A TikTok trend inspired by a simple act of kindness is in danger of spiraling out of control.
When Danaesha Gonzalez, a mother from Nashville, Tennessee, came across a brand-new purse sitting among the items on a shelf in the baby aisle of Target, she could never have predicted what would come next.
Gonzalez was shopping in the store with her two-year-old son and something about the sight of the bag, which had evidently been abandoned there by a fellow mom, made her stop in her tracks. She picked up her phone and hit record, posting the resulting footage to TikTok alongside a caption that simply read: “she deserved the purse.”
For many millions on social media, the inference was clear: a mom had been forced to make a choice between what she wanted and what her baby needed. The need won out.
You can watch the original clip, shared under the handle @denaeshagonzalez, here.
Gonzalez’s video struck a chord. At the time of writing it’s been watched over 23.9 million times. One viewer called it “a mother’s love on display.” For others it was a painfully familiar sight. “Every time I see an item left in the baby aisle I always wish I could find the mom and buy it for her,” one woman wrote with another stating: “It makes me sad to think how much my mother probably gave up for me.”
The story could have ended there, with Gonzalez’s video serving up a stark tableau of life for many moms in America. But instead, something else happened. The video’s viral success sparked a trend, dubbed the “she deserved the purse” trend.
Suddenly, people across America were inspired to take action with simple acts of kindness designed to reward those moms shopping for their infants. Videos surfaced on social media showing fellow shoppers stuffing cash or gift cards inside baby items found on the shelves of stores like Target and Walmart.
As TikTok trends go, this was initially seen as one of the more positive and worthwhile: a chance for people everywhere to give something back to moms all over the country.
But the good feeling around the “She Deserved The Purse” trend does not appear to have lasted. In recent days, yet more videos have appeared online showing the aftermath of people frantically searching through baby items on store shelves for these rewards.
Valeria Diaz from Chicago thought the trend was a “beautiful idea” when she first learned about it. “So many influencers were trying to support parents in need by dropping bills inside of baby packages,” Diaz told Newsweek. “The thought of having extra money and gifting it to someone in need is beautiful.”
However, in the back of her mind, Diaz was concerned even then. “I knew the kindness wouldn’t go very far unfortunately as there are many selfish and greedy people in the world,” she said.
Her worst fears were confirmed during a visit to a branch of Target on Thursday, June 26. That was the day she uploaded a video to her TikTok @valeriadiher, showing how many of the baby products stocked had been opened by people in search of the money.” This is so sad and so wrong,” she captioned the clip, “Moms can’t have anything.”
Diaz says she witnessed what happened firsthand. According to her a “group of teenagers” aged from 14 to 18 were responsible.
“I told them it was completely inappropriate and they’re causing so much damage to items babies may need,” she said. “It’s sad to see kids growing up to be so violent and aggressive. A parent would never tamper with products meant for children. They understand the value and importance of a child’s health and safety and how easily it can be affected by purchasing a tampered product.”
TikTok/valeriadiher
Diaz said it was horrible to see what started out as something so positive become “corrupted” in this manner. “Witnessing the destruction and theft happen was absolutely heartbreaking,” she said. “Especially as a first time mother to a newborn baby, I know what it’s like having to leave behind items I want in order to prioritize items my son needs.”
Sadly, this isn’t an isolated incident. A day earlier, Maria DiGuglielmo, a stay-at-home mom from South Philadelphia, shared a video filmed inside a Target store where all of the lids have been taken off the cans of formula stocked in the baby aisle.
“Sad to see a really heart warming trend like this being taken away because of selfish people,” she wrote alongside the post. “As a struggling parent this hurts to see people take it away from the people who deserve it.”
Several women commenting on the video claimed to have seen similar. “I went to Target and all the cans lid was off as well,” palestinesweet wrote while s.bradshaw said: “The diaper boxes at my target were all ripped open.”
The footage, shared under the handle marladlgugs, can be watched here:
@mariadigugs Replying to @Maria DiGuglielmo Sad to see a really heart warming trend like this being taken away because of selfish people. All the lids on the formula cans taken off just to see if theres money under them. If there was money under them it was for a parent who probably could have used it. As a struggling parent this hurts to see people take it away from the people who deserve it. #shedeservesthepurse
♬ original sound – 𝙅𝙖𝙘𝙤𝙗🇵🇱
Roxi Vela also shared a video purportedly filmed inside a branch of Target, where several boxed baby products had been opened. “Heartbreaking that people ruin the good gestures,” she wrote alongside the clip posted to her account, roxi_vela. “Please stop ruining it for the MOMMAs and PAPPAs that really do need it!”
You can watch the video here:
Newsweek has also reached out to Vela and DiGuglielmo for comment.
The videos are a reminder of just how quickly a seemingly innocent TikTok trend can backfire badly. Sadly, it looks like what started out as attempt to spread a little joy might end up causing more problems than it’s worth.
Newsweek has reached out to Walmart and Target for comment. Danaesha Gonzalez, the creator of the original viral video, has also been contacted for comment.
TikTok/valeriadiher
