Lawsuit Claims There’s More to ‘Victoria’s Secret Karen’ Story
The internet might have labeled Abigail Elphick “Victoria’s Secret Karen” in 2021, but according to a new report from The New York Times, the real story is more complicated than that label might indicate.
Two years ago, Ijeoma Ukenta, who is Black, posted a video to her YouTube channel with the title “Karen Goes Crazy Part 1.” At the start of the video, Elphick, who is white, seems to be reaching for Ukenta’s phone as she films. She then sinks to the floor in tears, covering her face and denying Ukenta’s claims that she’d tried to hit her. Passersby in the store remain silent while Elphick begs, “Don’t record my mental breakdown—please, please, please.” The video has netted 2.6 million views on YouTube.
Ukenta had been shopping at Victoria’s Secret when Elphick began standing too close, the Times reports; when Ukenta asked Elphick to stand six feet away, she reportedly complained to a cashier, at which point Ukenta began filming.