A charity initiative led by a reality TV personality has sparked controversy after a heartwarming toy giveaway went awry.

A video, which has garnered over 1.6 million views, captures the moment an eager father was publicly embarrassed and wrongfully accused in front of other shoppers.

Jaden Laing, known for his appearance on Australian Survivor: Titans v Rebels, is under fire after refusing to give a free toy to a man for his child at a Toyworld store in New Zealand. Laing then shared the encounter online, labeling the man as being on ‘Santa’s naughty list’.

The incident took place during a recorded giveaway event in Auckland, where Laing and his team aimed to purchase thousands of dollars’ worth of Christmas gifts for local children.

However, the intended act of kindness quickly turned sour when Laing accused a man at the counter of faking being a parent, as he was shopping alone without any children present.

In the now-viral clip, the man is refused a small selection of toys, including Hot Wheels cars and a bubble wand, with Jaden dismissing him and suggesting he was attempting to exploit the giveaway, which was intended only for parents who brought their children to the store.

However, viewers were quick to call out the interaction and comments quickly flooded in from people claiming to know the man personally, confirming he does, in fact, have children.

‘I know this guy, and he was literally getting it for his kids he didn’t have to shame him like that,’ one person wrote.

In a video now amassing more than 1.6 million views, one eager father has been publicly shamed, wrongly accused and humiliated in front of other shoppers at a festive charity drive organised by  well-known reality TV star and one of Australia’s strongest men, Jaden Laing

Laing (pictured), 30, who shot to fame on Australian Survivor: Titans v Rebels, is now facing backlash after denying the man a free toy for his child at a Toyworld store in New Zealand after wrongly accusing him of not having kids as well as posting the mans face to social media

‘Maybe just a “sorry bro, kids have to be present to get a gift” – he looked really embarrassed and reacted that way,’ they continued.

Another questioned the logic behind the accusation altogether.

‘He literally got Hot Wheels and a bubble wand…. If he was scamming to get cash, he would have chosen something worth way more money,’ one suggested.

Others criticised Laing’s tone, pointing out that the rules appeared inconsistent.

‘Don’t publicly shame the guy for just trying to help his kids for Christmas.’

As the backlash grew, one particularly detailed comment claimed to have spoken directly to the dad involved which painted a far more troubling picture of the moment.

‘I wanted to say that we met with the father in this video… [I] got to meet his wonderful kids too; they are an incredible family,’ the commenter wrote.

However, viewers were quick to call out the interaction and comments quickly flooded in from people claiming to know the man personally, confirming he does, in fact, have children. ‘I know this guy, and he was literally getting it for his kids he didn’t have to shame him like that,’ one person wrote

According to the post, the man had no idea who Laing was and didn’t understand what was happening amid the cameras and commotion.

‘He said that he hadn’t seen your social media posts because he’s not really a social media person and just happened to be in the area,’ they continued.

‘He was a bit disoriented and overwhelmed by the cameras and didn’t really know what was going on.’

The commenter went on to allege the man tried to explain that his daughter was inside the store but she was too shy to approach the counter.

‘He said that watching his daughter get denied like that really hurt him and would really appreciate it if you took this video down,’ they added.

‘It’s humiliating for him and his family.’

Fuel was added to the fire when another viewer claimed Laing allowed other parents to receive gifts without their children present later in the same video.

‘This video portrays him as something he simply isn’t,’ the follower wrote.

‘Yes, those toys were in fact for his kids… Also, you allowed other parents to receive toys without their kids present right after this situation took place, so why single him out?’

Fuel was added to the fire when another viewer claimed Laing allowed other parents to receive gifts without their children present later in the same video. Pictured: Laing on Australian Survivor in 2024

The controversy overshadowed what Laing had initially framed as a major act of Christmas goodwill.

In his caption, the Queensland-based strongman explained he had partnered with social media creators and brands to fund the giveaway.

‘I had this idea whilst in New Zealand that I wanted to buy heaps of presents for kids in New Zealand,’ he wrote, adding that fellow creators and sponsors boosted the budget to $20,000 in total.

Laing, an Australian strongman, fitness influencer and former rugby player from Queensland, is known for extreme feats of strength – including pulling trucks and boats weighing more than 16 tonnes – and has built a large online following around discipline, training and motivation.

But critics say the Toyworld incident raises serious questions about filming charity events and the consequences of misjudging a stranger in front of millions.

‘Maybe next time words can be used instead of “nahhhh get outta here!”‘ one commenter bluntly put it.