So You Think You Can Dance alum Brooklyn Larsen is mourning the death of her stillborn son.
“Our hearts are completely shattered. Our perfect little boy didn’t make it,” Brooklyn, 29, and her husband, Tanner Larsen, wrote in a joint Instagram post on Thursday, November 28. “Late Sunday evening, at 40 weeks and 2 days, Brooklyn went into labor on her own. We arrived at the hospital, full of excitement, only to be told the devastating news that they couldn’t find his heartbeat.”
They added, “The following couple of hours were a complete blur. It didn’t make sense.”
Brooklyn announced her pregnancy in August. The couple previously had a miscarriage in December 2023. (Brooklyn is also mother to son Rome, 3, from a past relationship.)
“Every single checkup, every ultrasound, every test had shown nothing but a healthy baby,” Brooklyn and Tanner recalled on Thursday. “He was always measuring big, always moving, always so active. We never imagined that this could happen. In an instant, our best day became our worst. At 11:23am on Monday morning, Brooklyn delivered our son in less than 9 minutes. 8 lbs 10 oz of pure perfection.”
They continued, “He was strong, beautiful, and was the perfect mix of Tanner and Rome. Holding him, memorizing every feature of his, feeling his spirit — he was everything we had dreamed of.”
Brooklyn and Tanner were then able to “spend the next 12 precious hours” with their baby.
“We were blessed to spend the next 12 precious hours with him, surrounded by our family, pouring all of our love into him,” they concluded on Thursday. “We can’t fully express the depth of the pain we feel losing our son and Rome losing his little brother. Our son, our angel. 🖤”
Brooklyn, who married Tanner in September 2023, previously competed as a ballroom dancer on So You Think You Can Dance season 11 in 2017. She finished in the Top 16, since remaining close to fellow alums Witney Carson, Lindsay Arnold and Jenna Johnson.
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The Dancing With the Stars pros all offered Brooklyn and Tanner their condolences via separate Instagram comments.
“Heartbroken for you guys. We love all you so so much ❤️🩹,” Arnold, 30, replied.
Carson, 31, wrote, “I love you so so much beez. Completely heartbroken for you ❤️🩹.”
Johnson, 30, for her part, noted that she was sending “so many prayers and love” to her pal.
