A father who went viral after being videoed repeatedly shouting ‘no’ when his wife revealed she was pregnant with their fourth child has admitted he was ’embarrassed’ by her reaction.
Anissa Cofer, from Rockwall, Texas, took to TikTok with a clip of the moment she told her husband, James, that they would soon welcome another family member.
In the video, which has so far been viewed 8.1 million times, James gave an emotional response that social media viewers branded as the ‘most raw and real reaction ever’.
Now, the father-of-five says he was caught off guard by the news and his reaction was a mix of anxiety and stress.
Anissa Cofer from Rockwall, Texas took to TikTok a clip of the moment she told husband James they would soon be welcoming another family member.
Speaking to TODAY, James revealed how he felt watching the viral clip back.
He said: ‘I was wondering, financially, can we manage it? And then I started thinking about the stress of overstretching our hands. You want to be able to give each child individual attention and love.
‘What you see (in the video) is a rollercoaster of fear, stress and anxiety.’
He said he was embarrassed by the clip, adding, ‘I never want my wife to think I’m not supportive. She is the glue that holds our family together.’
James added that he was held back because he and Anissa had just had a conversation about their family being complete.
And while many social media viewers expressed their concern for Anisa, the mother-of-five revealed that her husband’s reaction didn’t bother her at all.
He told the outlet: ‘I wasn’t upset at all. I knew he just needed a minute to process the news, ten minutes later, he was so happy and we celebrated.’
When Anisa shared the video, she said it was the couple’s ‘childbirth’.
The mother said James’ emotional reaction was a result of the couple ‘having a baby’
Now, the father-of-five says he was caught off guard by the news and his reaction was due to a mix of anxiety and stress
In the clip, Anisa sets up a hidden camera to film her husband’s reaction.
He looked into the camera as he said quietly: ‘Oh I forgot, you got it [asked] To look at that thing today, I opened it but I didn’t open the mail inside it.’
Anissa points to the bedding package before her husband sits on the edge of the shot.
He asked, what is it? Before she blurted out: ‘I don’t know.’
James then pulled out a piece of paper from the envelope and was shocked to see the announcement in front of him.
The disbelieving father said: ‘I’m not playing, stop playing with me. Anisa, no! I don’t… no!’
He dramatically threw the papers away and held his head in his hands shouting ‘no’.
James said: ‘Don’t do this to me. Please tell me you’re kidding.’
And while many social media viewers expressed their concern for Anisa, the mother-of-five revealed that her husband’s reaction didn’t bother her at all.
Anissa looked at the camera and picked up the pregnancy test to confirm with her husband.
He screamed again, jumped out of bed and out of shot but could still be heard shouting: ‘Daddy! F***!’
Anissa, who then quickly turned off the camera, added the overwritten caption which read: ‘When you get a positive test and your husband’s reaction is not what you expected… Pardon the language.’
Elaborating further, Anissa uploaded the clip alongside a caption that read: ‘Needless to say, she is the blessing we never knew we needed.’
And dozens of social media users have come together to share their thoughts on the response.
One joked: ‘As a mum I would have had this reaction in my own tests.’
Another added: ‘The most raw and real reaction and I love it!’
Other social media users took the comments in droves and labeled it as the ‘most raw and real reaction’
And a third said: ‘That’s exactly how I would react, so I totally get it. I loved them, but NOOOO.’
However, not everyone found the funny side.
Addressing some of the negative comments, Anissa jumped to her husband’s defense as she wrote: ‘His reaction was not hurtful in any way. It is a total shock moment reaction.
‘He is the biggest blessing and he is the best father to our children.’
The couple welcomed their newborn – a daughter named Tara Nola Zayed.
James told TODAY that he is ‘obsessed’ with her.