ONLINE stars Jonathan and Anna Saccone Joly have been accused of “child abuse” for punishing their two-year-old daughter with cold showers in a recent YouTube video – but have insisted that trolls are trying to “ruin” their lives.
The parents have amassed over 1.9 million followers on their joint Saccone Joly YouTube channel in the past 10 years and have an estimated net worth of £1.5m.
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The couple are famous for their everyday vlogs and their four children – Emilia, 6, Eduardo, 5, Alessia, 2, and Andrea, 1 – regularly feature on both their YouTube channel and all their other social media platforms.
Just last June, Jonathan beat out Prince William and Tom Daley to be named Celebrity Dad of the Year”.
But a recent video – titled “Our 2 Year Old Has a Problem!!” – has sparked outrage among fans after Jonathan, 39, disciplined their youngest daughter Alessia by giving her a cold shower.
In the video which has been viewed over 222,000 times, the couple resorted to this method of discipline after their daughter kept wiping the contents of her nappy on her bed.
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In the video, Anna, 31, explained: “She’s got into this habit of pooing in her nappy and […] taking the poo out of her nappy with her hands and putting it into her bed.”
The mum then went on to say that they were trying to figure out a long-term fix for the problem – which has been occurring in the middle of the night and during daytime naps – but admitted: “We have a solution at the moment…”
She is then interrupted by her daughter coming into the room after her shower.
After Anna asks her daughter if she “got in trouble”, her husband then replies: “No more fun for you.”
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After being called out by fans, the video was deleted from YouTube and reuploaded with that footage missing.
However, that hasn’t stopped fans from questioning the couple’s means of discipline in the comments.
One replied: “Poor Alessia, she’s still so young and probably doesn’t understand potty training just yet.
“I don’t think she should be called naughty for doing something she doesn’t understand.”
Another added: “Just give her access to a toilet. Don’t punish her for being uncomfortable lying in her own poo. You wouldn’t want to sleep in yours. I don’t think she’s doing it to be naughty.”
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A third wrote: “Personally, I think it’s a bit cruel to put your 2 year old in a cold shower, surely there’s another way to discipline her.”
Off the back of the video, viewers have set up a Change petition to have the stars “investigated for child abuse.”
The petition – which has amassed 368 signatures out of its 500 target – urges YouTube to remove the video from the website and suspend the family’s account.
However, the YouTube stars have recently hit back at trolls and claimed they’re trying to “ruin their lives.”
Last month, the couple uploaded a video titled “We Have Some Bad News” where they revealed they had been reported to the police by trolls over child abuse claims.
Acknowledging that they have forged an “amazing career” out of YouTube, Anna confessed: “There are some really ugly parts to it.”
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In the video – which has been viewed over 1.7m times – the couple reveal that police officers had to check Alessia for bruises when she was a baby after a viewer reported them for child abuse after noticing a scar on her head.
“That was one of the lowest points of my entire life,” Anna said. “After we have Alessia, seven weeks post-partum, the police came to the door to check her for bruises.
“To have a policeman come up to me and check my baby for bruises seven weeks post-partum, that’s something I would never wish on any other parent.”
Commenting on the most recent backlash, Jonathan and Anna said: “We have never claimed to be perfect as individuals or as parents, but our priority every day is to ensure that our children are healthy and happy, which they very much are.
“We are devastated and disappointed to see that the negativity and nasty comments from online trolls has allowed for this to escalate. Unfortunately we will not be the first or last people in the public eye to experience the unregulated targeting of trolls.
“We are taking legal action against the individuals leading and encouraging this cruel and defamatory campaign against us. We will continue to be the best parents we can to our four children, who really are the light of our lives.”
The NSPCC refused to comment on specific cases but added: “Anyone with concerns about the wellbeing of a child should contact the NSPCC Helpline at help@nspcc.org.uk or on 0808 800 5000.”
In more parenting news, this TV show where boisterous toddlers are trained like pooches using clicker training, doggy “tapas” and treats has sparked a fierce row.
And this mum has made a heartbreaking birthday card appeal for her young son with special needs who “had no friends”.
Plus this mum has been accused of “poor parenting” and told to “toughen up” after revealing she still lets her six-year-old daughter have a dummy.
