What to Know
Since the day Maternal Instinct dropped on Netflix, it’s captivated audiences. In less than two weeks, it’s been viewed more than 25 million times and was the number one movie on the platform from June 15 to June 21, 2026. Spoiler alert: Taylor Parker, a pathological liar, faked a pregnancy, attempted to dupe an entire community, and murdered a mom-to-be, hoping to take her baby as if no one would ever be the wiser.
There is so much to unpack in the tale of Parker’s web of lies and ultimate death row sentence for killing Reagan Simmons-Hancock and her baby. For many, the million-dollar question remains: How could her boyfriend, Wade Griffin, fall for such an incredible ruse?
Parker’s ex reportedly tried to warn Griffin.
@kalliecasefiles I was so curious about Taylor Parker’s life behind bars so I did some digging. #maternalinstincts #netflixdocumentary #truecrimedocumentary #taylorparker #lifebehindbars ♬ original sound – kalliecasefiles
Parker had two husbands, Hunter Parker and Tommy Wacasey, before entering a relationship with Griffin. Wacasey allegedly reached out to Griffin after learning of Parker’s pregnancy.
“It’s funny how Taylor is pregnant, but every hospital within a 60-mile radius is watching for her because they’re scared she’s gonna come in and steal a baby. Because there’s no possible way she’s pregnant and they all know that because they got all the hospital records,” the first message read.
A few days later, Wacasey allegedly sent another text message to Griffin exposing Parker. “I’m reaching out to you because I feel like it’s the ethical thing to do. In 2015, Taylor had a hysterectomy. She isn’t pregnant. She can’t get pregnant. She’s a con artist and is lying to keep you around. I’m sure you haven’t been to one doctor’s appointment with her, for whatever reason,” he wrote.
Wacasey appeared genuine in his intent and left Griffin with a warning, “I don’t do drama, not at all. But because I know for a fact she isn’t pregnant and is running out of time, I had to reach out. Please be careful. She has lied about so much for so long, she has herself in so deep she can’t get out. I’m concerned how far she might go with this,” he wrote.
How in the world did Griffin not take this seriously?
Parker was a walking red flag. She lied about money, she lied about her family, and she lied about being pregnant. Somehow, she convinced her boyfriend that she didn’t want to be touched, so they stopped having intimate relations months before the baby was due. Griffin apparently didn’t notice the changes in her body or the fact that she wore a prosthetic belly to fake her pregnancy.
His aloof attitude drove some people wild. “The more I learn, the more I do also blame Wade. He turned a blind eye to peoples’ advice and his own instincts. Taylor is evil, she is wholly responsible for her crimes, but we can also acknowledge the role Wade’s inaction played. It’s not nothing,” a Redditor shared in a Maternal Instinct thread.
Should Wade have culpability in Reagan Simmons-Hancock’s death?
@jadetalkscrime Wade says a lot about Taylor’s pending execution during his livestream.. Thoughts? 💭 #crimetok #truecrime #maternalinstinct #taylorparker ♬ original sound – JadeTalks
Plenty of people think that he should. They don’t think he could have possibly been that unaware of what was happening under his roof.
“That shows that Wade knew about the danger Taylor was for expecting mothers but he went with it. I don’t believe for one minute he was blind and naive, I think he was in it for some reasons and in a fair world he would have had to answer for his actions,” a Redditor shared.
This person thinks Wade held out hope for a paycheck that was never going to come. “Wade wanted the money he thought he was gonna get. That’s what it really comes down to, he was money hungry. I also think he didn’t think he would pull a “looker” like her and as such found himself in over his head, they wrote.
We may never know what really went through his head, but Griffin’s appearance in Maternal Instinct didn’t do him any favors.
READ MORE: Woman Lured Pregnant Woman in With a Job Offer so She Could Steal Her Fetus Then Killed Them Both
