Nationwide — An African American family’s Christmas photo has gone viral after a 5-year-old boy, Trü, was left out of the matching pajamas that the rest of his family wore for their holiday portrait. The incident has since sparked debate on social media.
In a TikTok video, Taylor expressed her disappointment, saying, “I sent those from home. They are something to sleep in, not take professional photos in. My son could have [at] least got a fresh new set of pajamas.”
The photo quickly gained attention, with more than 59 million views on X. In one of the photos, Trü stands out in black pajamas with “Christmas Crew” on the top, while the rest of the family wears green pajamas.
Taylor also shared her frustration that her ex-husband, who was not supposed to have Trü that day, had not coordinated the matching pajamas. She felt her son should have stayed home with her to avoid the situation.
Taylor further clarified that she didn’t blame her son’s stepmother, Riya Lee, but instead her ex for the mistake. She said, “I never pointed a finger at her, but once my post started getting a lot of views and stuff, that’s when she made her post, and she felt like I was attacking her, but I never attacked her. The internet blamed her. Let’s just get that straight.”
In response, Lee posted on Facebook defending herself, saying she didn’t intentionally leave Trü out. She explained that Trü’s dad couldn’t find matching pajamas for him in time, and though she wasn’t comfortable about the mismatch, it was too late to fix it before the shoot. She also claimed she wasn’t aware Trü would be part of the photos.
Moreover, Taylor said she found out about the photos on Christmas Day when her ex sent them via text. When she asked Trü how he felt about not matching with the family, he replied, “Not good.”
Despite the photo mishap, Taylor made sure Trü had a good Christmas, surprising him with matching pajamas and festive activities. She said he had a great time enjoying movies and hot chocolate.