Sport5 min(s) read
A mom who went viral after cameras caught her carrying her toddler and a large amount of food at a baseball game has spoken out.
As previously reported, the woman, named Erika, became the center of an online firestorm after attending the San Francisco Giants game against the Minnesota Twins at Oracle Park with her family.
Erika was seen making her way back to her seat while wearing a backpack, with her baby strapped to her chest and balancing three meals.
Millions of viewers were furious that the man sitting beside her, later identified as her husband Ramses, appeared to take his food and start eating instead of helping her get settled.
They went as far as urging Erika to "divorce" him and branded his behavior as "toxic".
Giants announcers Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow shared their thoughts on the moment as it unfolded.
"Holy smokes, Mike! Look at this," Kuiper said to Krukow.
Krukow then praised the woman's ability to manage everything at once. "If there’s ever a true definition of a multitasking mother, that is the deal right there," he said.
When the woman reached her seat, the man stood up and appeared to say something to her. Kuiper quipped: "Did I just hear that guy say, 'Did you forget something?'"
The man appeared to take one of the boxes and start eating instead of taking the baby or helping the mother, who was still holding the other food containers.
"Well, that’s mom of the year right there!" Krukow said, to which Kuiper added: "She’ll be the last one to eat, too."
As the camera stayed on the family, the woman began to speak to another fan sitting nearby.
Kuiper joked: "She just said to that lady, 'I’m gonna smack him right in the nose!'"
The clip amassed millions of views in 24 hours and quickly sparked a wave of criticism.
"I hope that lady sees this and reevaluates her relationship. If there wasn't a bigger sign to leave his ass, here it f***ing is," one user slammed. Another blasted: "What a useless man ! Shame on him."
A third chimed in: "You can tell this isn’t the first time because he’s way too comfortable sitting there while she does everything. People will continue to give you exactly what you continue to accept. I would’ve handed him that baby before he took the first bite."
However, a few defenders urged critics not to jump to conclusions from an out-of-context stadium broadcast clip.
"You don't know the dynamic of their relationship, she could've picked up the food on her way back from the restroom while he watched the seats, please shut up," one commenter argued.
Erika has now hit back at the outrage, revealing that her husband was quietly grieving the sudden death of a childhood friend that night.
She took to Substack to share that the late friend was a gifted baseball player.
"There was no formal funeral or memorial service for him to attend. I suggested a Giants game as a way to remember his friend," she penned. "I wanted Ramses to watch baseball, eat some ballpark food, and have some room to reflect on his friend’s passing.
"I would glance over and could tell he was texting his group chat about their lost member throughout the game." She added: "The camera showed what I was carrying in my hands. It couldn’t show what he was carrying that night."
This paints a different picture from the one millions of people believed they were witnessing online.
Erika has also stressed that Ramses did not send her off to collect the family's food while she struggled with their child.
She had gone to the washroom and kept her baby, Anastasia, strapped to her chest because " San Francisco night games get chilly, and we call her our little 'hot pocket' because her body heat keeps you warm in the carrier. I also figured I might as well change her diaper while I was up".
While she was away, she texted Ramses a picture of the food menu: "I thought since I was passing by, I might as well grab something for us. He said he’d have whatever had the shortest line," she added.
The mom also said the broadcast failed to capture the conversation between the couple once she returned.
According to her account, Ramses cleared her seat, offered to take the heavy containers from her lap, and even offered to hand-feed her. She declined because she had already eaten before the game and did not want to place food on the dirty stadium floor.
"Then he ate, as I had told him to," she said.
Erika described her partner as her "rock," saying he helped carry their family through challenges like losing her job late in pregnancy, a solo home remodel, and severe postpartum depression.
But the online criticism didn't stop with angry comments.
The mom said internet users tracked the family down and sent horrific messages.
"Both Ramses and I have received messages ranging from mildly annoying to deeply disturbing. Some people have gone out of their way to find our names and phone numbers. Some of you have told my husband to kill himself," she said. "To anyone who has done that: shame on you."
She also said the lighthearted commentary from the broadcasters "became days of real pain for our family".
"I wish you had known what that night meant to him before making him the punchline," she added.
