Viral Video Of Garrett Gee Throwing Son Off Cliff Draws Backlash; Influencer Speaks Out
Garrett Gee , the travel influencer behind The Bucket List Family, is speaking out after facing criticism for a viral video showing him tossing his 7-year-old son, Calihan, off a cliff into Lake Powell.
The July 2025 clip shows Gee giving his son a pep talk before lifting him and throwing him safely into the water below. Many viewers reacted sharply online, calling it reckless parenting.
In an interview with People magazine, Gee explained, “If somebody came across that video and had only seen that video, then I agree with them. 'Oh man, this looks terrible, and this father's pushing their child too much.' But anyone who has followed our journey for a longer time, they understand how thoughtful and cautious we are as parents.” He added that reading negative comments was a bittersweet experience, noting, “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. ”
"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,'" he further added.
Gee emphasized that safety is always the top priority. In the video caption, he clarified that this approach isn’t used with their other two children. “Each kid is quite different so the way we parent, discipline, and teach HOW TO CLIFF JUMP is quite different :) For sure 1st priority is safety. 2nd is learning that YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS. 3rd is HAVE FUN :),” he wrote.
He further explained his reasoning for physically helping his youngest son. “We took our youngest Cali to a cliff height that we knew he would be safe. 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” Gee said.
Despite the backlash, Gee says the controversy hasn’t shaken him. “I'm very confident in who me and my wife are as parents and our intentions and how careful, cautious and loving we are. It didn't affect me. I understand the nature of the internet.”
He also highlighted the joy of family travel: “Selfishly, I love that we get to be together 24/7, exploring new places and having unique experiences as a familyAs a dad, selfishly, I love the opportunity we've had to travel together. When we're traveling, we get to be together as a family 24/7 doing different experiences and exploring new places together.”
The July 2025 clip shows Gee giving his son a pep talk before lifting him and throwing him safely into the water below. Many viewers reacted sharply online, calling it reckless parenting.
In an interview with People magazine, Gee explained, “If somebody came across that video and had only seen that video, then I agree with them. 'Oh man, this looks terrible, and this father's pushing their child too much.' But anyone who has followed our journey for a longer time, they understand how thoughtful and cautious we are as parents.” He added that reading negative comments was a bittersweet experience, noting, “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. ”
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"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,'" he further added.
Gee emphasized that safety is always the top priority. In the video caption, he clarified that this approach isn’t used with their other two children. “Each kid is quite different so the way we parent, discipline, and teach HOW TO CLIFF JUMP is quite different :) For sure 1st priority is safety. 2nd is learning that YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS. 3rd is HAVE FUN :),” he wrote.
He further explained his reasoning for physically helping his youngest son. “We took our youngest Cali to a cliff height that we knew he would be safe. 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” Gee said.
Despite the backlash, Gee says the controversy hasn’t shaken him. “I'm very confident in who me and my wife are as parents and our intentions and how careful, cautious and loving we are. It didn't affect me. I understand the nature of the internet.”
He also highlighted the joy of family travel: “Selfishly, I love that we get to be together 24/7, exploring new places and having unique experiences as a familyAs a dad, selfishly, I love the opportunity we've had to travel together. When we're traveling, we get to be together as a family 24/7 doing different experiences and exploring new places together.”
Who is Garrett Gee?
Garrett Gee is a travel influencer, tech millionaire, and creator of The Bucket List Family. He gained attention in 2015 after selling his mobile scanning app to Snapchat for $54 million. Alongside his wife, Jessica, and their three children, he has visited over 100 countries, documenting daring adventures like swimming with sharks, scuba diving, and sledging in Italy.
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