An Australian influencer recently found herself in hot water after admitting to leaving her infant unattended in a hotel room during a vacation in Bali. The incident has sparked a wave of criticism and forced the influencer, Taleigha Skye, to issue an apology to her followers.

The controversy began when Taleigha, who hails from Perth, left her six-month-old son alone in their locked hotel room to enjoy a foot massage. This decision quickly ignited backlash online, with many drawing comparisons to the tragic case of Madeleine McCann, a three-year-old who disappeared under similar circumstances during a family vacation in Portugal in 2007.

Adding fuel to the fire, Taleigha had shared a now-deleted TikTok video in which she demonstrated how she monitored her child remotely while she attended her appointment. The video showed her holding a monitoring device as she left the hotel premises. Despite her attempt to reassure viewers, the post was met with harsh criticism.

The incident gained further notoriety after being shared on the Facebook page TeaTime, where it attracted numerous comments condemning her actions. Many social media users expressed outrage and concern, highlighting the dangers of leaving a child unattended, even momentarily. As the online backlash intensified, Taleigha was compelled to address the situation and apologise publicly.

The content creator was quickly slammed online for her post after it was shared to the Facebook page TeaTime, with several drawing parallels to the headline-making mystery surrounding the McCann child.

Madeleine McCann vanished from an apartment in Portugal’s Praia da Luz while her parents dined at a nearby tapas bar. 

Australian influencer Taleigha Skye (pictured) has been forced to apologise to followers after leaving her child alone in a locked hotel room while holidaying in Bali

‘Is this normal practice? This mum is in Bali with her two young kids, and has left the baby (under one) alone in the resort room,’ shared one user on the Facebook page.

‘She’s left the room and walked away to have a 30-minute foot massage done? 

‘It seemed she walked some distance too… it looks like she’s staying in a resort or similar.

‘If this is normal practice, how do you not have a literal panic attack at doing this?’ 

‘It’s giving Madeleine McCann. [Her] parents allegedly left her alone in the resort room,’ commented one user on the thread.

‘Did we not learn from Madeleine McCann?’ another person wrote. 

A third agreed: ‘In this day and age, after Madeleine McCann, why would any parent do this? I’m shook.’

‘My instant thoughts, I could never [do this] in Australia, let alone a foreign country,’ replied another TeaTime user.

In a now-deleted TikTok clip, Taleigha was shown holding a video monitoring device, so she could keep an eye on her son as she walked from her accommodation to her appointment 

Critics have likened the situation to the disappearance of three-year-old Madeleine McCann (pictured) during a family vacation in Portugal in 2007 

‘I love her, but this is not it,’ said a fan of Taleigha, who has acquired a dedicated following for her motherhood and lifestyle posts.

Elsewhere, Taleigha revealed that her husband and eldest boy were out quad-bike riding during her time away from the room.

In response to the onslaught of negative comments, Taleigha posted a statement to her Instagram Stories addressing the controversy.

‘I want to address what’s been circulating online,’ she began.

‘I made a poor decision, and I take full responsibility for it.

‘Although I was only metres away from the locked resort room and had constant monitoring, I recognise that this did not make the situation safe.

‘We do have a lovely nanny here in Bali who was unavailable that day. This is not a justification, just context.

‘I understand the seriousness of my actions, and I can confidently say this is the first and last time it will ever happen.’

The mother of two often shares videos as part of the ‘boy mum’ trend featuring her two young sons, including the elder child, who is four. 

She welcomed her second son, who she also shares with her partner, Ash, in October. 

A hot air balloon carrying 13 people was unexpectedly forced to make an emergency landing in a backyard in Southern California on Saturday, as reported by FOX 5 and KUSI.

The balloon gently touched down on a grassy area in the backyard of Hunter and Jenna Perrin’s home in Temecula, California.

During an interview with FOX 5 San Diego’s Morning team, Hunter explained that he and his wife were at home when he received an alert on his phone indicating movement in their backyard, captured by a security camera.

Suddenly, their doorbell began to ring repeatedly.

“I went to answer the door, and a man was there saying, ‘They just landed in your backyard!’” Hunter recounted. He was even more puzzled when the neighbor clarified, “The hot air balloon.”

The Perrins sprinted to the glass door leading to their backyard to try to make sense of the bizarre encounter.

“There’s just 13 people in a basket waving at us, wishing us ‘good morning,’” Hunter said while laughing.

The hot air balloon, which is operated by the company Magical Adventure, was forced to make an emergency landing because of low fuel and a shift in winds, according to passenger Brianna Avalos.

Once the pilot disembarked all of the passengers, the massive blue balloon returned to the air and landed on a nearby street, where it was dismantled.

“The pilot did such an amazing job, just absolutely nailing the landing right in the backyard,” said Hunter. “Our backyard has this big hill next to the grass, so the grass part is pretty small, and he set the balloon down just right in the middle.”

Jenna said that the whole outlandish scenario reminded her of something out of the Disney Pixar film “Up.”

“It just looked like it was going to take the house up with it,” said Hunter.

A former New York City police officer, who received a prison sentence of three to nine years for the fatal incident involving a cooler and a fleeing suspect, was released on bail Monday as he pursues an appeal of his conviction.

Erik Duran, 38, left the Elmira Correctional Facility in the afternoon, as confirmed by a post on social media from the NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association.

“First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude to my family, especially my wife, children, and parents, for their unwavering love and support during this difficult time,” Duran stated through the SBA.

NYPD Sgt. Erik Duran was seen in court at the Bronx Hall of Justice on January 23, 2024, as he faced charges related to the death of Eric Duprey in August 2023 during an undercover drug operation. (Photo by Luiz C. Ribeiro/New York Daily News via Getty Images)

“I also want to thank God for providing me with strength and guiding me through this challenging period,” he added. “My heartfelt thanks go to my legal team for their relentless pursuit of justice.”

Duran’s attorney, Arthur Aidala, said in a statement afterward they are relieved that Duran “is home with his family where he belongs.” 

“Erik Duran asked to go to church before he returned home to his overjoyed family,” Aidala said. “After reviewing the trial transcripts it is clear to the objective eye this verdict and sentence are a clear miscarriage of justice. We have begun the process of preparing his appeal and are confident this injustice will be rectified.”

Duran was serving a three- to nine-year sentence for manslaughter when he was granted a $300,000 bond last week, according to FOX 5. A judge ordered him to surrender his passport to his lawyers as he waits for his appeal to be finalized.

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Eric Duprey died in August 2023 when an NYPD officer threw a cooler at him as he was fleeing a drug operation in the Bronx. (WNYW)

“This is a major win for Erik and his family and for law enforcement officers around the country,” Vincent Vallelong, the president of Duran’s union within the SBA, reportedly said.

Duran, a married father of three, was convicted in February on charges stemming from the August 2023 death of Eric Duprey.

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General view of Elmira Correctional Facility on Monday, April 20, 2026 in Elmira, New York, where NYPD officer Erik Duran was released. (Richard Beetham for Fox News Digital)

Duprey was attempting to flee on a moped as officers carried out an undercover drug bust in the Bronx when Duran hurled an Igloo cooler at him, causing him to crash and hit his head on the pavement. 

Duprey later died from his injuries.

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Duran has insisted he threw the cooler to protect his fellow officers, but Bronx Judge Guy Mitchell rejected his defense at sentencing, adding the punishment would serve as a “deterrent” to other officers from acting recklessly. 

“They had enough to investigate and catch him on a different day,” Mitchell said, referring to the police. “The distinction is that the deceased will no longer be seen again by his family.”

Duran’s attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.