Popular YouTube channel DaddyOFive, run by Mike and Heather Martin, has received a ton of backlash over the past few weeks for "prank" videos on their children, particularly their young son Cody.
These videos sparked so much controversy since the parents appeared to be physically and verbally abusing their children in each. In one video, the parents pour ink on the floor and accuse Cody of doing it which brings him to tears. Another video shows Cody being pushed into a bookcase by his father, causing his nose to bleed. Cody often ends up crying and humiliated, begging his parents to turn off the camera. Despite the negative response that their videos have received, DaddyOFive has managed to gain an audience of over 750,000 subscribers.
The videos have since been removed from the channel and Mike and Heather uploaded an apology video on April 22, claiming that the abuse was not as extreme as they portrayed it.
Rose Hall, the biological mother of Cody and his sister, Emma, announced on May 1 that she has obtained custody of her children. Hall appears in a video with her lawyer, Tim Conlon, stating, "It was very heartbreaking and disturbing to see my kids being abused."
Conlon stated that the kids are currently in a "deprogramming sort of mode" as they adjust to normal life. Hall added that Emma and Cody "are doing good and getting back to their playful selves."