When Alex McCurry, a Black mom of three, welcomed her youngest daughter — nicknamed “Pudge Pudge” — she didn’t expect to become the target of relentless public scrutiny.
The little girl’s blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin stood in stark contrast to her siblings, drawing questions from strangers online and in real life about her parentage.
McCurry, who conceived her daughter through in vitro fertilization (IVF) with her husband Rob, who is White, recalls that even in the delivery room, doubts surfaced.
“The first time I laid eyes on her, I was like, ‘she’s light,’” McCurry tells People. Rob, concerned, asked for a paternity test. But the nurse quickly confirmed: “Biologically your baby.”
That assurance, however, hasn’t silenced public commentary. McCurry says she has been mistaken for her child’s nanny and even followed in a grocery store by someone who assumed she had stolen a baby.
“Why would somebody steal a baby? Do you know how stressful it is to have kids?” she quipped.
Online, where she shares her parenting journey, the scrutiny has been harsher. From comments suggesting her husband was unfaithful to others doubting her daughter’s biological link, McCurry often responds with wit.
“Yes, he cheated and got me pregnant with his cheating baby,” she said sarcastically to one commenter.
Despite the ongoing questioning, McCurry refuses to let bias overshadow her parenting.
“As long as the kid looks healthy and is doing great and looks like they’re in a loving situation, that’s what matters,” she said. “Coming up to us and saying anything is really exposing the racial bias that you have.”
Her videos have since gone viral, sparking conversations about race, genetics, and the assumptions people make about families who don’t “look” traditional. McCurry continues to educate her children about their diverse heritage while reminding them to take pride in their identity.
“I try to handle it with grace and patience,” she said. “At the end of the day, it’s nobody’s business but ours.”
