Brazil's lifelike doll craze goes from shopping malls to state legislatures

SAO PAULO (AP) — Videos featuring emotional moments with hyper-realistic baby dolls have sparked both online fascination and political debate in Brazil, with lawmakers even bringing the lifelike dolls into legislatures.

Influencers have staged situations such as birth simulations and strolls in shopping malls with the hand-crafted baby figures, known as “reborn" dolls, creating videos that have gone viral.

In Rio de Janeiro, the city council has passed a bill honoring those who make the lifelike dolls, pending Mayor Eduardo Paes' signature. Meanwhile, legislators elsewhere across the country have debated fines for those seeking medical help for such dolls, following a video allegedly showing a woman taking one to a hospital.

Lawmakers have brought the dolls into legislative chambers.

On Tuesday, Joao Luiz, a state lawmaker from Amazonas, appeared with a doll at the State House to announce plans to ban reborn dolls from receiving care in the state’s public health system. However, local media reported that health authorities had never recorded any such cases.

Last week, congresswoman Talíria Petrone criticized the attention her colleagues were giving to the issue. “Can we focus on what really matters? If someone wants to have a doll, let them. I have two real children and they’re more than enough work,” she said.

Dozens of “reborn mothers” gathered at Villa Lobos Park, in Sao Paulo, on Saturday for a 10th annual meet-up. Participants say criticism should be aimed at attention-seeking influencers, not the broader community.

The hyper-realistic baby dolls are often used for grief therapy or parenting practice.

Berenice Maria, a nursing assistant and longtime collector who owns eight dolls, says they offer emotional comfort. “I love reborns, despite the hate we see out there,” she said. “I want the right to go out with them … go to the mall, go to the park.”

Daniela Baccan, co-owner of a reborn doll shop in Campinas, Sao Paulo, said dolls sell from 700 reais ($124) to nearly 10,000 reais (nearly $1,800).

With the rising controversy, safety concerns are increasing.

“We’re locking up the store more, adding cameras,” Baccan said. “But at the same time, online demand has increased, and the store is seeing a much higher flow of people.”

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A group of women gather in a park to bond and show off their hyper-realistic reborn baby dolls, in Sao Paulo, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Ana Paula Vilela holds her dolls during a group gathering to bond and show off their hyper-realistic reborn baby dolls, in a park in Sao Paulo, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

A family shops for a hyper-realistic reborn babydoll at a shopping mall in Campinas, Brazil, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Nice Maria Santos holds her doll during a group gathering to bond and show off their hyper-realistic reborn baby dolls, in a park in Sao Paulo, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

An employee bathes a hyper-realistic reborn babydoll at a shopping mall in Campinas, Brazil, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

A hyper-realistic reborn baby doll lies in an incubator for sale at a store in Campinas, Brazil Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

“The Great American State Fair” is a series of concerts, exhibits, tributes and other programs scheduled to take place June 25 to July 10 on Washington’s National Mall. It was organized by Freedom 250, which is billed as a nonpartisan organization but was launched last year by President Donald Trump and is headed by a Trump State Department appointee from his first term, the businessman-philanthropist Keith Krach.

On Wednesday, Freedom 250 announced that Bret Michaels, the Commodores and Martina McBride would be among the musical performers, some of whom were slated for an “I Love the ’90s” show on June 26.

But by late Thursday, Michaels, the Commodores and McBride had dropped out, as did Morris Day and Young MC.

Michaels and others have said that they were misled about the theme of the shows or were otherwise wary of being caught up in a political fight. In an Instagram post, Michaels wrote that he had thought his show would be a chance to “honor our veterans, active military, first responders, teachers and hardworking Americans from all walks of life.” But he concluded that the event had “evolved into something much more divisive” and referred to “threats that are completely unfounded and unforgivable.”

McBride also issued an Instagram statement, saying she had been “presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading.” Young MC expressed similar sentiments in an Instagram post, while the Commodores released a brief statement saying they chose “not to publicly affiliate with any single political party.”

As of Friday morning, performers still expected to appear include Flo Rida, Vanilla Ice and Fab Morvan of Milli Vanilli, the Grammy-winning duo from the late 1980s-early 1990s who were discredited after reports that Morvan and fellow front man Rob Pilatus did not sing on the records and lip-synced on stage. (The actual singers, including sisters Jodie and Linda Rocco, told The Associated Press that they were not invited).

Morvan told the AP in an emailed statement that he was "here to entertain and unite people, not divide them.”

"Let’s celebrate life & music and take a trip down memory lane,” he said.

A representative for Vanilla Ice told the AP in an email that the “Ice Ice Baby” rapper was “proud to help celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary!"

"Everyone is welcome to attend and celebrate USA’s Birthday and our Freedom!” the representative said.

A Flo Rida representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Freedom 250 organizers have yet to respond to AP requests for comment. Freedom 250 spokeswoman Rachel Reisner told The New York Times in a statement that “Freedom 250 is focused on our signature celebrations and events that honor our history and engage all Americans.”

Trump, a Republican, has some prominent supporters in the entertainment industry, including Sylvester Stallone and Nicki Minaj, but many more have shunned him. Taylor Swift, Robert De Niro,Billie Eilish and Bruce Springsteen are among those who have endorsed Democrats and/or condemned Trump, while Elton John, Kenny Loggins and others have objected to their music being used for Trump rallies or Trump videos. After the president ousted the leadership last year at the Kennedy Center and had his own name placed on the building’s facade, numerous artists, including Bela Fleck, Renée Fleming and Issa Rae, called off scheduled appearances.

FILE - Martina McBride performs, Oct. 28, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

FILE - Young MC performs during the "I Love The 90's" tour on Aug. 7, 2022, at RiverEdge Park in Aurora, Ill. (Photo by Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 26, 1992 file photo, Fabrice Morvan, left, and Rob Pilatus of Milli Vanilli perform during the taping of the Arsenio Hall Show in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Craig Fujii, File)

FILE - Singer Brett Michaels performs at halftime of an NFL football game between the Detroit Lions and the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, Ariz., Sept. 8, 2019. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File)