In a move that seemed uncharacteristic for a social media queen, 20-year-old Kylie Jenner wiped all images from her Instagram that featured her daughter Stormi Webster‘s face.
As baffled fans bombarded her with questions on a photo she shared showing only a sliver of her four-month-old daughter’s eye, Kylie herself confirmed her decision.
“Yeah I cut my baby out. I’m not sharing photos of my girl right now,” she replied to a fan in the comments section.
A post shared by Kylie (@kyliejenner) on
Theories from fans were thrown up as to why, with suggestions including Kylie was tired of comparisons between Stormi and her bodyguard, or that she’d decided to pull back like she did during her pregnancy.
Now, UK publication The Sun is reporting there is a much more insidious reason behind the baby girl’s social media disappearance.
According to an “insider close to the star,” Kylie made the change after a wave of particularly threatening internet hate.
“There have been an increasing number of trolls on social media calling Stormi ugly, and throwing out really horrible insults,” they said.
“It’s been really upsetting for Kylie, because also some of the comments are direct threats to kidnap her.”
And while the reality TV star and beauty entrepreneur is no stranger to online vitriol, the unnamed source says the latest abuse has her frightened.
“Kylie is terrified – she’s stepping up security. She hardly takes Stormi out in public but is now making sure that she’s got protection at all times,” they said to The Sun.
happy birthday North & P.. ????
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Prior to Stormi’s birth, Kylie famously kept her pregnancy strictly off the public record, despite growing suspicions from media outlets and fans.
Speaking about her social media exodus only after giving birth, she told her Instagram followers that she did it for her new “little life and our happiness.”
“I knew for myself I needed to prepare for this role of a lifetime in the most positive, stress free and healthy way I knew how,” she shared in February of this year.
Given this latest development, it seems like she’s adopting a similar approach.
What do you think about parents, famous or otherwise, sharing photos of their children? Tell us in the comments below.