Influencer faces backlash for ‘wasteful’ and ‘polluting’ gender reveal

Influencer raises eyebrows for elaborate gender reveal involving trio of airplanes looping in the sky

An influencer has received backlash over the potentially harmful impact her gender reveal party could have on the environment.

Lithuanian influencer Inga Stumbriene recently took to both Instagram and TikTok to show various clips from her and her husband’s gender reveal party. One video showed three planes flying over the couple and making loops in the sky, while another clip saw the planes leaving blue-coloured smoke-like trails - revealing that their baby is a boy.

Stumbriene has since deleted all the videos from TikTok but left them up on Instagram, where many people criticised the couple for their gender reveal method and the potentially harmful impacts it could have on the environment.

“Thanks for killing the planet,” one Instagram user commented on one of her posts.

Another commenter agreed, writing: “Your baby is not even born that he has already a huge carbon footprint because of you, stupid and selfish parents!”

“Burning fuel, polluting the air, and littering but yeah congrats on the boy,” another Instagram user commented on a repost of the video, while someone else said: “This gender reveal made me sad, it’s just so wasteful.”

Despite the backlash, Stumbriene posted multiple photos and videos of the gender reveal announcement on Instagram. While the influencer has yet to directly respond to the backlash, her latest post simply highlighted the media attention her gender reveal has garnered - with various images of headlines that called the reveal “epic”.

“Meanwhile we are enjoying unspeakable joy and peace at home, it seems that the whole world is literally going crazy for our gender reveal,” she captioned the post, per Instagram’s English translation. “Frankly speaking, I really didn’t expect it when I was planning this beautiful and cosy family celebration that touched so many hearts of the world.”

The influencer concluded by thanking everyone involved in the celebration, including her father and his aerobatic team, who helped organise the air show.

This isn’t the first time a gender reveal party has sparked backlash. Recently, a father expressed his frustrations after his and his wife’s gender reveal party was “ruined” by his mother.

Candace and Wesley are TikTokers known for posting family videos of their twins, with a new child on the way. A recent video featured Wesley relaying a story about a gender reveal party. After a blowout between his wife and mother, Wesley granted his mom a last-minute invitation to the party.

While the couple waited for Wesley’s mother to arrive, they started the 60-second countdown for the gender reveal after becoming impatient. However, the fire alarm went off 13 seconds in, according to Wesley. The venue was plunged into darkness and the sprinkler system wet everyone in attendees, as Wesley recalled how guests scrambled outside and waited for the fire department to arrive.

Meanwhile, the TikToker said his mother was found sitting outside and nonchalantly smoking a cigarette amid the chaos. Wesley and Candace asked her if she set off the alarm, but she reportedly denied it.

The video went on to receive more than three million views, with many people assuming that Wesley’s mother did in fact set off the fire alarm.

The Independent has contacted Stumbriene for comment.