Emilie Kiser has opened up in her first formal interview since the heartbreaking loss of her son Trigg, who died after a drowning accident involving the family’s swimming pool in Arizona.
Three-year-old Trigg was found unresponsive in the family’s backyard pool on May 12, 2025, and died at hospital on May 18 after several days of treatment.
At the time of the accident, Emilie — who had built a large following on Instagram and TikTok by sharing family and lifestyle content — was away from the home. Trigg and his younger brother Teddy were in the care of their father, Brady Kiser.
According to reports and law-enforcement documents, Brady said he became distracted while watching the boys and lost sight of Trigg for several minutes before finding him in the water.
Trigg was rushed for medical care, but doctors were unable to save him.
Since the tragedy, Emilie has spoken publicly a handful of times about the grief she and her family are living with. In one message, she described Trigg’s death as “preventable” and urged parents to learn more about pool safety for children.
She also stepped back from posting for a period before returning to social media earlier this month, shortly before the first anniversary of Trigg’s death.
Now, Emilie has taken part in her first official interview, sitting down with Jay Shetty for his On Purpose podcast.
In a preview of the episode shared with PEOPLE, Emilie reflects on the loss of her son, saying: “Losing a child really shows you in the scariest, most real way possible just how quickly life can change, and how quickly life can be literally taken away.”
She also says: “I always try to remind myself that I have a choice to make,” Emilie continues. “I can either let this completely derail me more than it already has, and not really feel like I’m fit or able to take care of my younger son, or I can do everything in my power to be the best mom I possibly can for him, and give him the same love that Trigg had and has.”
In the episode, Emilie also says she made a promise to Trigg before his death that she would take care of Teddy, and says that motherhood now means choosing each day to keep going for her surviving son.
The full conversation with Shetty was released on June 17, 2026.
Following Trigg’s death, authorities investigated the circumstances and considered a Class 4 felony child abuse charge against Brady, who was supervising the boys when the incident happened.
However, on July 25, 2025, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said Brady would not be charged, concluding there was no reasonable likelihood of conviction.
Part of MCAO’s statement issued at the time read: “Every case submitted to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is evaluated using the same standard: whether there is a ‘reasonable likelihood of conviction’.
“After careful review of the evidence submitted by Chandler PD, it was determined this case does not meet that standard.
“MCAO’s review of the case involved the attorneys assigned to it, along with highly experienced senior attorneys and the County Attorney herself.”
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact The Compassionate Friends on (877) 969-0010.