Dad Who Threw Son, 7, Off Cliff Address Viral Video Criticism (Exclusive)

Sometimes parenting is a leap of faith, or in Garrett Gee’s case, a jump off a cliff.

Gee, the influencer behind The Bucket List Family page, went viral in July 2025 after sharing a video of himself throwing his 7-year-old son off a cliff in Lake Powell. In the clip, Gee stands on a massive cliff alongside his son, Calihan, giving him what appears to be a pep talk. In an attempt to help the elementary schooler conquer his fears, Gee picked him up and tossed him into the water below.

While thousands of people criticized his parenting, Gee invites anyone who saw that video to watch more of their content to understand where he was coming from. 

“If somebody came across that video and had only seen that video, then I agree with them,” he tells PEOPLE exclusively. “‘Oh man, this looks terrible, and this father’s pushing their child too much.’ But anyone who has followed our journey for a longer time, they understand how thoughtful and cautious we are as parents.”

While adventure and travel are at the heart of Gee’s content, he also wants to ensure there is still a focus on comfort and safety, while also pushing the limits of his kids’ comfort zone.

“A small part of me felt sad when I would read the comments because you could tell how many people out there didn’t have the opportunity to be pushed by their parents to try new things and stayed within their comfort zone,” Gee shares.  

“That’s not the best way to live life,” he adds. “When people were very upset or terrified by the video, those were the people whom I thought, ‘I would love to go on an adventure with you and help you try something new.’ ”

In the original post, Gee clarified that it was not to serve as “parental advice” nor “something [he advises] you try.” He also made clear that this tactic isn’t one they’ve done with their other two kids.

“Each kid is quite different so the way we parent, discipline, and teach HOW TO CLIFF JUMP is quite different 🙂 For sure 1st priority is safety. 2nd is learning that YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS. 3rd is HAVE FUN :),” he wrote.

Despite the criticism, Gee says it didn’t affect him “negatively in any way.” 

“I’m very confident in who me and my wife are as parents and our intentions and how careful, cautious and loving we are,” he tells PEOPLE. “It didn’t affect me. I understand the nature of the internet.” 

Gee has had a while to get used to the realities of posting on social media, as their channel recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary. Over the last decade, the adventurous family has shared videos surfing with sharks, tandem scuba diving and sledding in Italy, among other things.

“As a dad, selfishly, I love the opportunity we’ve had to travel together. When we’re traveling, we get to be together as a family 24/7 doing different experiences and exploring new places together,” Gee says.

The family first made headlines in 2015 after Snapchat bought Gee’s mobile scanning app for $54 million. The content creators, who describe themselves as “full-time family travel journalists,” then sold everything before leaving their home in Utah to travel the world. Since then, the Bucket List Family brand has launched an Instagram and a YouTube channel, amassing millions of followers across platforms.

Gee and his wife, Jessica, have traveled to more than 100 countries — and counting — with their kids. 

For those looking to follow in their footsteps, Gee recommends “starting small.” 

“Go on a fun adventure in your own backyard and then something in your own like region and just build from there to make sure it’s what you want to do,” he says. “We went the extreme route and sold everything and left home. Luckily, we loved it, but it is not for everyone.”

Gee hopes that when people watch his content, they feel inspired to embark on their own adventures. 

“When we are creating a video, our goal isn’t to get people to watch as much of our content as possible. It’s the opposite. We want people to see a video, feel inspired to go out and live their life and turn off their screen, turn off their internet and go adventure offline,” Gee shares. 

One of their next adventures includes releasing a book centered around fictionalized accounts of their travels. The book was made with the input of each of their children, adding fantastical elements to adventures they’ve shared as a family of five.  

The Bucket List Family and the Big Adventure will hit shelves from Disney Hyperion and National Geographic on Oct. 28 and is available for preorder now, wherever books are sold.