TikTok star Zoe LaVerne has revealed she sold “exclusive” photos of her newborn baby for $15 a pop to fans — and some of her followers aren’t buying her reasoning.
The 20-year-old social media sensation — who boasts 20 million TikTok followers — gave birth to her daughter, Emersyn, prematurely this month, and suffered medical complications.
The Indiana-born star told followers that her placenta “busted” while she was trying to give birth naturally, and that she was underwent an emergency cesarean section and “almost lost her life.”
LaVerne was forced to undergo an extended stay in the hospital, while baby Emersyn was placed in a neonatal intensive care unit. With her hospital expenses racking up, the savvy star turned to social media to pay for the pricey bill.
“I dropped some exclusive photos in my link that were extra special moments for me during the delivery!” LaVerne announced to her 2.7 million Instagram followers on Oct. 2.
The new mom was promptly criticized by some fans for trying to monetize the birth, but she now tells Insider she believes it was the right thing to do.
“I knew that when Emersyn came early, I was going to be in the NICU [neonatal intensive care unit] for a while, which means my income from socials was going to be put on hold for a little bit,” she said.
“Many celebrities post photos of their children and make a living being 100% available to the public all the time. I still have to work to make sure I can pay for my child while also going to the ICU every single day.”
LaVerne didn’t disclose how much money she made from selling the intimate images, but says she has no regrets.
“It was a way to spend more time and focus on her [Emersyn],” the young mom explained.
LaVerne took to TikTok on Monday to reveal that baby Emersyn was finally home, after more than two weeks in the hospital. She shared a sweet video showing the tot lying on a bed as the song “You Are My Sunshine” played in the background.
Meanwhile, LaVerne married Emersyn’s dad, Dawson Day, just days after she left the hospital. The influencer explained to Insider that she wanted to wed her baby daddy as soon as possible.
“We wanted to get married just so Emersyn could come home to a mom and dad who are married,” she stated.
LaVerne hit headlines last year amid accusations she was “grooming” a 13-year-old male fan.
The star apolgized after a leaked video showed her kissing the boy and saying they “just ended up catching feelings for each other.”
“I didn’t groom Connor, I wouldn’t do that. He’s a kid and I’m aware of that,” she said at the time.