A couple turned their devastating pregnancy loss into a funny and cathartic video viewed by millions

Each of us has different ways of coping with pregnancy loss. For instance, a popular TikTok influencer couple uses dark humor as a coping mechanism.

Dark humor is a type of comedy that funnily uses serious topics, such as death or disease. Some people find dark humor funny, even if the topic is disturbing.

However, if you need to understand why the joke is funny or dislike making light of serious issues, dark humor may not be for you.

Before proceeding, please remember that grief is a deeply personal experience. Everyone processes loss differently, and there’s no right way to heal.

It’s important to remember that everyone’s journey is unique, we grieve and heal differently.

Alexandra Madison and Jon Bouffard, a TikTok couple with 2.3 million followers, recently shared that their comedy skit about leaving the “DINKS” lifestyle helped them heal after losing their unborn son Leo at 26 weeks of pregnancy.

“We had an entire healing process on our own and we didn’t want to come across as insensitive or that we didn’t care, because what we experienced was traumatic, heavy and sad,” Alexandra told TODAY during an interview.

At times, they felt guilty about experiencing joy again. However, they eventually realized there was no right way to grieve.

In a July video titled “When your resignation from being DINKS is denied,” Alexandra and Jon enter a fictional “DINK” (Dual Income No Kids) office. Alexandra plays a grumpy receptionist.

In the video, the receptionist greets the couple at the “Dual Income No Kids headquarters” and angrily snatches their rejected application.

Jon shakes his head in disbelief, and they angrily leave the office. As they go, Jon flips off the receptionist.

The video, “We don’t handle rejection very well here,” went viral, receiving over 7 million views and thousands of comments.

One commenter said, “DINKS took my card away 10 yrs into marriage and gave me my twin card, laughing hysterically.”

Another one said, “Alex and Jon, I am so, so sorry for your loss. Seeing this really hit home. My wife and I have had 4 pregnancy losses in the past 2 years. October 3, 2023 was our most devastating, much like yours.”

Some commenters said that the couple’s dark humor resonates with how they cope with grief, “I too use dark humor to grieve. But it helps,” with another comment, “Dark humor is why I am with my husband. We lost my brother 34 years ago- healthy baby breeched should have been delivered c section wasn’t passed away long story short we make dark jokes it keep things moving like really sad things moving.”

Alexandra and Jon were initially hesitant to use dark humor in coping with pregnancy loss.

They often share funny videos about their relationship and pregnancy, but this video was their most personal.

Alexandra felt it was time to be honest and “address the elephant in the room.”

The couple found out they were pregnant when Alexandra took a pregnancy test on camera during the 15th week.

In the video, Jon excitedly announced, “We’re going to have a little baby!”

Later, in April, they announced they were expecting a boy named Leo.

Alexandra captioned the announcement, “Almost halfway there until we meet our little man!”

The video about leaving the “DINKS” lifestyle followed a popular earlier video where the couple embraced parenthood.

In the first video, Madison, as the receptionist, asked, “Ready to cancel? Did you not enjoy the peace and quiet? The extra money?”

In June, Alexandra and Jon shared the heartbreaking news that they had lost their son, Leo Grey.

Alexandra explained that the pregnancy seemed normal until a routine scan after the first trimester revealed concerning issues with the placenta and umbilical cord.

Jon often felt helpless, saying it was difficult because there was nothing he could do to help, and he didn’t fully understand what Alexandra was going through.

He said it was the worst thing he had ever experienced.

The couple sought help from a grief counselor to cope with their loss.

Jon experiences his feelings at unexpected times and is unsure how much to share, while Alexandra feels her grief immediately.

She admitted she once resented Jon for not mourning as much, but her therapist asked if she would really want that.

The couple is working on a short film called “The Shower” about a couple who lost their baby, and they are also creating TikTok videos.

Drawn to dark humor, Alexandra said, “It’s not that we’re disrespecting the loss of our son — it’s about, ‘How can we survive as a couple and move forward?”

She said they can still find joy and laughter together despite facing challenges.

“Humor makes it easier to talk about it,” Jon said, adding, “Grief comes in waves.”

Alexandra finds the most frightening aspect of pregnancy is the possibility of loss at any stage, even though it is most common in the first trimester.

Hearing stories from other couples who went through similar experiences helped her feel less alone.

“If we can do that for someone else, that’s all that matters,” she said.

Here’s the couple’s viral video using dark humor in coping with pregnancy loss:

@alexandramadison_We don’t handle rejection very well here 🙃  Jon and I have always posted skits inspired by what’s going on in our lives, and that includes this one. We never thought we would be here making this ‘follow-up’ to our first video resigning as DINKs (Dual Income No Kids), but here we are. And that’s life. Real life. There are ups and downs, and along the way, I’ve discovered that a little (sometimes dark) humor brings moments of relief. This post is a small part of that journey, a reminder that it’s okay to give ourselves and each other permission to laugh again. We can’t thank you all enough for your continued outpouring of support. And to all the couples who had their DINK memberships renewed, did you turn your nursery into a wine cellar? We haven’t…just asking.♬ original sound – Alex and Jon