The term Karen has been circulating on social media since 2020 and was used as a stigma on white women in US society. It became a meme when viral videos of white women threatening to call the police and other authorities on strangers who were black.
Well, after some time, it turned into a controversial issue, so let’s explore the real story behind the Victoria Secret Karen Lawsuit.
A 25-year-old white woman Abigail Elphick, who lives in Milburn, N.J., was involved in a viral TikTok with Ijeoma Ukenta, who gave her the nickname ‘Victoria’s Secret Karen.’ Basically, she chased a Black woman named Ijeoma Ukenta for recurring her behavior in the popular lingerie store.
After two years, the incident went viral, and a black woman filed a lawsuit against her. So, people are curious to know about the Victoria’s Secret Karen lawsuit.
What Happened At Victoria Secret’s Store?
The story started when Ijeoma Ukenta used a coupon for a free pair of the popular brand Victoria’s Secret underwear. Abigail Elphick was also there to shop, and Ukenta asked her to move 6 feet away. Abigail felt uncomfortable and complained to a cashier. Ukenta started recording the incident on the phone, and the situation escalated from there.
The white lady, Elphick, lunged at the black lady, Ukenta, and then fell to the floor in tears and begged that they stop recording her mental breakdown. Well, her videos sparked the scene, and according to an insider, Elphick chased her and called the security police, claiming she was threatening her.
The video continued to record for 15 minutes.
When the video went viral, Elphick became popular as the Victoria’s Secret Karen, a villain unfamiliar with the online fare genre.
However, people who are watching this did not know that she was disabled with a long history of psychological and medical conditions.
What Legal Findings Say About Abigail Elphick?
The legal findings revealed that Abigail Elphick has a long history of medical conditions. Millions of social media users watched the viral video where she is crying and begging Ijeoma,’ Please don’t record me.’
In September 2023, Abigail and her legal team shared that the viral video had a different perspective than what viewers perceived.
According to the New York Times, the legal filings show that Abigail was labeled as Victora’s Secret Karen on TikTok and other social media platforms and had a disabled history of psychological and other medical conditions at that time.
Furthermore, the team stated that the argument prompted her mental health breakdown, and her behavior was not race-based. They also said she had feared losing her job and apartment as she lives in a residence for those with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
The court records show that Abigail received a call from a stranger who threatened her to rape and kill her. Some people also demand that she lose her local school district internship. Well, the call prompted the president of Bergen County’s United Way, Tom Toronto, the company that runs her residence, to speak out in her favor. So Tom explained multiple times she has a psychological disorder.
Ijeoma Ukenta Filed A Lawsuit In July 2023
Actually, all the explanations by Abigail came when Ijeoma filed a lawsuit against her in July 2023. Ijeoma, a content creator, sued Abigail, Victoria Secreta, and is the store’s security guard. She said the security was extremely dismissive toward her and indifferent about her safety concerns.
When the video went viral, Ijeoma received flack for profiting off the event. She posted a video in July 2021 with the caption ‘Karen Goes Crazy on her YouTube Channel. The video got 2.6 million views on Ijeoma’s account and raised the number of subscribers.
After the video’s success, she created a ‘GoFundMe’ titled ‘Help Me Defend Myself Against Karen’ that brought in a reported $104,000.
Well, her GoFundMe campaign raised the eyebrows of many people, and many other vloggers,, such as Kasko Xero, stated that she was using the incident to get fame and money. Ijeoma and her lawyer, Tracey Hinson, defended YouTube’s profiting from her experience with Abigai. She said on X in 2021 that she was within her rights to make money off my videos if anyone else was.
Meanwhile, the entrepreneur’s attorney believes it’s her client’s right to discuss the situation, especially after many in the Milburn community deem her a liar. Her attorney said she knew in Milburn, New Jersey, she would not be believed that exactly what happened.
In a nutshell, the image of Elphick was ricocheted worldwide. The online commentator urged fellow viewers to contact the school district where she was doing the job and demand their racist employee be fired. The issue got worse when she got harassed calls, and the event treated her to rape and kill her.
FAQs
What happened to Abigail Elphick?
According to legal filings, Elphick was disabled and had a long record of medical and psychological disorders that shed new light on the encounter. Videos like these have emerged in recent years as powerful tools for revealing the casual and routine discrimination that black people face in their daily lives.
Is Victoria Secret famous anymore?
Founded in 1977, the brand is well-established and a household name in the fashion industry. More than a third of online fashion shoppers stated that they like the Ohio-based brand. As for the remaining brand KPIs, namely brand usage, loyalty, and media buzz, they settle at around 25 percent.
Is Victoria’s Secret losing sales?
They had fallen 30 percent so far this year through Thursday's close. Victoria's Secret & Co. reported net sales guidance for the entire year that fell short of analysts' expectations, underscoring the retailer's struggle to grow as it works to gain relevance with customers.
What happened to Karen from Victoria Secret?
Elphick, who is a 27-year-old girl, lives in a society for people with academic and developmental disabilities. Her lawyers filed a complaint stating that "her actions" were not racially motivated but stemmed from her fear of losing her apartment and job if she was filmed.