Overview
- TikToker Nikalie Monroe called dozens of religious organizations posing as a mother seeking a can of baby formula, posting more than 40 videos that show only a handful offering immediate help while most declined.
- Outlets report small differences in totals, with KTLA counting 10 offers of assistance out of 43 contacts and Newsweek tallying 9 yes responses out of 42 calls.
- Lakewood Church said a phone operator erred in not directing Monroe to partner resources and stated it supports crisis pregnancy centers and food pantries carrying infant formula, adding it has “no problem with the fake baby lady.”
- Heritage Hope Church of God in Somerset, Kentucky—one congregation that agreed to help—has reported more than $75,000 in donations to its pantry after the videos went viral, and its pastor Johnny Dunbar has been widely praised.
- The series unfolded during ongoing SNAP payment disruptions tied to the federal shutdown, with reporting noting partial benefits, a Supreme Court stay affecting full payments, and continued uncertainty for millions of households.