Getting internet famous is always a mixed bag. On the one hand, you gain tons of new followers overnight who seem to love just about everything you do. But on the other, you open your life up to countless strangers with a LOT of opinions, and many of them are not so kind. One TikTok mom has been learning this the hard way lately after opening up about her life as a 19-year-old mom of four. Although Claire (aka @mamaclaire00) wasn't expecting all the hate she'd get in the comments section, she certainly appears to be taking it in stride — and bravely hitting back at her trolls.
Claire has been sharing her life on TikTok for a while but recently posted an "introduction" video for new followers.
In it, she gives viewers a quick rundown on some of the basics, so newcomers can get up to speed on her situation.
@mamaclaire00 Reply to @flimango_18 welcome to my page! Stay a while ✨ ##fyp ##introducingme ##teenmom ##pregnancy
“I had my son Luke when I was 18 and his dad dipped," Claire explained in the video captions. "I met my husband when Luke was 3 or 4 months old and we got married shortly after …"
(Got it so far? OK, good.)
Now, in case you're wondering how in the world she's already on Baby No. 4 when she just had her first kid last year, just wait.
It turns out, Claire's husband has two kids from a previous relationship.
Though she doesn't share their names on her TikTok, Claire identified them as a boy and a girl whom she feels pretty lucky to call her stepkids (aka Kid No. 2 and No. 3).
And as for Baby No. 4? Well, that one's on the way.
“I’m 19, gonna be 20 in April, and the baby girl will also be here in April," she explained. "So yeah I’m 19 with 4 kids and a husband and I love my life."
In fact, she insists that she "manifested" the life she has now and couldn't be happier.
If that last statement surprises you a bit, you're not alone. It only takes a quick scroll through the comments section to see that Claire has raised more than a few eyebrows with her unconventional life story. But it's the straight vitriol some people have spewed at her that's really sparked debate among TikTokers.
A lot of comments were pretty obnoxious.
“I remember thinking I knew about life when I was 19,” one person wrote. “This girl is victimizing herself.”
“It’s ok," another person added, "in 10 years time shes gonna look around and realise she wasted time."
Others felt the need to inform the young mom of just how much she was giving up by choosing this path.
“U poor girl, U missed out on so much," wrote one person.
Another flat-out told her she "ruined her life."
"Have you ever had a job? Or a skill?" someone else asked. "No offense, just asking."
A lot of people also kept pressing her on how old her husband is.
To be fair, this was because she hinted in one of her videos that she often catches a lot of heat for the age gap between them. In turn, this led a lot of people to jump to some pretty wild conclusions about their relationship.
Several people warned her that she was likely being "groomed and abused" by her much-older husband, and they accused her of being a victim blinded by her abuser rather than the image she portrays of a happy mother and wife.
Others were more taken aback that she met and married a man so soon after getting pregnant with another man's child.
"So you literally brought someone around your kid too soon and you expect people not to judge?" one person asked. “Child. Go sit down and learn about condoms."
But if any of those trolls had taken the time to read her comments or watch her other videos, they might've had a different take.
As it turns out, Claire and her husband have an age gap of about nine years. (She's 19 and he's 28.) Although that isn't exactly nothing, it's also not quite as "creepy" as a lot of TikTokers made it out to be.
In other clips, Claire also opened up about being the victim of sexual assault when she was younger — and how her relationship with her husband finally helped her overcome that trauma.
@mamaclaire00 I hope they see this ##fyp ##trauma ##roofieawareness ##teenmom
In another viral post, she reminded TikTok that supporting teen mothers is not the same as promoting teen pregnancy.
@mamaclaire00 IM MAKING THIS A SERIES
Luckily, Claire doesn't seem to get too bent out of shape by all the negativity.
Instead, she's responded to some of the harshest comments in brief follow-up videos that highlight just how awful some people can be.
@mamaclaire00 Reply to @dancetildelerium ##fyp ##teenmom ##momof4 ##stepmom ##stepdad ##pregnant
In many of them, she lets the hateful comments roll right off her back …
@mamaclaire00 Reply to @aavavieira you guys keep me going ##fyp ##teenmom ##sahm ##materialgirl
In a few, she also dug deeper into what she meant by "manifesting" her own happiness and explained that being happily married, raising kiddos she loves, owning a home, and having a car that's fully paid off is her version of "living the dream" — even if it's not everyone else's.
@mamaclaire00 Reply to @user959945784247 living my own dream ##fyp ##teenmom ##homeowner ##momof4
In the end, that's really what it's all about, isn't it?
Ultimately, this mama seems to have more people cheering for her than rooting against her.
For every negative comment she gets on her TikToks, there seem to be a dozen or so more from people who want nothing more than to lift her up.
“Rock it," wrote one dad. "You are awesome, My wife was 19 when we had our first and we had 4 kids by 30. We are now up and coming on our 20th anniversary."
A lot of people chimed in with their own stories of having kids young — and said it far from "ruined" their lives.
“I had two kids by the time I was 19,” one woman shared. “Nothing wrong with that. Do the kids early, then as they grow work on your degree, grow a career … do it!”
“Oh my goodness,” added another person. “This young lady is living her best life. Staying home and taking care of her babies is wonderful!"
But of all the many positive comments people left this mama, this one was by far the best: “Sometimes we don’t ask for the life we get … but sometimes it turns out more amazing than we ever dreamed. Keep doing you!”
