Britney Taryn, the mother of a 6-year-old boy whose encounter with a giant Pacific octopus at the San Antonio Aquarium went viral on TikTok, is disputing the facility’s account of what happened, calling its official statement both false and defamatory.
The video, posted on July 15 and shared nearly 13,000 times, shows Leo, Tayin’s son, interacting with the aquarium’s massive octopus before it latched onto his arm and refused to let go.
According to the aquarium, the incident was due to Taryn ignoring warnings and leaning her child over the exhibit barrier. Seeing someone other than staff intruding on his habitat, the octopus displayed “typical curious behavior.”
