New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is getting some pushback on social media after posting a video showing him jumping off a cliff into the water with his youngest child.
The video, which has gone viral and racked up 3 million views by Tuesday, shows the 41-year-old football star standing on the edge of a cliff with his six-year-old daughter, Vivian. Brady walks up to her and holds her hand.
“We’re going to jump all the way out, OK,” Brady tells his daughter in the video, which he posted to Instagram. The two, hands clasped, then leap off the cliff and into the water.
Brady captioned the post, “If Vivi is going to be an Olympic champion one day, it probably won’t be in synchronized diving. Daddy always gives her a 10 though!”
Social media users were quick to pounce on Brady, some criticizing the six-time Super Bowl champion for his parenting.
One user wrote, “Absolutely the most stupid and dangerous thing for a 6 yr. old child to do. You should be ASHAMED.” Another added “Jesus Christ, Tom! Don’t scare us like that! You almost killed her before she had a chance to live.”
Celebrities joined the discussion, too.
Former quarterback Brett Favre commented, “She is a 10 but old dad gets a,” followed by a thumbs-down emoji and crying laughing emojis. Actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson wrote, “You KNOW I have complete faith in you as a man, friend, player and father – but this just gave me anxiety. Geezus,” accompanied by clapping and laughing crying emojis.
Other users came to Brady’s defense, however. One posted, “So many haters. Let the guy parent his kids how he wants. Maybe if more parents where like Tom there would be less problems with kids not knowing how to deal with life.” Another added, “I loved the fact that she wanted to do this. Daddy helped her be brave.”
It isn’t clear from the video when or where it was taken, but both emerged from the water seemingly unscathed.
This isn’t the first time Brady’s parenting has raised eyebrows. Footage was released in the documentary Tom Vs. Time last year that showed the quarterback getting a massage. In the video, his 11-year-old son comes into the room and asks if he could check his fantasy football standings when Brady asks, “What do I get?” His son then leans over and kisses him.
His son was about to leave the room when Brady said, “That was like a peck.” His son then came back over and planted a kiss on Brady’s mouth a second time.
The video prompted blowback, with people tweeting about the kiss being “uncomfortably long” and “disturbing.”
