ADVERTISEMENT
google discover
Follow us on Google Discover
Garrett Gee has broken his silence after receiving backlash for a viral video shared earlier this year.
He sold his mobile scanning app to Snapchat ten years ago for a whopping $54,000,000 — $30 million in cash and the rest in equity in Snapchat, CNBC reported. He was then able to dedicate his life to traveling around the globe with his wife and kids and over the summer, Gee took his seven-year-old son Calihan to Lake Powell to teach him to cliff dive.
He decided to take the youngster there before he knew it ‘would be safe’ for his son.
Garrett Gee and his son (Calihan y Tommaso Boddi/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images)
Garrett Gee and his son (Calihan y Tommaso Boddi/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images)
“So to be extra safe, because he wanted to jump but was not feeling confident… I threw him.”
The father added: “Eventually a baby eagle needs to leave the nest… or be tossed out of the nest and learn HE CAN FLY!”
“Irresponsible, terrible parenting,” somebody commented on the video at the time.
“He didn’t look happy. He looked traumatized,” a different person said of Calihan.
“If somebody came across that video and had only seen that video, then I agree with them,” he told PEOPLE of the backlash that the now viral clip generated.
Gee went on: “But anyone who has followed our journey for a longer time, they understand how thoughtful and cautious we are as parents.”
Gee continued: “That’s not the best way to live life. When people were very upset or terrified by the video, those were the people whom I thought, ‘I would love to go on an adventure with you and help you try something new.'”
ADVERTISEMENT