Emilie Kiser speaks about feeling like an ‘unfit’ mother in first interview since son’s drowning

Emilie Kiser has done her first interview since she her three-year-old son Trigg drowned last year, and spoke out about feeling like she’s an “unfit” mother.

The toddler drowned in their garden pool in May 2025 while being watched by his dad and the story went viral. Emilie was out for dinner with friends when he lost sight of the toddler while tending to their newborn, and Trigg wandered outside and fell into the swimming pool.

CCTV footage of the incident showed that he was outside alone “unsupervised for more than nine minutes” in total, and he was in the water for seven minutes before he was found, the police report revealed. Trigg was taken to the hospital and passed away six days later.

Emilie returned to social media in August 2025 with a lengthy statement saying she takes “full accountability” for her son’s death because she didn’t have a pool fence installed. She has since spoken out about the accident numerous times on her Instagram and TikTok accounts.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by EMILIE KISER (@emiliekiser)

However, over a year after Trigg’s death, Kiser has now done her first public interview, appearing on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast this week. The full episode isn’t out yet, but PEOPLE has shared an exclusive clip where she talks about feeling like she’s not fit to be a mother.

“[There have been] many different emotions with parenting since we lost Trigg. And just being completely honest, feeling unfit. Losing a child really shows you in the scariest, most real way possible just how quickly life can change and can be literally taken away,” she said.

Most Read

Oliver Tree shared heartbreaking details of his money and will just weeks before his tragic death

‘I don’t remember’: Brazil bungee staff speak for first time as woman dies in horror jump

Chilling new crash details emerge as pop star and YouTuber are killed in two-helicopter collision

“I always try to remind myself that I have a choice to make. I can either let this completely derail me more than it already has. Not feel like I’m fit to take care of my younger son. Or I can do everything in my power to be the best mom I possibly can for him. And give him the same love that Trigg had and has.”

Kiser continued: “And I made a promise to Trigg right before we lost him that I was going to take care of Teddy. That was actually like my final promise to him was like, I will take care of your brother.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by People Magazine (@people)

A release date for the full podcast episode hasn’t been revealed yet, but it will be shared on the Jay Shetty Podcast YouTube channel.

For more like this, like The Tab on Facebook.

Featured image credit: @emiliekiser/Instagram