Justin Timberlake posted a sweet photo of his son kissing Jessica Biel—and the reaction was surprising

Unfortunately, a surprising backlash occurred in Timberlake’s Instagram comments. Celebrities are used to being criticized and critiqued, but it was little Silas—or rather, his hair— that was the focus of a flood of negative comments under the sweet photo.

Commenters were quite harsh when referencing the preschooler’s long, curly hair. Some called him a girl, others accused JT and Biel of confusing him, and plenty more simply demanded the couple take Silas for a haircut, ASAP. There was a surprising amount of vitriol and curse words in the comments on a picture that was all about love, with some commenters even suggesting it is inappropriate for a mother to kiss her (again, 3-year-old) son on the mouth.

Who knows why Silas wears his hair that length. Maybe he likes it long, maybe his parents like it long, or maybe he doesn’t like getting his hair cut. We don’t know why Biel and Timberlake don’t cut Silas’ hair, but we do know that letting him keep it long won’t “turn him into a girl” as some commenters suggested, and that little boys still need kisses from their mamas.

“Parenting won’t change a child’s gender, but it will change their feelings of safety, security and trust in being just who they are,” Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson, pediatrician and Chief of Digital Innovation at Seattle Children’s Hospital previously told Motherly.

If Silas likes his hair long and finds comfort, safety and love sharing a kiss with his mama, we’re all for it, and so, apparently were the second wave of commenters on the post.

Fortunately, the tides turned in JT’s comments section as more positive-minded fellow parents chimed in to compliment Silas’ hairstyle and offer support instead of shaming the family.

“Is the kid happy? That’s all that matters,” one mama wrote. “What a beautiful moment between a mother and her child. Thanks for sharing with us. ❤️”

We couldn’t agree more with that assessment. Timberlake obviously posted the pic because he thought it was cute (and it is) and when it comes to a child’s hair, the child’s opinion and their parents’ opinions are the only ones that matter.