Rapper Ice-T Shrugs Off Controversy Over 5-Year-Old Daughter's Fake Nails

Oct 04, 2021 by apost team

Rapper Ice-T has been making waves in the entertainment industry since his music debut in 1987, and since then he's turned his talents to acting as well. His marriage to wife Coco Austin has also landed him a lot of press, with the couple even having their own reality show, "Ice Loves Coco," from 2011–2013.

Austin, whose real name is Nicole Natalie Marrow, was a glamour model when she met the rapper in the early 2000s. The couple got married in 2002, soon after beginning their relationship, and since then they've been almost as famous for their personal life as they have been for their careers.

Although they were married for over a decade without children together, in 2015 the couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Chanel Nicole. Now 5 years old, Chanel will be celebrating her 6th birthday at the end of November. With famous parents like hers, it's no surprise that Chanel has also been in the spotlight alongside them. 

But recently, the couples' parenting style has earned them a fair bit of criticism. This started when Austin revealed that she still breastfeeds her daughter on occasion, despite being 5 years old. Ice-T defended his wife publicly, but now the couple is getting heat once again.

This time, it involves Austin giving her daughter fake nails for a school photo, and needless to say, the public didn't hold back in their criticism. This led Ice-T to speak up once again in support of his and his wife's parenting choices when he appeared on "The View."

The drama all started when Austin posted two adorable photos of Chanel on her Instagram on Sep. 23. Dressed in a white polo shirt and black skirt, which looks like it could be a school uniform, Chanel is also wearing a sparkly red cardigan and matching red bows in her hair. Smiling widely for the camera, the young girl looks simply adorable and perfectly ready for her school photo, which Austin reveals is that day. 

But unlike other girls her age, Chanel is also sporting fake nails, specifically French tips, with Austin writing in the caption:

"School Picture day!! For the special occasion I let Chanel do mini tips to her nails.. I love doing her hair.. my little doll baby is what I call her...."

Although Austin made it clear that the nails were for the special occasion of school photo day, the post still drew the ire of commenters. One person wrote, "Too young for nails!!!!!" while another made reference to Chanel still being breastfed, writing, "Breastfed w tips." Someone else also touched on this, writing:

"Why she got tips but still breastfeed is she a baby or a young woman?"

But just as many others were supportive of Austin giving Chanel "mini tips," explaining that she is dearly loved and the moment was for a special occasion. Others pointed out that everybody parents differently and to not listen to the haters. 

Nevertheless, Austin giving Chanel fake nails brought Ice-T and his wife back into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons again, leading him to speak out on the issue — just as he had done regarding the breastfeeding topic.

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Appearing on "The View" this week, Ice-T brushed off the criticism the couple had received about Chanel's fake nails. The Law & Order: SVU actor told the co-hosts of the show, as reported by the Daily Mail:

"Rule one on the internet: Do not pay attention to anything anyone says on the internet."

He elaborated on this, as he explained:

"Worry about the people that walk up to you and say things in your real life. Those are the people you should be concerned with. The internet is the world. It's the world talking, so I don't pay attention."

He also brought up the fact that "everybody parents differently" and that "every house has its own constitution," before explaining that Chanel is "loved" by her parents dearly.

It's some sage advice and of all people, celebrities — who are constantly critiqued for anything they do, no matter what they do — are most familiar with having to brush off any judgments that are passed their way, so it makes sense that Ice-T knows how to respond in the situation.

As the couple is known for sharing a lot of their lives with the public, especially on social media, they've already given their daughter a head start by creating her own Instagram account on which they share photos of Chanel, both alone and with her family. Giving influencers over four times her age a run for their money, Chanel already has over 455,000 followers! On her account, she can be seen modeling in photos, suggesting that she might one day follow in her mom's career.  

What do you think about Ice-T and Coco Austin giving their daughter Chanel "mini tips" for her school photo day? Have you ever done anything as a parent that garnered controversy? Pass this on to those you know so they can weigh in too.