Jenny Mollen has recently come under fire for a social media post featuring her 12-year-old son.
Mollen shares her son, Sid, with her former partner, Jason Biggs, whom she married in 2014. The couple also has an 8-year-old son, Lazlo. In May, Us Weekly reported that Mollen and Biggs had decided to part ways after 18 years together.
The couple’s representative told Us at the time that, despite their separation, Mollen and Biggs are maintaining an amicable relationship and are committed to co-parenting their two sons effectively.
Prior to the announcement of their split, Mollen opened up about her feelings of being overshadowed in her marriage to Biggs.
During a May episode of the “What Matters With Liz” podcast, Mollen candidly discussed her experience, saying, “When Jason and I got together, I initially felt like I had a point to prove. I went from being the oldest daughter who had everything figured out to suddenly marrying someone whose career, in many ways, eclipsed mine. Everyone would say, ‘Oh my God, Jason Biggs,’ and I felt like a guest in my own life. It was frustrating to feel constantly sidelined.”
“To be the spare and not the heir,” Mollen continued. “It was like, ‘What is happening?’ I was the spare. I was the American Pie spare. I relate to [Prince] Harry. That drove me mad and I always had this feeling.”
Scroll down to learn more about why Mollen faced backlash for her post:
What Did Jenny Mollen Post?
Mollen shared two images via Instagram on May 25, which displayed her laying on top of Sid on a bed. In the pic, she placed her hands around the back of his head and lay next to him. Both of their faces were not visible.
In another image, Mollen lay on top of her son with her hands behind his head. Sid placed his hands in front of Mollen’s face, which covered their faces.
Did Jenny Mollen Remove the Caption?
Mollen has since removed the caption of her post, which still contains the two images, and instead included a period. Her initial caption reportedly read, “Your eldest son will be the most toxic guy you ever date.”
What Have Users Said About the Post?
Mollen’s upload has led to mixed reactions from users in the comments section.
“Saw the original post with the original caption. 😳 Super weird. And I have boys the same age. And yes we hug and cuddle but that caption was creepy AF,” one user wrote, while another added, “Hugging your kids: Healthy and encouraged. Calling your child your boyfriend and posting photos of you lying between their legs on a bed: Not healthy or encouraged. Your child is not your boyfriend. A boyfriend is a romantic partner.”
Others, however, defended Mollen in the comments section.
“What in the f***? She’s not doing anything wrong. That’s her son. That’s his mom. We already known she a lot and eccentric. I love her ❤️🙌😂😂,” one user wrote, while another added, “Jenny, it’s all good. You go ahead and hug your kids as much as possible!! Before you know it, they’ll be off on their own … and then you’ll have to get a cat 🐈!!”
How Did Jenny Mollen Respond to the Criticism?
Mollen vented about feeling like she was under the microscope amid her breakup.
“It’s like because I’m getting separated, because I’m not protected by the institution of marriage, I’m suddenly like a different kind of target in what I’m posting,” Mollen said in a statement shared via her Instagram Stories on June 1. “Like this is absolutely jaw-dropping. A photo of me hugging my 12-year-old child is getting ridiculed.”
In a follow-up post shared via her Substack, Mollen explained that the photos were taken “on a Monday night after [Sid] returned from a weekend away.”
Mollen then defended the photos and her controversial caption.
“The joke that offended people was: ‘Your eldest son will be the most toxic boyfriend you ever have.’ And he is,” she wrote. “Parenthood has demanded a level of commitment and self-sacrifice from me that, in any other context, would be considered pathological. I’d never accept this kind of relationship under any other circumstances. And yet here I am, jumping through fire, constantly striving for affection and approval, waiting by the phone for a guy who can’t even drive.”
Mollen added, “When my kids were young, I was so overwhelmed. There was so much they needed that it felt almost impossible to catch my breath. I spent the last decade begging for five minutes alone, only to get exactly what I asked for. And it has broken my heart. It will break your heart, too. Don’t let anyone shame you for holding on while you still can.”