Top 50 Times Karens RUINED Their Own Lives

Top-50-Times-Karens-Ruined-Their-Own-Lives

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for infamous incidents of rude, entitled, and hostile people, better known as Karens. We’ll see what havoc they caused and the delightful and much-deserved consequences that wrecked their lives in one form or another.

#50: Spanish Slander
It’s amazing how some Karens get ticked off simply by hearing a non-English language. In 2023, while collecting an order from Amy’s Pizzeria in Hatboro, Pennsylvania, Rita Bellew heard Spanish on the TV. This was enough to cause Bellew to bellow anti-Spanish rhetoric at the restaurant's co-owner. She threatened to have him removed from the area and claimed he was an illegal immigrant. To top it off, Bellew declared speaking Spanish was insulting to the US as her father served in World War IIo…right. In 2024, Bellew was sentenced for harassment and ethnic intimidation, receiving 90 days of probation and 8 hours of community service.

#49: Kentucky Karen
In 2022, Kylah Spring was working the night shift at a campus dormitory at the University of Kentucky. It was a nice and uneventful time, until an intoxicated Sophia Rosing walked in to ruin everything with her white privilege. After Spring denied Rosing entry for refusing to show her ID, she attacked the worker, even throwing in racial slurs. When the police arrived, Rosing told them she had lots of money and got “special treatment.” Then she attacked them as well, even biting one of the officers, resulting in her arrest. After the incident went viral, the college banned Rosing from the campus and re-enrolling. In 2023, despite the video evidence, she pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

#48: Anti-Tourist Karen
In 2023, a group of German tourists were chit-chatting on the train to New York City. For most people, this would be fine. But Brianna Pinnix isn’t like most people. After overhearing the group speak German, the intoxicated passenger launched into a furious rant against the group. Seemingly unaware of the existence of such a thing as tourists, Pinnix told the “immigrants” to get out of her country. Pinnix’s poor partner pleaded with her to stop, or he wouldn’t speak to her again. He even mentioned she knows that he’s an immigrant. Yikes. Due to her xenophobic tirade, Pinnix employers, Capital Rx, publicly fired the talent acquisition specialist. In 2024, she released a website promoting her employment history that mentions her “compassion” many, many times.

#47: H-E-B Havoc
It should be pretty clear that using the 10 items or less line at a store, you shouldn’t have over that figure. However, in 2023, Lynda Ukeh ignored this. At a H-E-B store in Spring, Texas, she was livid after not being allowed to use the self-checkout due to excess produce. Did she leave it alone and go home quietly? Of course not. Ukeh returned to the store later with a friend. They shockingly attacked the employee who stopped her from using the self-checkout. The duo then left but were identified and arrested later. On top of being banned from H-E-B properties in Harris County, Ukeh was also charged with misdemeanor assault.

#46: The Color Homophobia
In 2019, Seyi Omooba was set to be in the stage play “The Color Purple” in the UK. However, that all came crashing down when her past homophobic views were exposed on social media by actor Aaron Lee Lambert. Omooba was meant to play the role of Celie, who has a lesbian relationship in the source material, although Omooba denied the character was a lesbian. Due to the backlash, not only did the production drop Omooba from the role, but her agency also washed its hands of her. In 2021, suing because she claimed she was discriminated against due to her religion, Omooba lost a tribunal and was ordered to pay legal costs amounting to over £300,000. In 2024, her appeal was rejected.

#45: Millionaire Slavers
You don’t get much more entitled than forcing people to be slaves. In 2007, a woman was found on the streets in a disheveled state. She, along with another woman, had been forced to work as housekeepers at the Long Island, New York, home of millionaire couple Varsha and Mahender Sabhnani. The two women had been subjected to horrible abuse over several years after the wealthy couple took their passports. When the woman was rescued, it led to the Sabhnanis being arrested. In 2008, Mahender was sentenced to 3 and a half years in jail and fined $12,500. Varsha, who the women say was responsible for the abuse, was sentenced to 11 years.

#44: Pool Patrol Paula
In 2018, teenager Darshaun RocQuemore Simmons was invited by a friend to a community swimming pool in Summerville, South Carolina. Rather than having a fun time in the water on a hot day, he was accosted by Stephanie Sebby-Strempel. She was filmed telling the teens that they didn’t belong there and even assaulted them. The victims also stated she used racial slurs against them. When the police arrived, Sebby-Strempel made it even worse on herself by shoving one into a wall and biting another on the arm. Due to her vile actions, Sebby-Strempel was dropped as an independent consultant for skincare company Rodan + Fields. After pleading guilty to her charges, Sebby-Strempel was fined $1000.

