Fans call photos of La La Anthony and her son Kiyan ‘weird’, sparking debate after teen gets tattoo on her arm

La La Anthony recently traveled to Japan with her 17-year-old son, Kiyan Anthony. The actress and TV personality sparked a debate after sharing photos of her and the son of retired NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony.

The 6-foot-4, 192-pound highschool senior was recently named the highest player in New York City’s Class of 2025.

In one photo posted to La La’s Instagram page, the 42-year-old mother of one will be seen hugging Kiyan from behind. Another post shows a distinct photo of the teen along with his arm around his mother while she wears a mid-drift shirt, prompting criticism online.

In addition to those photos, Kiyan recently got his mother’s face tattooed on his arm, his second after getting his first on his sixteenth birthday. Footage of the previous Long Island Lutheran High School linebacker’s tattoo also drew negative response online.

“This is just weird” read tweet on X referring to Kiyan’s body ink. Another user on the social media platform he joked“Melo somewhere asks: Where is the tattoo on my face?”

One person expressed a more positive view of the tattoo, writing“I don’t think it’s a bad idea, I personally wouldn’t buy it, but hey, he’s going to the NBA, the kid’s future is bright. lol.”

Shadow Room shared photos of the mother and son from their trip, and commenters on the post compared La La and Kiyan’s poses to those typically seen in couples.

“This is exactly what Draya and Jalen look like…mother and son,” one person wrote. Another Instagram user commented, “I thought that was Draya and her baby daddy.”

The relationship of Jalen Green, 22, and Draya Michele, 39, has drawn lots of criticism on account of their 17-year age difference. In June 2024, Michele addressed the fallout from the Houston Rockets player getting pregnant.

“I don’t know what people’s problem is. Two adults in love, you know, I don’t know why that would upset people. It’s kind of weird. Love is love, at the end of the day,” the previous “Basketball Wives LA” star told TMZ.

La La’s Instagram carousel has sparked more negative reactions beyond comparisons to Draya Michele. For example, faultfinders suggested that the “Power” actress sees her teenage son as her spouse.

“Stop making your sons husbands and find one yourself,” someone declared. A similarly minded person commented, “A bit too much for me. He’s your son, not a man.”

La La married Carmelo Anthony in July 2010 after a six-year engagement. Their wedding was filmed for the VH1 documentary series “La La’s Full Court Wedding”. Kiyan Anthony was born on March 7, 2007.

In June 2021, La La filed for divorce from Carmelo, 4 years after their April 2017 split. She later admitted that the move from Denver to New York, as Melo was traded from the Nuggets to the Knicks, played a job within the separation.

“I think that was the beginning. Now that I think about it, that was the beginning of the downfall of the marriage,” La La Anthony admitted during an appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast in 2022.

There were also rumors that Carmelo cheated on La La multiple times during their marriage, including unconfirmed reports that the previous NBA scoring champion had twins with one other woman.

Melo allegedly welcomed a daughter named Genesis Harlo in 2016 with a lady named Mia Angel Burks. He was mottled with the newborn for the primary time that very same 12 months and later mentioned her in an Instagram video in May 2023. announcing his retirement.

Melo’s alleged infidelity became one of the topics of conversation surrounding the polarizing photos of La La Anthony and Kiyan Anthony. However, several commenters also supported La La as a mother.

“Carmelo really dropped the ball but that’s none of his business, my good sister looks really happy and her little boy is handsome,” added one fan, referring to their divorce.

Another La La fan suggested that her critics should seek therapy. The person wrote, “There’s nothing wrong with being super close to your mom. If you have anything negative to say about these photos, please seek help for your trauma.”