MTV The former "Teen Mom" star didn't issue an official statement about why she removed the ad.
Former “Teen Mom” star Chelsea Houska found herself in some hot water over the holidays after she posted a promotional ad on Instagram for Duracell batteries.
Houska wrote that Duracell made their lithium coin battery safer by adding a bitter coating and secure packaging, but fans weren’t persuaded. Hundreds of people reminded Houska that batteries are dangerous if they’re swallowed by children and criticized her for using her son in a promotional ad.
The day after the post was uploaded to her official page, Houska quietly took down the promotion.
Heavy reached out to Houska and her reps about the situation but they didn’t respond.
Houska Wrote That Duracell’s Update Gave Her a ‘Sense of Relief’
Fans on Reddit took screenshots of the post, so her picture and text weren’t completely scrubbed from the internet. Houska hugged her son — 5-year-old Watson — and held up Duracell’s lithium coin batteries with her left hand.
“Obviously it’s ‘normal’ now, but I find it so off-putting to see moms using their little kids in ads on Instagram,” an original poster wrote on Reddit.
In her original post, Houska said she was relieved by Duracell’s updates.
“They are small coin batteries that are a choking hazard if your child tries to put them in their mouth,” she wrote. “So I felt a sense of relief with I learned @duracell made a Lithium Coin Battery with child secure packaging and a bitter coating, so that if one of the kids did get a hold of it and put the battery in their mouth, it would help discourage them from swallowing.”
Duracell writes on their safety quiz that their product can be dangerous if swallowed.
“A lithium coin battery can get lodged in your child’s esophagus and burn through the surrounding tissue in as little as two hours, causing serious damage,” they say. “If you suspect that your child has ingested a lithium coin battery, act fast.”
It’s Not the First Time Houska Partnered With Duracell
Houska posted her first ad with Duracell in July — but she didn’t receive the same type of backlash.
Watson was also featured in this ad, but this time she talked bout using “@Duracell batteries with Power Boost Ingredients” to go on bug hunts.
“I wasn’t one for a bug hunt until I became a mom and now these kids can convince me to do just about anything,” she wrote in the July post. “We got these bug vacuums for Watson and he loves them. They are powered up with new @Duracell batteries with Power Boost Ingredients, which can deliver more life in some.”
“My favorite part of motherhood is making memories with my kids and even though I’m not a bug girl, this is a moment I hope Watson doesn’t forget,” she added.
Unlike the comments section on her November Duracell post, the July paid partnership was filled with responses from people who loved Houska’s outfit, called her the “cutest mom ever” and said she was their favorite person from “Teen Mom.”