Dr. Fatima Daoud, a board-certified OB-GYN from New York, recently took to TikTok and Instagram to share a realization she had after a conversation with her husband, who is a criminal lawyer. In a video that has amassed over 1.8 million views on Instagram and more than 950K views on TikTok within just 24 hours, Fatima breaks down why their professional worlds don’t always see eye to eye.
As she sat in her car, Fatima explained, “So my husband is a criminal attorney. I don’t know anything about the law. He doesn’t know anything about medicine. It works.” She stated that one day, she questioned him about what happens when he discovers evidence that suggests his client is actually guilty. She asked, “Do you need to tell the prosecutor what you found in good faith?” Her husband’s answer was a firm “no.”
When she pushed back, arguing that presenting all the facts is the only way to achieve justice, he gave her a reality check. He told her, “My job is not justice.” She narrated that he further explained, “My job is to represent my client’s interests. My job is not to do the prosecutor’s job for them. He’s like, I have to give the prosecutor a very specific list of things, names of people involved, witnesses, all of the evidence. I am not gonna do their job for them.”
Fatima was so flabbergasted that she edited in memes and graphics to highlight it
She then told him, “But this doesn’t seem fair! It doesn’t seem fair!” His response was simple, if annoyed: “”fair” is the job of the court system. When everyone does their job, that is what is “fair.””
He explained that, like her, his client has a right against self-incrimination. “I represent the person who has a right against self-incrimination,” adding, “so why would I incriminate the person that I am an extension thereof? I have ONE job to do. I’m going to do my job.”
“And then it hit me. I’m married to a placenta,” she deadpanned. “A placenta has one job to do. That placenta needs to add sugar to the baby. It doesn’t care how insulin-resistant it makes the mom. Even if it gives the mom gestational diabetes, it’s not her job. Glycemic control is not her job.” She explains that the placenta also doesn’t care about the mother’s blood pressure, even if it leads to preeclampsia.
Preeclampsia is a life-threatening condition that affects many mothers. Alabama mom, Dixie Guesnard, was forced to abandon her wedding to rush to the hospital, although the staff helped her get married anyway. One high-profile case was that of Meghan Markle, who developed a rare version after she gave birth
Fatima noted that the Placenta only cares about the baby. She concluded, “And as an OB-GYN who has never met a placenta I have trusted, all of our fighting makes sense.”
The reaction online has been massive, with many people finding the comparison both hilarious and strangely educational. On TikTok, user sashabechara wrote, “as an obgyn who has never met a placenta i have trusted took me out.” Another user, Tanas Faber, shared, “As a doctor I dated lawyers. I decided to marry an engineer 🤣.” Meanwhile, Neron B. Cyrus commented, “So basically you gave us a lesson in medicine AND law? You have any other superpowers?”
On Instagram, maegenmm, who identified as a public defender, wrote, “I protect people’s constitutional rights. Guilty or not. It’s that simple. But today I learned I am also a placenta 😂.” Another user, michigan.blonde, noted that the video highlights an important nuance about the adversarial system, stating that protections like the Fifth Amendment and the presumption of innocence are what keep the system balanced for everyone, even when it feels counterintuitive.
Kavanaugh Law Firm notes that criminal lawyers serve as essential guides and protectors of rights, acting as a buffer between the client and the state. Their role involves conducting thorough investigations, developing robust defense strategies, and ensuring that the prosecution meets its burden of proof. A defense attorney’s role is to ensure the government proves its case legally and fairly, rather than determining moral guilt.
Online, the conversation has even sparked a debate about the technicalities of the law. User A D pointed out on TikTok that while the prosecution must share all evidence with the defense, the defense only has to share exculpatory evidence. However, everyone’s main note was summarized best by mamadoctorjones on Instagram: “I have never understood law better.”
Published: Jun 12, 2026 02:34 pm