Influencer Veruca Salt says she feels she's 'insane' after death of one-month-old baby as police investigate

Police are said to be probing the sleeping arrangements of TikTok and Instagram influencer Veruca Salt after the death of her one-month-old son, as she says she feels "insane" following his sudden death.

Veruca Salt, whose real name is Kimberley Summer Hartley, aged 25, said in her Instagram Stories that her son had died "in his sleep" on Monday morning (February 5), but that she doesn't "know what happened".

Officers are now said to be looking into the baby's sleeping arrangements at his Australia home before the incident, The Courier-Mail reported. Police arrived at Salt's home earlier this week but detectives have ruled out any suspicious circumstances surrounding the untimely death of the infant and are preparing a report for the state coroner.

Queensland Police said: "Police are preparing a report for the Coroner. What aspects of the death form part of that report are a matter for the State Coroner, and it would be unusual for any particular aspect to be highlighted," as reported in Daily Mail Australia. 

Salt gave birth to her son, Cash Harrison Stirling, on Tuesday December 19 and confirmed the news with her Instagram followers in a post at the time. She had previously announced that she was expecting a baby boy in June by sharing a photo of herself with a cake which had blue in the centre.

'I want my baby back'

To explain her announcement of her son's death, Salt posted earlier this week: "I'm just saying this because people are still commenting on my TikToks saying how happy I look with him and "just wait for the toddler stage" and stuff, and I really can't take it anymore. I'm really sorry."

In the days following her son's death, Salt has posted a number of videos on her TikTok account, @verucasalt444, where she has expressed her grief at her loss. One video, which included a montage of images of the tot, was captioned "idk (I don't know) how im supposed to live the rest of my life without him".

In another video, showing her kissing Cash's nose, she said: "I want my baby back". In another, she said: "I knew he was dead but there was a part of me that really thought they were gonna wake him up."

Salt has been flooded with comments from fans and well-wishers, who have offered their support and condolences. One said: "When one mother weeps, all mothers weep with her." Another added: "If love could have saved him, he would’ve lived forever. Rest in peace sweet boy Cash."

One more added: "I am so sorry for your loss and sending so much love. No one should ever have to go through this, praying that you carry on for him and know that you’re loved and he always will be."

But, Salt has also had to defend her choice to continue posting on social media after her baby son's death. On Wednesday (February 7), she posted a video to respond to one person who had written: "No hate but I don't know how people can make TikToks just after their kids have died. Like setting up the camera, voiceovers, editing. I would be in bed for weeks, an absolute mess. RIP."

Salt hit back with her response and said: "'Your baby is not dead, mine is. I was literally talking about this with my friends, like it won't take long to do something for people to say "that's not how I would act" from people who are literally imagining how it would be,' she said. 

"You have no idea, because your baby is not dead. Mine is, and I found him like that and it's not happening to you. And if it was happening to you, you would know that bed is the last place you want to be, because God forbid you f***ing fall asleep. 

"Every time you wake up you're going to forget, and you're going to go get your baby and he's not going to be there.  And you're going to be in somebody else's house, in somebody else's bed because nobody's going to leave you alone. 

"And you're not going to want to go home to your bed. You're not going to want to go home at all because your baby is all over the house.  You have no idea the things that are going on in my head every five seconds. I feel insane. I feel crazy. And you don't get it."

Salt's fans came to her defence in the comments section of the video. One person wrote: "Everyone grieves so different. Please don’t ever feel that you have to explain yourself. Don’t let people tell you to be strong and stop crying."

Another said: 'YOU grieve however you need to. Post 1000 times a day or not at all. F whoever has an issue. No one knows this type of pain unless they’ve suffered a loss of this magnitude.' One more added: "Sending you all the love, it’s a pain only those have suffered can understand. You need to try to get through anyway that you can."

Salt had told her fans on Sunday (February 4) that she was taking her son to the hospital because he hadn't done a poo for seven days. She later said in the comments section of the video that he was doing "fine", but just hours later he died in his sleep.