Family TikTokers Matt and Abby Howard have recently been criticized for allegedly leaving their two children, ages two and one, unattended on a cruise ship while they dined at one of the ship’s restaurants. The TikTokers have denied these claims, calling them “completely untrue.”

Abby Howard posted about the cruise in a now-expired Instagram story about her cruise trip with her family. She mentioned that their children were not enjoying the cruise’s daycare, and that she and Matt “FaceTimed the monitors while we ate,” as shown in a screenshot by the New York Post.

Since the posting, the couple faced major criticism online. Many TikTokers have expressed their views, with most calling this an example of “bad parenting.” However, they also received support from others.

On Sept. 16, 2024, the couple addressed the claims in a video, “We had someone with our children at all times on this boat. Period,”Matt said.

Senior vocal major Hadassah Lopez shared her thoughts. Lopez said, “They said that they had their parent, their kids’ grandma, in the room. But they were also FaceTiming, so people shouldn’t be so quick to assume something.”

As of Sept. 19, 2024, Matt and Abby have moved on from the controversy and continued their regular vlogs and posts on both Instagram and TikTok. Lopez said, “They handled that very well because they apologized for something they didn’t even do wrong.”