#43: Hate Mail Barrage
Suzanne Craft was a nightmare neighbor for folk living near her in Louisville, Kentucky. With a history of targeting non-white residents by spray-painting racist imagery and slurs on their property, she turned her attention to an interracial couple. In 2020, after Craft ignored a no-contact order multiple times and saw legal consequences, she began mailing the household hate-filled letters threatening their lives. To add further intimidation, some even contained bullets. Due to this and constantly breaking orders, Craft was arrested for her litany of letters. In 2023, she was found guilty and sentenced to 9 years in jail, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

#42: Canada Karen
In 2019, Daniella Leis made the dreadful decision of drinking at a Marilyn Manson concert and then driving back to her neighborhood in London, Ontario. Leis crashed into a house, hitting a gas line. While she was fine, the accident set off an explosion that caused 15 million Canadian dollars worth of damages to various buildings. Thankfully, nobody lost their lives. However, there were several injuries. In 2021, Leis was sentenced to 3 years in jail. In 2023, upon being issued with several lawsuits, some of which went into the millions, Leis decided to sue the company that supplied the venue where she got intoxicated during that fateful night.

#41: Taco Terror
In 2023, workers at a Tacos Ortiz stand in Los Angeles, California, were in for a bad shift. In the past, Renee Latrice Hines had taken food without paying several times. This time, the staff refused to serve her, which is completely justified. However, Hines didn’t see it that way. Instead, she had a massive temper tantrum. On top of screaming abuse, trashing the stand, and physically attacking them with her limbs and an advertisement board, Hines also used tear gas on the workers. Unsurprisingly, she was arrested and charged for the assault. But the cherry on the justice top was that Hines was fired as a temporary contractor at Yusen Logistics America.

#40: Horse Hitter
Karens have a habit of punching down to make themselves feel superior. And Sarah Moulds went a step further in 2021 when she took part in the Cottesmore Hunt in England. When attempting to get her horse, named Bruce Almighty, into a trailer, Moulds was filmed hitting and kicking the animal in frustration. Once the video found its way to the internet, it all went very wrong for Moulds. On top of being booted from her volunteer role at a pony club and future hunt events, Moulds also lost her job as a school teacher and was investigated by the animal charity RSPCA. She was charged with animal cruelty, but was found not guilty in 2023.

#39: Mace Malice
In 2020, after a cop spotted her driving erratically and indicated she should stop, Korena Weymouth-Bell eventually halted on an offramp - and proceeded to make her situation a million times worse. Weymouth-Bell jumped out of her and approached the officer with a mace canister in her hand! After pushing the cop’s car door into him and believing her intimidation tactic worked, Weymouth-Bell went back to her car. With this opportunity, the officer fired a Taser, dropping her to the concrete. After being taken to the hospital to treat her injuries, Weymouth-Bell was arrested on several charges, including assault or battery on a cop, possessing substances, and driving without a license.

#38: California Consequences
It’s bonkers that Karens think spouting racism publicly is okay and nothing will happen to them. In 2021, a Twitter user known as Em posted about an incident she experienced in Brentwood, California. Em said she was minding her own business on a street when a man came out of his house and began harassing her. She started filming, and his bigoted views soon tumbled out. Later identified as Michael Dalcin, he criticized her colored hair and threw in some anti-Asian insults mixed with misogyny. What a treasure(!) As the video spread, Dalcin’s employers, real estate company Beach City Brokers, soon saw it and made a public statement that he’d been fired for his offensive rant.

#37: Halifax Horror
We’ve all drunk too much at some point and done silly things. It happens. But Justine Morrison couldn’t blame the beverages for her atrocious behavior in 2023. After getting rowdy on a night out at a bar in Halifax, England, Morrison was escorted from the establishment by the doorman, Dally Whylie. When outside, Morrison argued sarcastically with Whylie and spat racial insults at him, using the term “black” with a sneer. Unsurprisingly, she was banned from the bar permanently. After the incident gained attention, her employer, Shine Theatre Arts, fired her from her part-time accountancy role. Morrison was also arrested and handed a police caution as long as she accepted responsibility and took part in a restorative justice program.

