Soledad O’Brien shares scary story about strangers who thought she kidnapped her mixed-race daughter

By TheGrio Staff

·May 31, 2018

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 29: Zerlina Maxwell (not pictured) hosts Soledad O'Brien on "Leading Ladies" on SiriusXM Progress channel at SiriusXM Studio on June 29, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

On Twitter earlier this week, journalist Soledad O’Brien revealed that she was once followed home by a group of angry women who thought she was kidnapping her own daughter. O’Brien’s daughter is of mixed race and looks like her white father.

“This DID happen to me. I was followed home (from church) by an angry bunch of ladies yelling “she stole the baby” as I was wrestling with my then-2 year old awfully behaved daughter;” she tweeted. ” Anchoring Today show, so at the same time OTHER people were waving hi to me. Kid looks like dad”

This DID happen to me. I was followed home (from church) by an angry bunch of ladies yelling “she stole the baby” as I was wrestling with my then-2 year old awfully behaved daughter. Anchoring Today show, so at the same time OTHER people were waving hi to me. Kid looks like dad https://t.co/8j0qYuGTjM

— Soledad O’Brien (@soledadobrien) May 31, 2018

Mistaken for the Nanny

People responded to her tweet with stories of their own about parental confusion due to children being of mixed race. One Twitter user said someone had the nerve to ask her “what’s in” her daughter. Another woman shared that she regular gets confused as the nanny or stepmother.

I was asked how long had I been a nanny and if I had recommendations for a good one. When I said “no I’m her mother” they asked “oh. What’s in her” I stared for a moment then said “blood and a soul”

— Ellen (@MrsHew) May 31, 2018

It’s usually not outright questioning. It’s the assumption that I’m the stepmother or the nanny. It’s the assumption that other kids are mine because they have darker skin like me. It’s the surprise when my very light, curly haired daughter jumps into my arms. It really hurts /1

— K-MO (@kmo_anywhere) May 31, 2018

O’Brien was responding to a news story about a white woman who says an airline forced her to show proof that she was her mixed raced son’s mother. The ticket agent said she asked for proof because the woman and the child had different last names, but the mom believes it was about race.