Rachel, a young Tennessee mother, welcomed her baby boy into the world on February 17, and what should have been pure celebration quickly turned into an unwelcome spotlight.
Rachel works at the Celina 52 Truck Stop as a cashier, and her workplace shared the joyful news on Facebook, posting congratulations for the newest member of the family. They uploaded a picture of the beaming parents alongside their newborn with a heartfelt message: “Congratulations to our cashier Rachel and her fiancé Paul Buckman on their baby Cash Jamal Buckman being [born] on Saturday at 6:18pm.”
It didn’t take long for people to notice something that sparked controversy: Rachel and Paul are both white, while baby Cash has darker skin.
The comment section quickly filled with speculation and harsh accusations, with many jumping to the conclusion that Rachel had been unfaithful.
Seeing the flood of negativity, the truck stop stepped in with a follow-up post to set the record straight.
“Yes, Paul is the father. Rachel has African American DNA in her which can skip generations and cause a child to be born with darker skin,” the post explained.
They also mentioned that jaundice could be another factor in the baby’s complexion, before closing with a simple plea: “Please be kind.”
Unfortunately, their clarification did little to stop the wave of cruel jokes and skeptical remarks aimed at the new parents.
“Congratulations!!! I AM sure he looks just like his dad. Where is he?” one commenter sarcastically wrote.
Another chimed in with, “Definitely needs a DNA test; what if they accidentally mixed up the kiddos in the nursery?”
“I feel sorry for Paul, being duped like this is a whole new level of creep. Hopefully he’ll wise up,” someone else added.
Fed up with the relentless mockery and suspicion, Rachel decided to take matters into her own hands. She posted her actual ancestry DNA test results online to prove once and for all that she carries African American heritage. In her post, she wrote: “For the haters saying that I [don’t] have black DNA maybe this will clear it up straight from my ancestry DNA results !!!! NOW STOP slandering mine and my [fiancé] Paul Buckman name. he IS the father of Lil Cash.”
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