Top 10 Times Karens Faced Justice

Top 10 Times Karens Faced Justice

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Times Karens Faced Justice.

For this list, we’ll be looking at infamous moments featuring people with Karen-like attitudes – not just folks named Karen – who received sweet payback for their terrible actions.

Have you met a real-life Karen? Tell us your tale below!

#10: Armed Ken & Karen

In 2020, as a group of George Floyd protestors went through a neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri, all was fine. Well, it was until Patricia and Mark Thomas McCloskey came out of their house yelling and pointing firearms at the protestors. Due to their bizarre actions, the two were invited to appear at that year’s Republican National Convention, where they criticized the Black Lives Matter movement. In 2021, the McCloskeys pled guilty to misdemeanor offenses. This resulted in fines for the pair and the destruction of their notorious weapons. However, the Missouri governor Mike Parson pardoned them. In 2022, the Supreme Court of Missouri indefinitely suspended their law licenses, but then gave them a year’s probation instead.

#9: Anti-Mask Karen

When the worldwide events kicked in during 2020, most people rallied and helped each other out. But there’s always some that ruin it for everyone else. In 2021 in Nebraska, a woman was filmed in a grocery store without a mask on. Already off to a rough start. When questioned about it by masked shoppers, she patronizingly calls them “cute” and “sheep.” And, oh yeah, she dramatically coughs at people while claiming she has “allergies.” After the video went viral, the coughing woman's identity was discovered to be Janene Hoskovec. Her employers at German software company SAP caught wind of what had happened and fired Hoskovec for her disregard for the public's health and safety.

#8: Starbucks Karen

Ah, more anti-mask people. In 2020, Amber Gilles posted an image on Facebook of Starbucks barista Lenin Gutierrez in San Diego, California. She claimed she was refused service for not wearing a mask, and she wasn't best pleased. And it didn’t have quite the effect she was going for. Instead, a GoFundMe page was created for Gutierrez to give him tips for standing up to Gilles. Currently, it has over $105,000! Well, Gilles wasn’t happy. In 2021, she decided to sue Matt Cowan, who created the GoFundMe page. She claimed that a screenshot of her original post included in the fundraiser violated her rights. The suit was dismissed by a judge. However, Gilles is appealing the decision.

#7: BBQ Becky

It’s the video that launched a thousand memes. In 2018, a group of people were enjoying the nice weather by having a barbecue at Lake Merritt in Oakland, California. Well, not on Jennifer Schulte’s watch! She told the group that they couldn't be there for a barbecue and that she apparently owned the park – she doesn’t. She then proceeds to call the police. She even takes and refuses to give back one person’s I.D. Eventually, the cops arrive with Schulte sobbing over the incident. They assessed her for a psychiatric hold but felt she didn’t fit the criteria. After this event, Oakland residents came together at the site to have a large cookout, probably causing Schulte a sleepless night with all those grilled goodies.

#6: San Fran Karen

In San Francisco in 2020, James Juanillo was stenciling a B.L.M message on his OWN wall. But someone asks for his attention. As he turns, he’s greeted with one of the most terrifying expressions a person can have in the shape of Lisa Alexander. Juanillo is then told by her that he shouldn’t do that on other people’s property. He plays along for a bit until Alexander states she knows the wall isn’t his as she knows the person whose it is. Uh-oh. Juanillo then goads them into calling the cops, which they do. After the video went viral, Alexander apologized for calling the police. Several companies also cut ties with the skincare firm she’s C.E.O of.

#5: QAnon Karen

In 2020, with the world struggling with restrictions, Melissa Rein Lively in Scottsdale, Arizona, went to a nearby Target and recorded herself wrecking their display of face masks while yelling “it’s over,” in reference to the pandemic. When confronted by Target staff, she – for some reason – brings up her $40,000 Rolex. Ya see, Lively had fallen prey to the QAnon conspiracy cult. She had fallen down a rabbit hole of misinformation that had slowly filled her with irrational rage. After the video spread online, she returned home to find her husband had called the police to take her in for a psychiatric evaluation. After her treatment, Lively saw QAnon for what it is and became an advocate against it.

#4: Permit Patty

In 2018 in San Francisco, 8-year-old Jordan Rodgers was saving up to afford to go to Disneyland. This entrepreneur did this by selling cold bottled water on the street, right outside her house, for $2. Well, because people hate plucky kids, apparently, Alison Ettel decided to intervene. In a video, she is shown calling the cops on Rodgers for not having a permit. Ettel claims the yelling about the water being for sale for hours on end is what drove her to make the harsh decision. After the video was uploaded, Ettel was nicknamed “Permit Patty” by the wonderful internet. Due to the backlash, she was later forced to resign as C.E.O of TreatWell Health.

#3: Non-Flying Senator

Sometimes, U.S. senators like to think of themselves as untouchable. Well, in 2021, Alaska State Senator Lora Reinbold learned this isn’t always the case. She was videoed at Juneau International Airport, arguing with staff over their mask rules. In a classic Karen move, whenever a member of staff asked her to wear it properly, she wrote down their name for daring to question her authority. Later on, Reinbold called it “mask tyranny.” With all the online backlash to the video, Alaska Airlines stated they told Reinbold she’s no longer allowed to fly with them. As a result, she asked to be excused from legislative sessions until next year since travelling was now a nightmare for her. Whoops.

#2: Mother & Son Karen

Sometimes, being a Karen can be a family affair. And that was the case in 2021 in Tennessee. Johnny Martinez, who was doing his job checking vehicle permits in a residential building’s car park, was accosted by mother and son, Bitsy and Edward Brennan. They demand to see his I.D. and state he shouldn’t be there. Martinez refuses to go along with their antics. Out of nowhere, Edward attacks Martinez since he’s recording on his phone. Bitsy then calls the cops. Edward then tries to gaslight the video camera by claiming he never touched Martinez… riiiiiiight. In the aftermath, Edward was served with an arrest warrant for assault and Bitsy was fired as an investment broker at U.B.S.

#1: Central Park Karen

In 2020, Christian Cooper went to watch birds in New York’s Central Park. But he spots namesake Amy Cooper with an unleashed dog, which they need to be in that area. So, Christian asked her to put a leash on the pup. Instead of realizing her mistake and being sorry, she goes all Sith and refuses. Christian records the scary part where she announces that she'll call the cops and recklessly claim, “an African-American man [is] threatening my life” when he was doing no such thing. It’s also really distressing seeing her yank her dog’s collar all over the place. After the video came out, Franklin Templeton Investments fired Amy. She was also charged with several crimes, but those charges were later dropped.