What happened to RiceGum’s baby?

YouTube star RiceGum hasn’t posted on Instagram since 2022 and hasn’t been active on YouTube in a while, either. But in 2023, he shared that he and his partner were having a baby, and he was honest about the entire journey.

It can be tricky to be a content creator of any kind, since you wonder how much of your personal life you should share. However, RiceGum opened up a lot about his path to starting a family.

What should fans know about RiceGum’s baby?

In 2023, RiceGum posted a YouTube video and shared the devastating news that his baby girl was stillborn. He said he and his girlfriend felt “tremendous shock” and that when Ellerie was 35 weeks along, they were told the baby didn’t have a heartbeat.

After Ellerie went to the hospital for an induction, she gave birth to their baby, who didn’t survive. Hearing RiceGum’s words will break your heart, too: he said, “She looked perfect, just like she was sleeping.” He emphasized the absolute shock of the situation when he explained, “Only a few more weeks and she would’ve been here with us.”

RiceGum’s YouTube video started with a montage of all the happy moments he and his girlfriend experienced before the 35th week of their pregnancy. They shared all the blissful times that couples do while getting ready for a new addition, from celebrating their baby shower to all the appointments and ultrasounds. The end of the video has an explanation of the emotions they felt when learning that their baby would be stillborn.

While finding out why this happened wouldn’t have made this any easier, RiceGum explained that all the genetic testing that the doctors performed came back with no answers.

According to The Cleveland Clinic, some reasons for stillbirth include alcohol, smoking, and substance abuse. Expecting twins, experiencing high stress, and health problems like lupus and thyroid disorders and high blood pressure also can be risk factors. Stillbirths also take place after someone is 20 weeks along. As March of Dimes explained, this is a terrible loss and people will heal in their own ways. Talking to a therapist or a doctor after could be a helpful way to process the intense emotions that will likely result.

While nothing can take away the horror that she and RiceGum experienced, Ellerie posted a photo on Instagram in August 2024 announcing that she was pregnant again.

While some YouTubers post disturbing content, like Logan Paul has, and others stop posting, RiceGum used his platform to share some awareness of one of the scariest and most emotional things a couple could ever go through. RiceGum has always done his own thing, and some have said he makes too many digs at other YouTubers and shouldn’t have so many videos about fancy and pricey products. As he told Newsweek in 2019, “Maybe I could be a better role model to kids, but I’m just a dude who makes videos” and “I’m not going to change the way I act for anyone.”

But if someone has experienced the same tragedy he has, they are no doubt glad that he didn’t stay silent about it. Talking about this painful subject is the only way to help people feel less alone.