The 'she deserved the purse' TikTok trend explained

A new TikTok trend is making the rounds where people are giving back to mums - but the trend has since taken a disheartening turn.

It all started when Danaesha Gonzalez, a mum from Nashville, Tennessee was out shopping when she noticed a bag sitting on a shelf in the babycare aisle which appeared to have been ditched by another mum.

She recorded the moment and simply wrote as the on-screen caption: "She deserved the purse" to imply that the bag was left by a mum who ultimately had to choose between treating herself to a new bag or buying necessities for her child.

The clip quickly took off, going viral with over 24.2m views, and soon inspired viewers to give back to mums by hiding cash inside baby products.

For example, TikTok creator Tabitha Swatosh filmed herself going into her local Target where she stashed up to $50 into different items such as nappies, detergent and formula.

"Someone else’s video inspired me… so I hoped mine would inspire someone else," Swatosh wrote in the comments section of her video.

Viewers have expressed their love for this act of kindness and recalled their own personal experiences of receiving a similar kind of generosity in the comments too.

One person said: "Omg this trend makes me sob."

"I’ve actually found this one time in a store by me, I was on WIC and could barely afford groceries and when we got formula we found $100 with it. The stress that was lifted knowing we were eating that day," another person wrote.

A third person added: "I would of cried if [it was] me finding it sometimes it be hard and you can only have enough for that one item you need for your kid."

"As a pregnant woman, I appreciate this so much, I don’t think people know how hard it can be and how expensive things are," a fourth person commented.

Someone else commented: "I was a mom at 19 who wanted the purse, this trend brings so much warmth to my heart."

However, the trend has since come under fire as some who have seen the trend online have been tearing open baby products hoping to find the hidden cash people have left for mothers.

TikToker Marina Gudov posted a video where she checked out the babycare aisle while at a shop and was disheartened to discover products on the shelves had been opened or ripped apart.

"Can't we just let a good thing be good," she wrote as she showed the extent of the damage.

The clip has since racked up over 3.4m views, and in the comments section slammed the trend for causing this, shared how the babycare aisle at their local supermarket looks the same and also noted the consequences of the tampered products.

One person wrote: "That’s why I’m a firm believer in doing something and not telling anyone about it. It feels morally wrong to do something good and then hit record to share w/ ppl online that I did that."

"The worst part is, I work in retail, & those damaged boxes will be marked as do not resale & thrown out due to contamination. Leading to shortages, higher demand, & therefore higher prices," another person said.

Someone else added: "Went to buy baby bottles for my soon-to-be daughter and had no idea why all the packages were open and destroyed with product damaged. My SIL had to explain to me the trend and what was happening".

"Tried to get cough medicine for my toddler last night and they were ALL open. I don’t wanna use an opened medicine for my babies. I was so angry," a fourth person commented.

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