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By Marni Rose McFall
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Crystal Wilsey, the woman who went viral and was subsequently fired from a Cinnabon location after a video showed her harassing a Somali couple with racist comments, has spoken out in a social media post.
“Standing up for yourself does not make you a racist!” Wilsey wrote in the caption of a TikTok video.
Newsweek has contacted Wilsey via a message on social media.
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Why It Matters
The incident occurred when a Somali couple entered the bakery to make a purchase. The employee then began to mock the woman’s hijab, which prompted the couple to record the encounter, according to reports. The video shows the worker saying the n-word, stating that she is racist and making derogatory comments.
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The employee was later identified as Wilsey. Following the viral video, she was fired from her job and Cinnabon, who previously told Newsweek in a statement that the worker's “actions and statements are completely unacceptable and in no way reflect the values of Cinnabon, our franchisees, or the welcoming environment we expect for every guest and team member.”
The incident follows attacks on the Somali community from President Donald Trump and his administration. Comments made by the president have raised concerns about discrimination against Somali-Americans, especially as federal authorities are reportedly preparing a targeted immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota that would focus primarily on Somali immigrants living unlawfully in the United States.
What To Know
The tone of the video and the caption of the post are incongruous, and the video is likely old as it shows Wilsey inside of a Cinnabon location. The video shows her holding a beverage and saying, “Strawberries and cream, with a dash of mango, for my drink.” In the video, she is smiling and wearing a Cinnabon apron.
The video, though, is captioned with a reference to the viral incident. It reads in part, “Everyone with hypocritical views and returning the hate honestly does nothing. HOW DOES THAT MAKE PEOPLE FEEL? Well the couple that planned and attacked me in the workplace were in fact harassing me. GET THE FACTS.”
Wilsey has multiple public social media accounts, including on TikTok and on Instagram, that have been publicly linked to her by multiple news outlets.
Wilsey is from Menominee, Michigan, and studied at Post University, a private for-profit college in Connecticut, according to her Facebook page. The Daily Mail has reported, citing public records, that Wilsey has a criminal record, including charges for disorderly conduct and drug possession.
A fundraiser on the Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo has raised more than $100,000. The description on the page reads “Meet Crystal: hardworking White mom doing her job at Cinnabon. Two Somali customers decide to make her shift hell with intimidation. Instead of banning the offenders and backing their employee, Cinnabon fires Crystal to keep the nons happy. We’re not letting this slide. Funds go to making sure Crystal lands on her feet after this betrayal. No White person should lose their job for refusing to be harassed by Somalis."
Some of the donations have come with notes supporting her comments and expressing racist sentiments.
What People Are Saying
A Cinnabon spokesperson told Newsweek in a statement on Saturday: "We are aware of the deeply troubling video involving a former employee at the independently owned and operated Cinnabon bakery in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. The individual seen in the video was immediately terminated by the franchise owner."
The statement added: "Their actions and statements are completely unacceptable and in no way reflect the values of Cinnabon, our franchisees, or the welcoming environment we expect for every guest and team member. We take this situation and remain committed to ensuring all guests are treated with dignity, respect and kindness every time they visit one of our bakeries."
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