Melanie Martinez's Coloring Book Controversy Sparks Fury Over Imagery Some Say Depicts Child Abuse

Content warning: This article contains images with references to subjects that some readers may find disturbing, along with descriptions, including references to child sexual abuse material (CSAM), sexual assault, and other related topics.

Pop star and influencer Melanie Martinez is best known for her hit songs such as "Cry Baby," "Dollhouse," and others. But over the years, she has been the subject of multiple disturbing allegations.

Those allegations have been cast in a more sinister light after the star released the Cry Baby Coloring Book, filled with images that many have suggested glamorize and promote CSAM. The internet has reacted strongly to the 2016 coloring book, placing the singer under the microscope as they analyze the images and their impact. Here's what we know about Melanie's coloring book controversy, the allegations against her, and the internet's reaction.

Melanie Martinez has been at the heart of several controversies over the years. In 2017, one of Melanie's former friends, Timothy Heller, alleged that she was coerced into sexual contact with Melanie during a sleepover. In a series of online revelations, Timothy described a sex crime she said her former friend committed against her, detailing sexual assault and rape.

Melanie responded with a statement reading, "[She] never said no to what we chose to do together. And although we parted ways, I am sending her love and light always."

In July 2024, Timothy reiterated her experience on TikTok, explaining, "During the MeToo movement, I chose to speak out against a former friend that has SA’d me. I was young, naive, and could never imagine how this would end up affecting my life."

Since speaking out again, Melanie's controversies have remained on a slow burn as people bandy back and forth theories and accusations, with fans defending her staunchly and critics calling her out as an alleged abuser.

But the controversy kicked into overdrive in 2025 with a resurgence of attention to the coloring book, which was designed by Melanie. In the book, several images have drawn pushback from critics who feel as though she is glorifying CSAM and catering her imagery to pedophiles.

In one image, a child in a bathtub looks up with soap in her mouth. While this references, one of Melanie's songs, the imagery can be considered disturbing. In another image, a wolf holds the book character under an arm.

Many have suggested that an ice cream cone, held by the wolf, is held in such a way that it is suggestive of intended sexual assault against the child.

On TikTok, multiple videos are taking a closer look at the images and questioning why Melanie felt that it was appropriate imagery to portray in a coloring book. While it's clearly not a coloring book marketed to children, the ever-present question that users keep asking: Why did she feel the images were necessary?

Some people have accused Melanie of tailoring the images to cater to pedophiles and promote CSAM. In one video on TikTok, a user comments, "Of course it wasn't advertised to kids. Kids aren't into CSAM, adults are." Another responds, "It’s still not OK to show children depicted in a sexual light like the bathtub and ice cream."

One user writes, "Wolf with ice cream cone is the worst I think." Another user responded to them, clarifying that the wolf imagery may be a reference to the song "Tag You're It" by Melanie which describes kidnapping.

Defenders in the comments say that people who find something wrong with the images are imposing their own biases. One user explains that the images all reference different lyrics in Melanie's songs and that nothing depicted in the book is overtly sexual.

Nonetheless, criticism is growing.

Melanie has remained silent as the controversy continues to grow, and critics online continue to suggest that the images in the coloring book are harmful and should be addressed.

For now, the only addressing that's happening is online between critics and defenders who are slugging it out over who has the appropriate interpretation of Melanie's intentions. Regardless of what Melanie intended, it's clear that the images have sparked uncomfortable feelings.