A woman whose mom was fiercely slammed over her ‘rude’ reaction to her pregnancy reveal has explained what really happened.
Olena Perez, 34, from Boca Raton, Florida, went viral last month when she shared a video to TikTok that showed her breaking the news to her family that she was expecting her first child.
She asked everyone to pose for a photo together before she suddenly whipped out the positive pregnancy test and presented it to her mother, Tetyana Sergeev, 55, who was standing next to her.
But her mom was so focused on taking the group snap that she completely brushed off the news.
The video began with Olena and her family all lining up to take the family photo as they passed the camera – which was secretly recording a video – to a stranger.
As they posed for the snap, Olena said, ‘Hold on I want to fix my lipstick,’ and she began to reach into her bag.
She then pulled out the pregnancy test and held it in front of her mom’s face.
Tetyana stood there awkwardly for a few moments starring at the pregnancy test before she urged Olena to put it away and pose for the picture.
A woman whose mom was fiercely slammed over her ‘rude’ reaction to her pregnancy reveal has explained what really happened
Olena Perez, 34, from Boca Raton, Florida, went viral last month when she shared a video to TikTok that showed her breaking the news that she was expecting her first child to her family
‘What do you mean? I’m telling you I’m pregnant,’ an exasperated Olena yelled, as some of the other family members cheered.
The video of the tense moment gained nearly 35 million views and sparked immense backlash for Tetyana.
Many people called it ‘painful to watch’ and some even branded Olena’s mother as ‘narcissistic’ and ‘rude.’
Now, Olena has spoken out about the incident exclusively with the Daily Mail, and she confessed that her mom’s response left her extremely ‘disappointed and sad.’
She explained that this happened back in 2023 while she, her husband, and parents had gone to visit their aunt and uncle.
She pulled off the fake photo stunt while they were all out to eat at a sushi restaurant on the first night of the trip.
‘I wanted to get it out of the way,’ she said of why she chose to share the news then.
‘Plus my mom insisted on going to a sushi restaurant and I needed everyone to know why I wasn’t eating.’
She asked everyone pose for a photo together before she suddenly whipped out the positive pregnancy test and showed it to her mother, Tetyana Sergeev, 55
Tetyana stood there awkwardly for a few moments starring at the pregnancy test before she urged Olena to put it away and pose for the picture
The video of the tense moment gained nearly 35 million views and sparked immense backlash for Tetyana
She said her mom had spent ‘years’ questioning when she would have a baby, so she figured she’d be ecstatic by the announcement.
Olena theorized that her mom reacted the way she did because she ‘is very superstitious and was nervous she was sharing the news too early.’
‘She also thought I was showing it to her by mistake,’ she added.
Even so, Olena said she wishes things had gone differently. When asked if she regretted announcing it that way she told the Daily Mail, ‘100 percent.’
‘I would have shared with my mom in private if she wasn’t traveling, and I definitely will share it privately next time.
‘I was really disappointed and sad at the time. [Later when I] announced it to my grandmother she was happy and I said to my mom, “See this is how you should have reacted.”‘
Olena – who went on to give birth to her son, Mason, in February 2024 – said despite the initial pain, they’re able to look back at it and laugh now.
She added that her mom feels ‘really bad’ and is a ‘wonderful grandmother’ to her son.
‘My mom is amazing,’ she added. ‘My mom had me at 19 so we have a very sister-like relationship.
‘I’m very emotional and sensitive, and she is the opposite. If you see my other videos, we are the best of friends.’
Now, Olena has spoken out about the incident exclusively with the Daily Mail, and she confessed that her mom’s response left her extremely ‘disappointed and sad’
Olena – who went on to give birth to her son, Mason, in February 2024 – said despite the initial pain, they’re able to look back at it and laugh now
She added that her mom feels ‘really bad’ and is a ‘wonderful grandmother’ to her son
As for why she shared it now, two years on, the mother-of-one explained that the video had come up on her memories recently and she found it amusing so she decided to upload it to TikTok, unknowing that it would rake in millions of views.
‘I decided to upload to Tiktok never thinking anyone would see it – I only had 100 followers at the time,’ she shared.
Some of the comments on the video read, ‘That was a really painful watch,’ ‘I would have cried and went home,’ and, ‘I’m glad you’re starting your own family cause I don’t know about this one lol.’
‘This would actually really hurt my feelings,’ said someone else. ‘I’m sorry, you deserved the sort of explosive excitement that forgets time and place.’
‘Narcissistic mothers ruin everything,’ another user wrote.
‘May this family dynamic never find me,’ a different viewer commented.
In the end, Olena said the reaction to the video is a reminder that no families are perfect.
‘I did not expect the reaction and I definitely did not expect it to go so viral,’ she concluded.
‘I think a lot of people are resonating with the video, because when are family moments ever perfect?’
