Singer and Australian Idol judge Amy Shark has sparked a significant online backlash after posting a video on TikTok that appeared to mock a mother struggling with a crying infant during a flight.
The Viral TikTok Clip
In the now-controversial clip, the 39-year-old musician, whose real name is Amy Louise Billings, is seen seated on an aeroplane. As an infant nearby cries loudly, the ARIA Award-winning artist films herself pulling a frustrated pout directly into the camera. She sarcastically captioned the video with a single word: 'yay'.
The video quickly drew the ire of her followers and other viewers, who flooded the comments section to condemn her actions. Many interpreted the post as an attempt to publicly shame the baby's parent, labelling Amy's behaviour as 'unkind' and 'rude'.
Public Outcry and Defence of the Mother
The reaction from social media users was swift and largely critical. One person wrote, 'Damn that’s rude of you,' while another commented, 'That’s pretty unkind?' Numerous commenters expressed sympathy for the unseen mother, highlighting the immense stress of travelling with a young child.
'I understand it’s frustrating to hear, but the pure anxiety of trying everything to settle your baby on a plane and failing is awful,' one user explained. 'Parents aren’t ignoring it, they’re overwhelmed. This video is sh**ty.'
Another added, 'As a mum flying with a baby soon, videos like this just increase anxiety for parents who are already trying their best.' Some suggested Amy could have offered help instead of criticism, with one follower stating, 'Maybe offer to help,' and another noting, 'Imagine how stressed out that poor mama is feeling.'
Noise-Cancelling Headphones and a Misfired Joke?
Several observers pointed out an ironic detail in the video: Amy Shark seemed to be wearing high-end noise-cancelling headphones. This led to baffled comments questioning why the crying was an issue if her headphones were functional. 'Oh what, your 1k headphones not cancelling the noise?' one person asked.
A minority of commentators speculated that the post may have been an attempt at humour that badly missed the mark. One asked Amy directly, 'That didn't land the way you thought it would, hey?' Another expressed disappointment, writing, 'I did not expect this from you at all. I’m trying to figure out if you did this as satire or [if] you’ve changed?'
This incident follows another controversial online interaction from the singer back in July. At that time, Amy Shark told a social media troll that she did not care if he 'lives or dies' after he criticised her signature bun hairstyle, demonstrating her history of fiery clapbacks.
