Reality television personality and Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt has ignited a political drama after sharing a graphic video that he claimed showed a homeless woman giving birth on a Skid Row sidewalk while smoking crack from what he described as a government-supplied pipe. And the supplier? Supposedly none other than his rival in the Los Angeles mayoral race, Nithya Raman. Pratt’s accusations have gone viral, leading to heated discussions.
The video, posted on X on July 30, quickly spread across social media, prompting fierce debate over Los Angeles’ homelessness policies and harm-reduction programs. Pratt directly blamed Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who chairs the City Council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee and is also running for mayor.
“This is Nithya Raman’s slum utopia,” Pratt wrote. “A crackhead gave birth on the street (while smoking crack). Nithya runs homelessness & housing for LA City, and she gave them their free crackpipes. The baby was found dead in a blanket. This is what LA voted for? God help us,” according to the rest of Pratt’s rant.
The circulating video alleges that emergency responders were unable to intervene until after the birth and that the infant was later discovered dead nearby. However, those claims remain unverified by law enforcement, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, or other official sources.
No mainstream news organization has independently confirmed the alleged birth, the baby’s reported death, or the identities of those involved at the time of writing. Additionally, while some online posts later referenced fentanyl, both Pratt’s original post and the video’s narration specifically referred to crack.
Pratt’s accusations ignited a debate
The post sparked thousands of reactions online, with many expressing anger, sadness, or skepticism. On one hand, many people seem to believe Pratt’s words regarding the homeless in Los Angeles or California and Raman’s alleged involvement. “This is so heartbreaking,” wrote an X user, who also added, “What is happening?”
Another user questioned those behind the camera, writing, “I’d like to know who filmed this entire birth and didn’t step in to help that baby?” Several users also questioned the video’s claims. One commenter wrote, “Having to go to the hospital while I was pregnant was actually a special experience… That’s why I find it hard to believe that the paramedics told this pregnant woman there was nothing they could do.”
“The statement isn’t true. California law does not say emergency personnel ‘can’t do anything’ for a pregnant person because the baby has not been born. An ambulance can respond, assess the pregnant person, provide emergency treatment and transport them to a hospital,” argues another commenter. In any case, the mayoral race continues, and the fierce competition between Raman and Karen Bass ensues with Pratt out of the picture.
