Mom-to-be thought her favorite influencer had cleared her entire baby registry — days later, one heartbreaking discovery shattered the excitement
Preparing for a baby can make even a small surprise feel deeply meaningful, especially when a parent is already planning for dozens of new expenses. For content creator Molleigh Pompilio, a happy moment arrived when she saw that nearly everything on her baby registry appeared to have been purchased by someone she admired. She believed the generous gesture came from her favorite influencer, Alex Cooper, but a painful discovery soon turned that excitement into disappointment. On August 21, 2026, she shared her experience on TikTok through the account @guacamolleigh, as reported by PEOPLE.
@guacamolleigh To whoever posed as @Alexandra Cooper to fake clear my registry, I hope you're pleased with yourself☹️ Thank you for your help, @Babylist. #Babylist #BabylistIyForward #Babygang #AlexandraCooper #DaddyGang ♬ original sound - MOLLEIGH POMP
Pompilio had followed Alex Cooper for years and knew Cooper had been helping expectant parents by clearing their registries. On August 17, she received a Babylist alert while talking with her parents on FaceTime. When she opened the registry, Cooper's name appeared beside the purchases. She expressed via her TikTok video how excited she was and "told everyone about it." But the surprise sadly was not real: Cooper had not bought the items. The discovery left Pompilio shocked after days of believing the gifts were coming.
The registry seemed especially important because Pompilio was expecting her baby in October and had already been dealing with pregnancy challenges and other major events. She described the supposed gift as "the good karma we had been hoping for and such a great mental reset to finish this pregnancy strong.” When the purchases failed to show tracking details, doubts began to grow. She also noticed differences between her registry and those belonging to other mothers who had received genuine help from Cooper. Her experience shows how quickly an exciting surprise can turn into confusion. Further checking uncovered more warning signs. The email connected to the purchases used a Gmail address rather than one linked to Cooper's company, and products were also listed as purchased on Amazon even though they had not been available there.
Pompilio contacted Babylist, and its support team confirmed that the account marking the items as bought did not belong to Cooper. Babylist said it blocked the accounts involved and added new authentication steps. For the content creator, the timing made the disappointment harder because preparing for a baby already involves major expenses. Having a baby can bring major costs even before other expenses such as childcare and supplies begin. A 2025 KFF analysis found that pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care cost families with employer health coverage an average of $20,416 in additional health spending, including $2,743 paid out of pocket. Pompilio knew she would manage, but was still disappointed.
After sharing the story online, Pompilio learned that the same email address had reportedly appeared on other registries. Then strangers began offering real help. Within two days, more than 40 people from 21 states and two countries contributed enough to clear her registry. The unexpected support changed the ending of the story and gave her a new reason to feel grateful. Pompilio said her family felt "incredibly thankful and blessed" and hoped to pass that generosity on to others.
For more such stories, follow @guacamolleigh on her TikTok account.