"My Father Would Have Approved..." Says Influencer Trolled For Funeral Photos

Influencer funeral photoshoot: Everyone processes the loss of a loved one differently, 20-year-old Jayne Rivera has said after facing a wave of backlash on the internet for photos she posted with the open casket of her late father earlier this week. The Miami-based model famous on Instagram has defended her 'photoshoot' which had her posing over eight photos near where her father lay.

In a statement to NBC News, Rivera said the photos were taken with the "best intentions" and in a way that her father "would have approved with had he still been alive." She added she had "treated the celebration" as if her father was right next to her but also understood the negative reactions her post received.

After Rivera put a carousel of photos with her late father's coffin on Monday, on her Instagram profile with over 80,000 followers, criticism ensued with many netizens calling the viral post "tone deaf" and part of "toxic" influencer culture. Read here.

The influencer deleted her Instagram account post the outrage.

Influencer Funeral Photoshoot: What Drove Backlash Against Jayne Rivera

Rivera reportedly told followers on social media last week that she had lost her father, a US veteran. "Butterfly fly away. Rip Papi you were my best friend. A life well lived. #dadless," she wrote in the caption of her photos from the funeral, for which she donned a single-shoulder black outfit with stockings.

The coffin behind her is seen draped with the American flag and, as some social media users pointed out, her father's folded hands are visible. On social media, a video of Rivera taking a selfie video while her father's flag-draped coffin is rolled away is also circulating.

Rivera in her statement says she stands by what she posted.

YOOOOOOOO ok so ik her she was a popular girl in my area and everyone was like wtf even her friends didn't know what to say if she deleted her account she made another one definitely damn she was in the same graduate class as me 😬 pic.twitter.com/i0sotzlTWw

— Isaac Castillo ( H-TOWN forever 🤘🚀) (@odysseusv8) October 28, 2021

"I'm horrified at the level of shallowness displayed here," one Twitter user wrote in reaction to the viral photos. Another said it was "narcissistic" of Rivera to pose and post the way she did. As per reports, many from the influencer circle - on TikTok and Instagram - began urging each other to unfollow Rivera for her funeral photos.

However, some netizens came out in support of the model. "Everyone could tell that her actions were inappropriate for public opinion, but does anyone know how much emotional bond with her father? Let the sadness work its way as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else," one user tweeted. "My dad passed about a month ago and I damn near took a selfie with his perfectly embalmed body before he got cremated," another shared.

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