On or about Friday of last week, Ms. Kourtney Kardashian Barker, aged 46, became the subject of significant public criticism following the circulation of images and/or reports indicating that her 21-month-old son, Rocky Thirteen Barker, was aboard a small vessel during a family vacation in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, without wearing a life vest.
Pursuant to Idaho state law, “all children under the age of 14 must wear an approved life jacket when they are aboard a boat 19 feet in length or less whenever the boat is underway or under power.”
Ms. Kardashian Barker, who maintains an audience of approximately 283.4 million social media followers, received numerous expressions of concern and condemnation, including commentary from user @janettparks, who asserted that the conduct constituted “child endangerment per Idaho law,” and from user @bcudini, who implored, “Please, please put a life jacket on that sweet babe!”
Additional public criticism was directed toward Ms. Kardashian Barker via social media, including a comment from Instagram user @calkins5039, who inquired, “What, no life vests? Isn’t that against the law?”
Similarly, Instagram user @sue_branagan remarked, “POV: Please use a life vest on your child. In that huge boat accident in Tahoe, the only two people that survived were wearing life vests. All the rest died when the boat capsized.” Such commentary invoked both legal compliance concerns and anecdotal evidence of prior maritime fatalities to underscore the perceived necessity of such safety equipment.
Instagram user @lifeofrylee84 remarked critically, “Protects her son’s face from the internet but doesn’t protect him from possibly drowning… priorities.” Likewise, Instagram user @danielle_mamma_of_two commented, “No life jacket? And the mother of the year award goes to…”
On the following day, Saturday, Ms. Kardashian Barker publicly stated that she had purchased a Stohlquist “Infant” life jacket, retailing for $69.99, which she indicated was properly fitted to her son, Rocky. In a written response, she acknowledged, “Good looking out. Honestly, didn’t think about some of the dangers. Thank you for making me aware and hopefully this helps make other mommies aware of the dangers of certain types of boating without a life vest.”
During the family’s Idaho excursion, Ms. Kardashian Barker was accompanied by her spouse of three years, musician Travis Barker, who is both her neighbor and husband. She posted an image depicting herself seated beside Mr. Barker’s stepdaughter, Ms. Atiana De La Hoya, aged 26, whose biological father is retired professional boxer Oscar De La Hoya.
Absent from the trip were Mr. Barker’s two biological children from his prior three-year marriage to former Miss USA 1995, Ms. Shanna Moakler — namely, son Landon, aged 21, and daughter Alabama, aged 18.
Ms. Kardashian Barker is also the mother of three older children — Penelope (age 13), Mason (age 15), and Reign (age 10) — all from her previous nine-year intermittent relationship with Mr. Scott Disick, Chief Executive Officer of the clothing brand “Talentless,” which concluded in 2015.#newsafro_
