What began as a fun bonding activity between a father and daughter during football season took a disturbing turn when a 4-year-old girl started receiving death threats over her NFL predictions, according to a report by the Los Angeles Times.
Reese Donatelli, whose weekly picks are shared on social media by her father, Anthony Donatelli, gained a following for confidently selecting winners by grabbing miniature NFL helmets — sometimes tossing aside the team she believes will lose. Her decisions, often based on simple preferences like colors or food, have surprisingly proven accurate on many occasions.
During the first weekend of the NFL playoff games, however, several of Reese’s predictions did not pan out. According to the report, some followers reacted angrily, and Anthony Donatelli said his family began receiving threatening messages, including claims from strangers who said they lost money betting on games Reese picked incorrectly.
“It’s nuts,” Donatelli, of Riverside, told the Times. “She’s obviously not an NFL analyst. She’s picking teams based on the color of her dress, or she’ll pick the Packers because she likes cheese. She just relates these silly little things as reasons why she picks certain teams.”
The backlash escalated enough to draw online attention, including a joking response from rapper Cardi B during a social media livestream. Donatelli later said he did not want to escalate the situation and preferred to keep the focus on the positive bond he shares with his daughter.
The father-daughter tradition, now known online as “Trust the Toddler,” began nearly four years ago as a way to teach Reese colors and geography while sharing his love of football. Despite the threats, Donatelli said they do not plan to stop making picks together.
For the family, he said, the videos are about spending time together — not wins, losses, or wagers — even as Reese’s lighthearted predictions continue to attract attention far beyond their living room.