Garrett Gee has finally addressed the criticism he faced after a video he posted earlier this year went viral and sparked controversy.
As a content creator, Gee frequently shares moments from his life with his three children on Instagram, where he has garnered a following of 438,000 people.
A decade ago, Gee sold his mobile scanning app to Snapchat for $54 million — $30 million in cash and the remainder in Snapchat equity, according to CNBC. This financial success allowed him to travel the world with his family. Over the summer, Gee took his seven-year-old son Calihan to Lake Powell to teach him how to cliff dive.
He made the decision to bring his son there after ensuring it would be a safe experience.
Gee elaborated on Instagram: “Really the biggest danger would be if he hesitated, didn’t jump far out, and fell down the cliff side.”
“So to be extra safe, because he wanted to jump but was not feeling confident… I threw him,” he added.
Gee also commented: “Eventually a baby eagle needs to leave the nest… or be tossed out of the nest and learn HE CAN FLY!”
After tossing his son into the waters below, Gee jumped in after him. Calihan emerged unharmed, but many online criticized Gee for being reckless. The video also captured Calihan’s older siblings leaping off the same cliff edge.
One commenter called it “irresponsible, terrible parenting.”
“He didn’t look happy. He looked traumatized,” another remarked about Calihan.
Now, months after the incident, Gee has addressed the situation.
“If somebody came across that video and had only seen that video, then I agree with them,” he told PEOPLE, reflecting on the backlash from the viral clip.
He continued: “But anyone who has followed our journey for a longer time, they understand how thoughtful and cautious we are as parents.”
Gee also expressed his desire to challenge his children, saying: “A small part of me felt sad when I would read the comments because you could tell how many people out there didn’t have the opportunity to be pushed by their parents to try new things and stayed within their comfort zone.”
He added: “That’s not the best way to live life. When people were very upset or terrified by the video, those were the people whom I thought, ‘I would love to go on an adventure with you and help you try something new.'”