Emilie Kiser Opens Up on the Heartbreak of Losing Her Son Trigg

21 August 2025

Emilie Kiser and her husband Brady Kiser with their two sons Trigg and Theodore in April 2025 Emilie Kiser/Instagram.

Emilie Kiser, the lifestyle influencer known for her heartfelt posts with her family, has broken her public silence in a magnifying moment of grief. A deeply emotional declaration filed in May with the Arizona Superior Court has now been unsealed, revealing her agonizing regret over not being at home when her three-year-old son, Trigg, tragically drowned in their backyard pool. In her own words, the experience of loss shattered her and she fears the echo of that day will haunt her forever.

In her court filing, Emilie called Trigg’s death “the most severe and emotional event I have ever experienced.” She expressed her anguish in knowing that she will “forever second guess” the decision to be away. It was a painful admission of vulnerability, a rare window into the private reckoning of a grieving parent.

At the time of the drowning, Emilie was out, while her husband Brady tasked with watching both Trigg and their infant son Theodore. Brady initially reported that Trigg was missing for only three to five minutes, but video evidence found otherwise. The footage confirmed the child was unsupervised in the backyard for over nine minutes, and in the water for approximately seven. Despite a recommendation by Chandler police to file felony child abuse charges, prosecutors declined, citing insufficient likelihood of conviction.

Grieving not only for her son but for the loss of privacy, Emilie sought to keep the details of the tragedy sealed. Her plea was granted by the court in June, which temporarily withheld release of video footage, photos, or written records of the event. She recounted in the unsealed submission how media intrusion intensified her pain: helicopters circled the home, reporters knocked on the door, strangers showed up unannounced, and packages arrived from unknown senders all while she and Brady tried to begin healing.

As an influencer with over 4.1 million followers on TikTok and 1.7 million on Instagram, Emilie is no stranger to the demands of living under the public eye. Yet in her declaration, she drew a vital line. “Nothing we have shared as part of my profession has been intended to depict anything but deep and adoring love within our family,” she wrote.

She pleaded that the family’s image remain one of love not overshadowed by the tragic circumstances. She emphasized that revealing graphic details of Trigg’s death would not only reopen wounds but also potentially traumatize her surviving son, Theodore, should he one day encounter such material online.

She went further, describing the “sick motives” of people seeking details about the accident—details that may live forever on the internet. She voiced her fear that Teddy could inadvertently come across such heartbreaking content as he grows older, confronting trauma again in a context he can’t control.

Through the declaration, Emilie called on both the court and the public to respect the family’s privacy during this devastating time. She reminded observers that while her social media has often showcased family joy, it was never meant to expose raw sorrow or serve as tabloid display. Instead, it was meant to preserve love.

For fans and followers, this was a stark departure from the softly curated moments that once defined Emilie’s presence online. It underscored the often unseen burden of navigating grief with an audience always watching.

In the wake of the unsealed documents, Emilie’s message is clear: healing cannot proceed amid exposure and speculation. She asked to be allowed not as an influencer, but as a mother to grieve in peace.