Fans Accuse LaBrant Family Of ‘Exploiting’ Daughter Everleigh After Her Biological Dad’s Sudden Death
He was praised as a "great dad."
Instagram Fans of the famous YouTube vlogging family "The LaBrant Family" are concerned after Everleigh Labrant's biological father passed away suddenly.
Everleigh's mom, Savannah LaBrant confirmed Tommy Smith's death via an Instagram post that showed Everleigh smiling with her father.
"Our hearts are incredibly heavy as we process the loss of Everleigh’s dad, Tommy. He loved Everleigh immensely. As we navigate through this difficult time we kindly ask for privacy so that our family may continue to love on Ev, pray and grieve with her," she wrote.
The LaBrant's YouTube channel, which is run by L.A.-based married couple Cole and Savannah LaBrant, regularly features their four children, Everleigh, 9, Posie, 3, Zealand, 2, and Sunday, 3 months.
Everleigh is Savannah's daughter from a previous relationship with Smith and split her time between her mom's and dad's homes.
Who is Tommy Smith? Details about Everleigh LaBrant's dad.
Tommy Smith is Savannah LaBrant's ex-boyfriend, and biological father to their daughter, Everleigh.
RELATED: Fans Fear YouTuber Gabbie Hanna Is Suffering A Mental Breakdown After Seeing Recent Posts
The pair dated on and off from 2012 to 2016 before Savannah met and married Cole, the father of her three younger children.
Everleigh's dad died suddenly on September 9.
Smith sadly passed away on September 9, 2022. The heartbreaking news was confirmed by Smith’s girlfriend, Courtney Santaella via Instagram.
“My heart is broken into a million pieces writing this. I feel numb and can’t think of words to say other than I wish this was a horrible nightmare,” she captioned the post. “You will forever hold a special place in my heart. I love you so much Tommy.”
What is Everleigh's biological dad, Tommy Smith's, cause of death?
While a cause of death is yet to be determined, fans are speculating Smith may have suffered a fentanyl-induced seizure based on a post shared by an alleged friend.
According to the post, Tommy and a friend he knew from Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) unknowingly ingested fentanyl, which caused their seizures and sent them into cardiac arrest.
The information is not verified.
Savannah LaBrant and Tommy Smith were co-parenting Everleigh.
In a video posted to The LaBrant Family channel in 2018, Savannah revealed that she and Smith had a “very toxic relationship,” and that the two would fight often, breaking up every couple of months, then reconciling.
LaBrant claimed that Smith cheated on her when she was pregnant with their daughter and cheated a second time when their daughter was a toddler.
After ending their romantic relationship, the two maintained a friendship so they could successfully co-parent Everleigh.
“He’s still a good guy, and I don’t want to bash him,” LaBrant said. “We always want him to be in her [Everleigh’s] life,” her husband, Cole, added. “He loves her to death, he’s a great dad to her.” Savannah and Cole met in June 2016 and later married in July 2017.
Although The LaBrants did not delve into custody arrangements between themselves and Smith over Everleigh, Smith would often post TikTok videos and Instagram photos when he was with his daughter.
The two families even got together on Father’s Day in 2020 so that Everleigh could spend it with both her step-father and biological father.
“Had the best Father’s Day with both of my dads,” a photo that was posted to Everleigh’s account, which is run by Savannah, was captioned.
After her dad's tragic and unexpected death, many fans are concerned about Everleigh.
They worry that her mother and stepfather will exploit her grief and use it to generate more views on their channel.
However, their YouTube channel has been inactive since Smith's passing and the family has not posted on social media aside from Savannah's Instagram post.
“Wow, I feel so terrible. I’m really hoping Cole and Sav are respectful of Everleigh, but I have a feeling they’re gonna be seeing dollar signs and views in this little girls loss. That’s so sad,” one Redditor commented on the snark thread, r/LaBrantFamSnark.
“I hope Ev is as okay as she possibly could be right now. I also hope they take a break from content making for a while, and that they don't turn their child's father's young death into content,” another user commented.
The LaBrant Family has posted numerous intimate moments in the past, including photos of the aftermath of their son’s seizure in June, the births of their children, and a documentary detailing the lives of children suffering from cancer.
Many viewers believe that the family is exploiting their children for views, and have expressed their distaste, claiming that the children deserve privacy.
The death of a loved one is an especially vulnerable time, and fans are urging the LaBrants to protect Everleigh and provide her with the comfort she will need to navigate through this loss.
Cole and Savannah LaBrant have yet to comment on Smith’s death.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.