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In June 2025, Australian influencer Veruca Salt, identified by 7NEWS as Kimberley Summer Hartley, defended sharing an Instagram Story photo of her son Cash, who died in February 2024. Some followers objected that the image had appeared without a warning. PerthNow reported that a sensitive-content warning was later added.
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What prompted the backlash?
The controversy followed Hartley’s sharing of the photo on Instagram Stories. PerthNow reported that it showed Cash in his coffin. Some followers said viewers should have been warned before seeing it; the contemporaneous reports do not quantify the response or suggest that every viewer objected. 7NEWS reported on 19 June 2025, and PerthNow reported on 18 June 2025.
What did Veruca Salt say?
Hartley defended sharing the photo and posted further statements about her grief in Instagram Stories, as reported by 7NEWS. The outlet quoted her saying, “My son’s death isn’t about you.” Her response presented the post as part of her own experience of loss, rather than something she shared to meet viewers’ expectations.
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Was a warning added to the photo?
Yes. PerthNow reported that a sensitive-content warning was added after the initial backlash. The reports establish that some followers objected to seeing the image without a warning and that a warning was later added; they do not establish exactly when it appeared or how every viewer encountered the Story.
Who was Cash, and what was reported about his death?
Contemporaneous coverage said Cash died in February 2024, aged six weeks. In an interview published on 5 March 2024, Hartley told Rolling Stone Canada that he was six weeks and six days old and that an autopsy attributed his death to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). That is Hartley’s account as reported in the interview, not an independently presented medical record. The interview also described her experience of harassment following his death and her view of social media as a place to grieve.
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What is known about the investigation?
A February 2024 PerthNow report said detectives had ruled out suspicious circumstances and were preparing a report for the state coroner, while an investigation into sleeping arrangements was described as ongoing. That report, published on 10 February 2024, records the investigation’s status at that time. It does not establish a final coroner’s report or later official finding.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why did people disagree about the post?
The reported disagreement was between some viewers’ wish for a warning before encountering a distressing image and Hartley’s decision to share it in the context of her grief. The available reports describe those positions without showing that either represents all followers or all bereaved parents.
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