Lifestyle

FLIPPING OUT

Olympic Gymnast, 34, Ignites Debate Over Video Kissing 2-Year-Old Son

While some critics deemed the post “weird,” others vehemently defended the retired gymnast and her parenting.

Roosa RahkonenReporter, The Looker

PublishedJul 8, 2026, 5:40 PM EDT

UpdatedJul 8, 2026, 5:43 PM EDT

Updated Jul 8, 2026, 5:43 PM EDTPublished Jul 8, 2026, 5:40 PM EDT

Comments

Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson East, 34, sparked a heated debate after sharing a video of herself kissing her toddler.

Shawn, one of the most decorated U.S. gymnasts in history and a Dancing with the Stars winner, posted an Instagram video in which she shared three “smooches” with her two-year-old son Barrett “Bear” East.

She shares her three children with her husband, retired NFL long snapper Andrew East, 34. The couple’s eldest, Drew Hazel East, is six, and their middle child, Jett James East, is four.

The video shows the two on a boat, Barrett grabbing his mother’s neck before planting kisses on her lips.

Shawn captioned the post, “What a smooch!! Hahahaha, this guy came outta nowhere!!”

The video, posted on Saturday, got over 7.6 million views and 4,400 comments, as people debated whether the affection shown in the clip was appropriate.

The top comment with over 22,000 likes read, “This is weird.”

Another top comment with over 10,000 likes read, “Pecks are one thing... Only dad should be kissing mom like that.”

His father, Andrew, was tagged in the video.

A man’s voice can be heard in the background laughing and saying, “Wow, what was that, dude? Oh my God. Bearbear, you loverboy.”

Many people came to Shawn’s defense, saying the video was a sweet tribute to her relationship with her son.

“The only thing weird about this is the number of people who think this is weird or inappropriate! They just weren’t shown enough affection when they were young,” one person wrote.

ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT

Matthew McConaughey, 56, Shares Photo With Lookalike Son, 18

Roosa Rahkonen

“What is wrong with people?” another wrote. “There is NOTHING inappropriate about her sweet toddler son kissing his mom on the lips.”

A third asked, “At what point did it become inappropriate for kids to kiss their parents?”

Some commenters shared their personal experiences with their young children.

“I used to think this was kind of odd. Now I have a two-year-old son, and it is literally my favorite thing in the world. I feel so loved by him!” one comment read.

'NOT HEALTHY'

Jason Biggs’ Ex Slammed for ‘Creepy’ Photos With Son, 12

Roosa Rahkonen

Shawn replied to a few commenters, including The Bachelor and Married at First Sight star Jamie Otis Hehner, who commented, “The way a boy loves his mama 🥰🥰🥰.”

In response, Shawn simply wrote, “The sweetest.”

Many agreed that the behavior shown in the video was very typical of two-year-olds, saying that their kids had later grown out of it.

One person wrote, “It’s that age! They are so in love with their mommas ❤️ By 5, mine was back to the cheek 😂. Enjoy every minute with your babies, it goes quick!“

PICTURE PERFECT

Kate Middleton Shares Family’s ‘Most Beautiful’ Photos Ever

Roosa Rahkonen

Play Video

Roosa RahkonenReporter, The Looker

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast.