10 Times Karen Freakouts BACKFIRED

10-Times-Karens-Freaked-Out-and-it-Backfired

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re exploring our picks for the infamous moments when the rudest, most belligerent, and entitled people exploded with emotion, only to receive delightful consequences in one form or another.

Kasino Karens

In 2021, army veteran Rawlis Devon Leslie Jr. was dubbed a hero after helping police save a woman from a bridge. Some time later, he was in the Margaritaville Resort Casino in Bossier City, Louisiana. Allegedly, Leslie sat too close for a Karen couple’s liking, and they exploded in rage. Leslie managed to record the incident, showcasing a clearly drunk Ashley Bieber Dison attempting to assault him while restrained by her partner. Before you praise the guy, he later used racial slurs when Leslie checked where security was. The couple was charged by the police for disturbing the peace and public intoxication.

Judgemental Nurse

Typically, nurses are kind, knowledgeable, and hardworking. They’re not meant to be judgemental, confrontational, and seemingly racist. But that’s what Jillian Rightmyer experienced in 2022 at the Philly Pregnancy Center in Norristown, Pennsylvania. After experiencing severe back pain, Rightmyer wanted to get a doctor’s note to start her maternity leave early. While a doctor went to write the exemption, nurse practitioner Theresa Smigo, who did the exam, went on a rant about Rightmyer’s life situation, making assumptions with no evidence to back her up except prejudice, and knocked her with a case. Weirdly, Smigo previously called the cops on Rightmyer after she called her a “weirdo.” The nurse no longer works at the center and was later sued by Rightmyer.

Mailbox Speeding

In 2022, the police arrived to break up a disagreement in Deerfield Beach, Florida between legendary footballer Terrell Owens and his neighbor Caitlin Davis. Owens stated he was driving to his mailbox when Davis started yelling at him. While sobbing, Davis claimed Owens started harassing her after she scolded him for dangerous driving. She then brought race into it -- for some reason. As the footballer was able to back up his version with his recorded video, Davis had nothing to support her side. As such, she later received a misdemeanor charge of lying to the law. However, in 2023, the charges were dropped due to a loophole.

Dared to Slur

Getting dared to do something rarely works out. And it definitely didn’t for one white woman in a 7-Eleven store in Sacramento, California, in 2020. Seemingly recorded by the cashier, the Karen and a black woman are engaged in an argument. Then, the Karen utters a racial slur. The woman dared her to say it again. While she hesitated, Karen eventually went for it. The woman exploded with rage and struck the Karen several times, putting her on the floor, where she began sobbing. Reportedly, the cops arrived shortly after, and the Karen received medical treatment. We’re not sure what the argument is really about, but it takes privilege to assume using racial slurs won’t backfire on you.

Pool Patroller

In 2023, Jace Lee-Eury and his sister decided to break the rules and use a resident-only swimming pool when visiting friends at Sedgefield Gardens in Greensboro, North Carolina. Instead of handling this rationally and respectfully, apartment manager Kim Jennings poured soda over Lee-Eury and then hit him with the bottle! Lee-Eury also claimed Jennings pulled his sister’s hair, and his family stated she used slurs. While Jennings apologized, she claimed the kids had done this before, as though that justified her actions. The police arrested Jennings for two charges of assault on a child. To make it worse for her, the Lee-Eury family also issued a federal lawsuit against her.

NFL Karen

In 2022, Jerry Edmond went to his first NFL match to see his beloved New England Patriots take on the Las Vegas Raiders in Paradise, Nevada. While his side lost in the last minutes, that wasn’t the only thing Edmonds will remember. A Raiders fan yelled at him, rubbed the victory in his face, and called it “her” stadium as another man tried to pull her away. All was captured on a viral video, as was Edmond's calm reaction - which was amazing under horrible circumstances. To make up for the incident, Patriots owner Robert Kraft invited Edmond to his suite at Gillette Stadium to watch the NFL side take on the Cincinnati Bengals. Nice touch.

Smoothie Thrower

In 2022, James Iannazzo picked up smoothies at a store in Fairfield, Connecticut. When he got home and gave one to his son, he had an allergic reaction as the drink contained peanuts. Iannazzo wanted justice and returned to the store. However, the employees stated they weren’t told about the allergy. Regardless, Iannazzo launched into a racist tirade and threw a smoothie at a worker. Yikes. On top of being fired by Merrill Lynch, Iannazzo was arrested. He received an accelerated rehabilitation, which meant he got a year of probation. The victimized employees also issued a lawsuit against him, which was settled for $7,500. In 2023, Iannazzo was sued by FINRA for potentially breaking broker rules.

Parking Lot Hater

In 2022, four Indian-American women were leaving a restaurant and going to their cars after a lovely evening in Plano, Texas. Out of nowhere, Esmeralda Upton decided to ruin the event. Seemingly unprovoked, she launched into a racist rant, repeatedly stating how much she hates Indians and throwing in slurs. At one point, angry that she was being recorded, Upton threatened violence against the women and attacked them! When the police arrived, they managed to calm things down but let Upton go…until the next day, anyway, when she was arrested and charged for making her threats. Wanting more justice, two of the victims issued lawsuits against Upton for emotional and physical distress.

SoHo Karen

In 2020, teenager Keyon Harrold Jr. and his musician father, Keyon Harrold, were in the lobby of the Arlo Hotel in SoHo, New York. Suddenly, Miya Ponsetto stomped over and accused the youngster of stealing her cell phone. He hadn’t, but that didn’t stop Ponsetto from arguing and tackling Harrold Jr. to the ground. In reality, she left the phone in an Uber. Ponsetto was later arrested and charged for her grim racial profiling actions. In 2022, she pleaded guilty to unlawful imprisonment in the second degree as a hate crime as part of a plea deal. As such, Ponsetto received two years of probation and had to continue counseling sessions.

Central Park Karen

Christian Cooper was bird watching in Central Park, New York City in 2020 when he noticed that the unrelated Amy Cooper had a dog off a leash, against the area's rules. After he asked her to put it on, she snapped, and an argument began. This caused the woman to call the police, telling them through sobs that an African American man was threatening her, which he wasn’t, as evidenced by Christian filming the unhinged event. The video was then uploaded on social media and went viral. It led to Amy Cooper being fired from her job, having her dog temporarily confiscated, and being arrested. However, the charges were dropped after she completed an educational program.

What’s the creepiest Karen incident you’ve witnessed that left you feeling icky? Let us know below!