Chainkeen Exchange-TikTokers Matt Howard and Abby Howard Break Silence on Backlash Over Leaving Kids in Cruise Room

Matt Howard and Abby Howard are setting the record straight. 

The Chainkeen Exchangemarried TikTokers raised eyebrows when they shared that while on a cruise with their sons Griffin, 2, and August, 13 months, they left the boys in their stateroom while they went to dinner.

After receiving backlash from across the web, Matt, 26, and Abby, 25, explained that their boys were never alone.

"We usually would not be making a video like this," Matt said in a post shared on their joint TikTok Sept. 16, "but there is information circulating about us that is completely untrue."

He explained that the two "take our role as parents extremely seriously, and we love our children more than anything in the entire world, and we're very protective of our kids."

According to Matt, he and Abby—who have been married since 2019—were on a seven-night cruise with Abby's extended family, when Abby posted an Instagram Story that said the couple had gone to dinner and were monitoring their children in their cabin via FaceTime.

"People started to speculate and believe that we had left our children alone in their staterooms," Matt continued. "And that is just completely untrue, because we had someone with our children at all times on this boat. Period."

Abby added that she can see why her story led to the misunderstanding, which is why she said she deleted it several hours after posting.

"I do want to clarify that we have not, would not, will not ever leave our children unattended," she said. "We would never, ever want to put them in harm's way in any way."

As for watching their children through FaceTime, Abby explained that Griffin and August sleep in "blackout tents" every night, regardless of if they're traveling or at home. Because the tents have a spot for a monitor, the influencers always have one in there to keep an eye on their children, even if they're in the same room as them, or—in this case—even if someone else is with them.

She noted, "We just love to have eyes on them."

The Unplanned Podcast hosts finished their message thanking not only those who were concerned about their children, but also Abby's family for helping ensure they were able to leave their staterooms during the cruise.

"Thank you to you guys for listening to what we had to say," Matt said in conclusion. "It really means a lot to us."

Following the new video, fans quickly jumped in to thank the podcasters for clearing the air.

"I knew it!" one TikTok user wrote in the comments. "I bet only a handful of people saw that video and every single other person ‘concerned' just jumped on a bandwagon without any thought of the truth. Sorry you had to deal with this."

Another user added, "Situation handled with such maturity considering all the backlash and miscommunication. Handled calmly and respectfully. Sending positive vibes until this hurricane passes."

The comments provide a stark difference to the ones users had written shortly after Abby posted to her Instagram Stories, saying they had switched their dinners to after the boys went to bed and "FaceTimed the monitors while we ate."

"Obviously not enough people take true crime seriously," one TikToker said in a video posted Sept. 15. "What happens if you come back from eating dinner and you have no idea how your kids are doing? How long—if there was an emergency—would it take you to get back to the room?"

Another person wrote in the comments of her video, "I'm just saying, what other situations do they leave their kid alone."