Social media is calling out Claire Couv Smith, wife of Texas Rangers pitcher Josh Smith, after she made a comment that many single mothers say crossed the line. In a now-deleted TikTok video, Claire—who is pregnant—said she gets embarrassed when people assume she’s a single mom.
The video went viral and turned into a firestorm. Single moms and children of single moms took to TikTok to explain why the statement felt dismissive and harmful.
Single Moms Push Back
TikTok creator Brianna Florence (@briannaflorence) posted a video that has since gained more than 1.4 million views, where she broke down exactly why Claire’s wording rubbed so many the wrong way.
“Did you guys see that influencer who’s like an MLB wife, and she got online with her full chest calling single moms embarrassing?” Brianna begins.
Claire’s video has since been reposted, stitched, and talked about by dozens of other creators, including Brianna.
Claire went to tour a hospital without her husband. She says in the since-deleted video, “Not gonna lie, [I] was a smidgen embarrassed ’cause I swear the 15 other couples were probably looking at me, being like, ‘This girl is a single mom who just got knocked up.'”
Brianna lays out the reality.
“You’re not immune to life,” she says. “I’d say majority of single moms never in a million years expected to become a single mom.” She adds that it can happen because of infidelity, abuse, or tragedy.
Brianna, a widow, shares her own story, saying, “I lost my partner at seven months pregnant. I didn’t choose or expect to be a single mom.” She adds, “That makes us embarrassing? Or does that make us a bada– mom?”
She also points out the irony. “With a baseball husband, it’s freaking possible. Don’t get so confident in yourself yelling, ‘My man! My man!’ It can happen to you, too,” she says.
Claire Issues An Apology
After the backlash, Claire Couv Smith posted another video—this time an apology. That video got over 1.6 million views.
“I feel horrible about it,” she says. “I totally understand how insensitive that sounded. And, like, I’m embarrassed that I used the word ’embarrassed.’ And I’m embarrassed that I used the phrase ‘knocked up.’”
She continues, “The specific group that I offended is some of the strongest people out there. Being moms—like, someone who hasn’t even birthed her child yet, and I already messed up so badly.”
Claire clarifies, “I do not think that about y’all at all in the slightest. I was horrible at articulating myself.”
She continues, “I can’t imagine for the moms who do it themselves. I do not discredit that or want y’all to think that.”
@clairecouvsmith im so so sorry ilyall
The Bigger Picture For Single Mothers In The U.S.
Single motherhood is not rare in America. And it’s far from embarrassing.
According to the Center for American Progress, there were more than 7.3 million single mothers in the U.S. in 2023. Most are in their 30s or 40s, and about half have never been married.
The challenges are real. Three out of four single mothers are in the workforce. But most earn less than $40,000 a year. The poverty rate among single moms hovers at 28%. Women of color face even lower median incomes.
In many cases, single mothers are balancing full-time jobs while also raising their kids with very little support.
Commenters Weigh In
The comments under Brianna’s video echoed that sentiment.
One person lauded Brianna’s take, writing, “’You’re not immune to life’ phew that was a whole word amen.”
“I’m a single parent because my sister died and her little babies, who she raised as a single mother, needed a safe place. Never expected this life but I’m so grateful for it,” another shared.
“She was going to TOUR the hospital, in her cute outfit, done hair & expensive purse. I’m sure the last thing they all would’ve thought was that she was a knocked up single mom. Lots of single moms don’t even get the luxury of touring a hospital,” a third wrote.
“Single moms are superheroes.. not embarrassing. My mother will always be a superhero to me,” a fourth shared.
Others took a softer stance. One said, “Claire apologized, I think she wasn’t even thinking when she said it. My mom is a widow, so yeah I guess she’s a single mom.”
BroBible has reached out to both Claire and Brianna for further comment.