Kim Atienza speaks out against social media user who blamed daughter Emman's death on him
Kim Atienza hit back at an Internet user who blamed him for the unexpected death of his daughter Emman.
On Oct. 24, the Atienza family announced the passing of their third and youngest child Emman. The news was met with a mix of sympathy and judgment.
Signing the statement, “Kim, Feli, Jose, and Eliana,” Atienza’s wife Felicia ended the Instagram announcement with, “To honor Emman’s memory, we hope you carry forward the qualities she lived by: compassion, courage, and a little extra kindness in your everyday life.”
One particular TikTok user did not heed that call.
Atienza, better known as Kuya Kim on Philippine TV, posted on the platform a clip of Emman singing Gigi Perez’s Sailor Song on Oct. 26.
He captioned the post, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”
“Thank you for the 19 years of my dearest little emmansky Lord,” Atienza continued.
@kuya_kimatienza The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” Thank you for the 19 years of my dearest little emmansky Lord.
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A TikTok follower called “Joy” left a comment on the post: “This is a common issue—many people misinterpret Scripture to fit their own narratives. But let’s be clear: God did not take her life—she made that choice herself. If you are truly in Christ, the Holy Spirit will convict you to repent for the ways you may have fallen short as a parent.”
Joy went on to confront Atienza directly: “You were meant to be her primary protector, teacher, and guide. Tragically, she was left without the support she needed from the one who was supposed to be her anchor. Proverbs 22:6 says train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old, he will not depart from it. It’s a message from God to all the parents; failing to do so is a sin.”
Atienza replied, “Joy, you are an evangelical bully. My Emman did not make that choice as clearly as you make choices. My Emman was clinically depressed.”
Emman frequently shared on her platform about her struggles with mental illness. In 2019, she mentioned a failed attempt at taking her life, and, later on, getting diagnosed with depression, CPTSD (complex post-traumatic stress disorder), bipolar disorder, and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).
Her father's TikTok followers reinforced Atienza’s reply to Joy.
“I cannot begin to imagine the pain the Atienza family and her peers are feeling right now, so the least we can do is be respectful about it-- give them compassion, please do not add to their pain,” wrote one user.
Another said (written as is), “oh, joy. this is a moment that calls for compassion, not condemnation. mental health struggles are incredibly complex. they involve silent battles that no parent, no matter how loving or present, can always see or prevent. to imply that a mother or father failed is deeply unfair & does not reflect the fullness of Christ’s heart.”
Emman was a Sparkle artist and content creator. With over 1 million TikTok followers, she gave her followers frequent peeks into her life.
Upon her passing, major international media outlets joined local media outfits in announcing her death, including Los Angeles Times, People, New York Post, and Entertainment Tonight.
The cause of her death has not been disclosed as of writing.
