Food Network star who ‘beat adopted daughter, 3, to death’ tweeted about kids’ ‘white privilege’ days before ‘murder’
A FOOD Network star accused of beating her adopted daughter to death was tweeting about her children’s "white privilege" just days before the alleged murder.
Ariel Robinson, 29, posted on social media that while her black and white children were treated the same in her house, it will "not be the case" when they go out into the real world.
Police have said Victoria Rose Smith, three, was killed by her adoptive parents – Ariel Robinson and Jerry Robinson, 34 – on January 14.
On January 6, Robinson posted a series of tweets which included: "In my house, my black children get treated the same as my white children, and my white children get treated the same as my black children."
"It’s a shame that when they go out into the real world, that won’t be the case. #whiteprivilege #BlackLivesMatter.
She went on: "I will never have to worry about my white sons and that makes me happy."
"What makes me sad is that every worry I don't have for them will be multiplied for my black sons. Until this is fixed, we are NOT the USA we can be. Justice, fairness & equality for all! #BlackLivesMatter."
Robinson continued: "It’s a shame that as a proud mom to 4 beautiful boys, I can’t protect them from the reality and evil of this world once they leave the house.
"However, I will fight and use my voice to make a difference. To bring awareness and change so that one day, that change will come."
"I’m a Mama Bear, & I’ll do anything to protect my children & make sure their futures are equally bright [because] they have the same opportunities & are treated as equals the way God made them. There should be no #whiteprivilege only American privilege. #EqualityforAll #BlackLivesMatter.”
Robinson, who won season 20 of Worst Cooks in America, and husband Jerry have been charged with homicide by child abuse in South Carolina, according to police.
They're accused of inflicting multiple blunt force injuries on Victoria, resulting in her death on January 14.
Her death was ruled a homicide.
Victoria was placed in the Robinsons' home by the South Carolina Department of Social Services in March of last year with her two older biological brothers, a Change.org petition calling for reform to the department said.
The victim was fostered by the couple until they recently adopted her, cops said.
It remains unclear if any of the other children in the home had been abused.
Victoria was found unresponsive in the Robinson's home on January 14, and was taken to the Greenville Memorial Hospital where she was later pronounced dead.
The Robinsons were arrested and were being held at the Greenville County Detention Center without bond.
Police say they responded to a call about an unresponsive juvenile victim at their family home on January 14.
Cops said that the Robinsons "did commit child abuse by inflicting a series of blunt force injuries, which resulted in the death of the victim."
The coroner's office confirmed that the cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries, WHNS reported.
The Robinsons each face a charge of "homicide by child abuse" and, if convicted, face sentences of 20 years to life in prison, cops said.
"Police officers handle all kinds of cases, and these kind of cases can be the hardest for them to do," Simpsonville police spokesman Justin Lee Campbell told PEOPLE.
"It is a sad day. You bring charges and maybe convictions, but at the end of the day the life of a child was taken. For anyone who knew the victim or was related to the victim, they are in our thoughts and prayers."
Three-year-old Victoria's biological family, as well as some of her previous foster parents, buried her in a church graveyard in Travelers Rest, South Carolina, local newspaper The State reported on Friday.
Casie Phares, Victoria's biological mother, placed a teddy bear at her daughter's gravesite during the funeral, PEOPLE reports.
A preacher shared some words about the little girl, who was described as "sassy and smart."
Robinson won a $25,000 grand prize after competing on Food Network's Worst Cooks in America in August, WHNS reported.
The mother-of-five told the Greenville News last year that she had adopted three children, who moved in with her family in March.
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Robinson planned to use her winnings from the show to plan a fun trip with her large family, she told the outlet.
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"I want to take them to a waterpark resort or the beach. A vacation, so we can do one big thing as a family this year," she said.
The TV network has since pulled its latest season.
