Jenna Johnson Addresses Hurtful Remarks Regarding Her Son’s Bottle Use
Jenna Johnson has taken a stand after receiving a hurtful message from a social media user about her 2-year-old son, Rome.
On Friday, July 4, the Dancing With the Stars professional dancer, 31, posted a photo to Instagram Stories where she was cuddling with Rome, who was seen drinking from a bottle. It seems another mother felt that a 2-year-old should not still be using a bottle and chose to express her opinion to Johnson.
“Way too old for this fat r****d to have a bottle,” the individual wrote in a direct message.
Johnson later shared a screenshot of this message via her Instagram Stories on Saturday, July 5, accompanied by a statement regarding online bullying.
“So, yesterday I posted a picture of me and my son, whom I hadn’t seen for four days, and many people felt strongly about him drinking from a bottle,” she stated. “I’m totally open to *positive* advice from other moms, but this woman (whose profile picture is of her holding her own baby) decided to DM me this. What kind of world are we living in? I get that I put my life out there publicly, and I honestly want to STOP doing that when I receive extremely rude and harmful messages about my baby. But are we okay as a society? Also, you are a MOM yourself! Would you appreciate a total stranger DMing you about your child for drinking from a bottle??? Like, WHAT IS HAPPENING?”
She concluded with, “I cherish my social media community and feel deeply connected to each of you. But enough is enough with the sad trolls and bullies here. Please unfollow me IMMEDIATELY and respectfully get a life.”
Jenna Johnson and her son, Rome. Courtesy of Jenna Johnson/Instagram
On Sunday, July 6, Johnson expressed her gratitude to her followers for their supportive messages amid the controversy.
“I honestly cried reading ALL your messages,” she posted on Instagram Stories. “My heart really hurt yesterday at the extent of the vile and mean comments some people can make, but once again, I was reminded of the love, support, and kindness this little community of mine provides!”
She added, “Let’s remember that we are all human beings navigating life as best we can! I promise to try to spread only positivity and light on my feed, and I hope you feel inspired to do the same. Thank you for having my back and making me feel seen. I am so grateful to each of you!”
Johnson shares Rome with her husband and fellow DWTS professional, Val Chmerkovskiy. The couple tied the knot in April 2019 and welcomed Rome in January 2023.
“Our world is forever changed 🤍 1.10.2023,” the couple captioned the first photo of their baby boy.
Johnson has also been candid about her infertility journey, sharing a heartfelt message when announcing her pregnancy in 2022.
“We had actually paused trying to conceive for about six months to mentally and emotionally recharge,” Johnson wrote in her caption. “So the shock, disbelief, and sheer joy of this moment is a memory I will always hold dear 🤍”
Additionally, she shared a brief video of her first ultrasound, highlighting, “Our journey to this point wasn’t an easy one.”
Johnson also praised her sister-in-law, Peta Murgatroyd, for speaking out about her own experiences after facing multiple miscarriages.
“As a family, we’ve obviously known about her struggles,” Johnson exclusively shared with Us Weekly in June 2022. “She kept it very private for the past two years. So when I saw the beautiful piece they did and that she finally opened up, I called her and told her how proud I am, knowing how much heartbreak she went through and how badly she wants another baby.”
Murgatroyd is married to Val’s brother, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, and they are parents to three sons: Shai, 8, Rio, 2, and Milan, 11 months old.
“Reflecting on the pain, the anxiety, and the anger of not being able to carry a baby… It’s interesting; I could get pregnant easily, but I kept losing the babies. It was a tragic situation because I thought I would only have one child for the rest of my life and had to come to terms with that,” Murgatroyd, 38, told Us Weekly in June. “Now that I have three, it’s complete chaos! Maks and I must find time to connect and sit down together, ensuring we communicate properly and carve out time for each other.”
