'He just left 4 kids to do that': Daughter tells story of father abandoning family to become a break dancer, faces cringey clapback from dad himself

Ally Perry • Writer and Editor

Feb 20, 2024 4:00 PM EST

Rare is the individual who doesn't have some kind of issue related to their parents. Even those who can boast a respectable relationship with their mom and dad usually have something that could easily be hashed out in therapy, so spare a thought for those kids who have to be raised (or not) by straight-up douchebags.

Such was the case for one TikToker, who found herself at the center of social media scrutiny recently thanks to her sharing an anecdote about her absent father. Screenwriter Madi Hart received millions of views when she explained a personal example of emotional trauma that was also funny, but that was only the beginning of this viral saga.

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It began with a story time.

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She chose to speak about how her dad had walked out on her, her mother, and her three siblings when she was a young child, eventually becoming a moderately famous break dancer after he left to pursue this dream. She even chose to wear the merch that he gave her, although she maintained they were not close.
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It wasn't long before her dad had something to say about it.

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Madi's father was apparently so indignant at his daughter's lighthearted video that he felt it warranted an over ten minute response (original video here).
He said that after digesting a reaction that included many strangers , he liked "about 98%" of the video but he had to make some corrections. These included claims that he had lived near Madi and her siblings for the rest of their childhood, and that he hadn't taken up break dancing until years after the divorce. Naturally, he also had to include a dance break around the six minute mark as well.
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Some were supportive of this attempted takedown.

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They included Twitter/X CEO and fellow divorced dad Elon Musk.
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However, many others weren't as impressed.

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Madi had to set the record straight.

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According to her, not all of her father's corrections were correct. He apparently lived several states away her entire childhood and also refused to help out with medical bills in college despite him protesting the level of child support he had paid her mom. Most of TikTok were understandably on Madi's side, and by that point, things had spiraled into mega-viral saga that may well go down as one of the more ridiculous stories of 2024. Spanning parenthood, the generational divide, and most importantly, a man spinning around on his back, this is the perfect storm for several different corners of social media.
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