TikTok creator Emilie Kiser is opening up about the grief she continues to carry after the sudden loss of her 3-year-old son, Trigg.
The toddler died in May after an accidental drowning in the family’s pool, an event Emilie has described as “the most severe and emotional” experience of her life.
Court documents filed in Maricopa County and obtained on Aug. 21 reveal how Emilie and her husband, Brady Kiser, are attempting to navigate life after the tragedy. “We are concerned about our ability to even start to heal,” Emilie wrote in her statement, noting that the incident has left a permanent mark on their family.
At the time of the accident, Brady was at home watching Trigg along with the couple’s 4-month-old son, Theodore. Officials have confirmed that no criminal charges will be filed against Brady in connection with the drowning. Emilie, however, shared that she was not home when the accident occurred and admitted that she will “forever second guess that decision, among many others.” She added, “The tragedy already haunts me.”
The influencer, who has built a following by sharing her life online, also expressed a desire to grieve privately despite her public platform. “Our love for our children has been shared and expressed worldwide, given my role as a social media personality,” Emilie said in the court filings. “Nothing we have shared as part of my profession has depicted anything but deep and adoring love within our family. That is how it should stay forever.”
In the wake of her son’s passing, Emilie filed a lawsuit against Maricopa County and the City of Chandler to prevent public access to records surrounding the death. According to NBC News, the lawsuit highlights the “heartbreaking accidental drowning” and Emilie’s struggle to process the event while protecting her family from additional emotional harm. Her legal team argued that releasing police reports, autopsy findings, or body camera footage would only cause unnecessary pain.
“The records requested presumably reveal graphic, distressing, and intimate details of Trigg’s death that have no bearing on government accountability,” the suit stated. “To allow disclosure in these circumstances would be to turn Arizona’s Public Records Law into a weapon of emotional harm.”
The family’s attorney further noted that Emilie herself has no plans to review the records, explaining that she wishes to be shielded from the most painful details. On May 29, Maricopa County’s Office of the Medical Examiner confirmed that it worked with the family to seal the case files once the lawsuit was filed. “When Maricopa County learned the family was pursuing a court order to prevent the release of these records, the Office of the Medical Examiner worked with the family to place a seal on the record,” spokesperson Jason Berry said.
As the Kiser family continues to mourn, Emilie has emphasized the daily struggle of balancing her grief with her role as a mother to her surviving son. “She lost her young son,” the lawsuit reads. “Emilie is trying her best to be there for Theodore. But every day is a battle.”
The family’s plea underscores the challenges that come with living through a personal tragedy while in the public eye. Though Emilie has built a community of followers online, she has asked for space and respect as she continues to process her unimaginable loss.
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