YouTube influencer Myka Stauffer has been dropped by several big-name brands after they learned she was "re-homing" her adopted 4-year-old autistic son three years after she took him into her family.
Companies including Playtex Baby, Danimals, Suave, Chili's, and a host of other sponsors backing Myka announced that they were severing ties with the YouTube star, who boasts over 700,000 subscribers, amid mounting pressure from critics on social media.
The backlash started last week when Myka and her husband James announced on their channel that they had decided to "re-home" Huxley, who they adopted from China three years ago.
The couple was slammed for the decision, with many accusing them of using Huxley as a marketing tool to sell advertising. It was not long before the brands backing Myka also began to feel the heat as followers on social media threatened to boycott their brands if they continued to work with the Stauffers.
Suave replied to multiple complaints on Instagram, stating that the company was "no longer working" with Myka.
Big Lots also announced that they had decided not to renew any sponsorship deals with Myka.
"We had a one-time partnership with Myka in the summer of 2019. We currently do not have any sponsorships with Myka and will not work with her in the future," the company wrote in reply to a comment on Instagram.
Playtex Baby, meanwhile, wrote to Instagram that Myka's last Instagram post promoting the brand was back in February and the company was "not partnering with her moving forward."
Other brands including Fabletics and Chili's shared the same sentiments and announced that they would not be working with Myka either.
In the video announcing the news of Huxley, Myka said she and James had decided to give him up due to "a lot more special needs that we were not aware of." She previously revealed that Huxley has autism and brain trauma but did not elaborate further on her decision to find him a new home.
She stated that "after multiple assessments, after multiple evaluations, numerous medical professionals have felt that he needed a different fit" and "needed more" due to his medical needs.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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