the couple's two small dogs barking. "But they have little dogs and they woke him up and they ran off." He said the couple put up security cameras after the scare. There were also spikes on the fence surrounding the home. "They were really nice people, the lady especially," Quintero recalled. "I only ever saw the two of them at the house.' Law enforcement sources said they believe the shooting happened Thursday during a possible burglary at the house, reports NBC4 Washington. Following their tragic deaths, a spokesperson for American Idol said: "We are devastated to hear of Robin and her dear husband, Tom's, passing. "Robin has been a cornerstone of the Idol family since 2009 and was truly loved and respected by all who came in contact with her. "Robin will remain in our hearts forever and we share our deepest sympathy with her family and friends during this difficult time." More to follow... For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.
Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Big Brother star caught using offensive slur on live feed as outraged viewers demand he be punished
A contestant from the latest season of Big Brother is currently facing backlash from viewers after using an offensive slur. Isaiah 'Zae' Frederich was having a late night conversation with fellow houseguest Keanu Soto when viewers caught him saying 'r****d' on the live feed. While playing chess with Keanu, Zae blurted out, 'Oh s**t. I'm a f***ing r****d.' He then quickly caught himself and added, 'Damn, I shouldn't say that word.' Keanu awkwardly responded, 'No, you shouldn't.' Zae responded, 'That's one of the ones I was working on not saying.' The pair then laughed nervously, before Keanu said, 'I think you're good... you're lucky it's late.' Keanu then said that he didn't think the live feed was on, not realizing that loyal Big Brother fans were watching the incident in real-time online. After one fan took a clip of the moment and re-posted it on X, many viewers expressed their outrage over the 'ableist' remark. 'People are joking and being sarcastic but people casually dropping the R word as a slur is legit infuriating,' complained one. 'What is problematic is saying that was ONE of the words you were working on NOT saying. So he's aware he says inappropriate words BUT only feels they're inappropriate when being filmed 24 hours,' wrote another. 'Yeah… as someone who's been called the R-word all his life, it's not a word to drop, at all,' wrote a third. 'I don't understand how he doesn't know how that word is communicated to a certain community. But of course he won't be ejected because he's white.' Despite the backlash, other viewers defended Zae and said that he should be allowed to remain in the house. 'Not that I think him saying that was right but if he got removed because of that it would be so stupid,' stated one. Another wrote, 'It's literally not a big deal at ALL yall better leave these people alone.' has contacted CBS for comment. Back in 2023, Big Brother contestant Luke Valentine was pulled from the show after he was caught using the N-word on the show's live feed - to the shock and disgust of his fellow contestants. Valentine, who is Caucasian was heard telling African-American contestant Jared Fields, along with Hisam Goueli and Cory Wurtrnberger: 'We were in the cheese room, n *****!' before covering his mouth with his hand. Valentine tried to quickly recover using the word, 'dude.' He later said the moment had been 'a little slip of the tongue.' Fields replied, 'I don't give a f**k. Yeah, right, I should've made you feel uncomfortable real quick, like, "Whoa, bro, what you just say?"' The comment divided viewers, with some calling for Zae to be punished while others said that it wasn't that big of a deal Outraged fans who saw the interaction immediately began to call for Valentine's removal on social media. 'Luke violated the Big Brother code of conduct and there is zero tolerance in the house for using a racial slur. He has been removed from the house,' a statement from CBS read following the ouster. Host Julie Chen addressed the issue the following night, stating, 'It has been an emotional 24 hours in the Big Brother house as the houseguests learned that one of their own broke the Big Brother code of conduct and was removed from the game.' Earlier this month, Cierra Ortega was removed from Love Island USA after fans online discovered an old clip of her casually using the word 'ch***y'. The slur is considered racist towards Asians, especially Chinese. Another contestant, Yulissa Escobar, was pulled from the show after just three days when an old podcast clip of her using the N-word surfaced.