#36: Unsolicited Opinions
Some people love giving you their opinion when you don’t want or need it. In 2021, teenager Mia was enjoying the weather with friends at a beach in Fort Collins, Colorado. Well, Logan Dorn didn’t like this. He decided to tell them their bathing costumes were explicit and used his Christian faith to try and shame them. After Mia released her video on the incident, Dorn made a video explaining his actions and regretted them...kidding. He double-downed and claimed he was filled with “righteous anger” over their outfits, which is weird. Dorn’s employers, the Christian building company Mighty Hand Construction, released a statement condemning his behavior and fired him after a brief investigation into his harassment.

#35: Underground Ignorance
There aren’t many that enjoy being on the underground in London. Commuters want to get through it with minimal fuss and go about their days. Well, Jacqueline Woodhouse wasn’t going to allow anyone an easy ride in 2012. The intoxicated Woodhouse went on a massive racist tirade at anyone on the tube that didn’t appear white. She claimed the country had been “overtaken,” uttered various stereotypes, and threatened people with violence. On top of losing her job over this event, Woodhouse, who was involved in a similar incident in 2008, was arrested and sentenced to 21 weeks in jail for her racially charged harassment.

#34: Anarchy with the Monarchy
Being anti-monarchy is okay in this day and age. But perhaps taking your royal rage out on a toddler isn't going to influence people to your views. In 2016, Angela Gibbins, a senior manager at the charity the British Council, decided to slander Prince George in a Facebook post that drew a lot of attention from the media. Since Queen Elizabeth II was a patron of the charity at the time, the firm fired Gibbins for the scandal. So she took the British Council to a tribunal for unfair dismissal against her republican stance. However, Gibbins’ case was dismissed since she insulted a child publicly.

#33: Banking Karen
In 2021, with the pandemic in full-effect, many establishments required folk to wear a face mask inside, which was understandable. But Terry Wright wasn’t doing that at a Bank of America branch in Galveston, Texas. Even after being offered one by the employees, she remained adamant and refused to leave. So the cops arrived. But Wright wrongly believed she was on public property and wouldn’t exit. Seeing no option, the officer arrested her. Amazingly, Wright was heard on the bodycam yelling it was “police brutality,” only for jaded customers to counter that it wasn’t. Wright even did something similar days later at an Office Depot in Texas City. For her bank statement, she received 12 days in prison for trespassing and resisting arrest.


#32: Teacher of Disrespect
This might surprise some Karens, but there are many religions in the world. Just because you happen to follow one doesn’t mean you can be disrespectful to those who follow another. In 2022, Muslim students were praying in a room at Franklin Academy in Pembroke Pines, Florida. In a video they recorded, an unidentified teacher walked in and interrupted what she distastefully described as “magic.” As well as blowing a whistle and mentioning Jesus, the terrible teacher stood on a prayer mat and on one of the student’s hands. This hateful act didn’t sit well with the school, which fired the teacher.

#31: Mask Tyranny
Some Karen politicians think the rules don’t apply to them. Unfortunately for their egos, they very much do. In 2021, Alaska state Senator Lora Reinbold, who has a history of spreading pandemic misinformation and labeling mask mandates as “tyranny,” was recorded arguing with Alaska Airlines employees over their face-covering rules to such an extent that the police stepped in. After this incident, Reinbold was banned by Alaska Airlines. This was a problem since they were the only company that made regular trips to the state’s capital Juneau, where Renbold needed to vote and do her job. As such, she asked to be excused from attending the Senate until a later date. Her request was granted.

#30: Tram Karen
Public transport seems to bring out the worst in some Karens. In 2011, Emma West sat on a tram in Croydon, England, with a child balanced on her lap. For some reason, she went off on a tirade of abuse to other passengers, such as claiming one person wasn’t British since they were Black…yikes. West was soon arrested for verbally abusing people. However, due to her lawyers arguing she was unfit to stand trial because of a history of violent episodes, she wasn’t sentenced until 2013, when she received a 24-month community order. West was also struck-off as a nurse by the General Dental Council for bringing the profession into disrepute.

#29: Vicious Vacation
Most people relax on the beach on vacation, perhaps enjoying a book and a cocktail in the sun. But not Adam Catzavelos. In 2018, the South African was holidaying in Greece when he recorded a video of himself ranting with some slurs, stating it was “heaven on earth” since there were no Black people there…wow. Unsurprisingly, people were furious. The backlash caused a boycott of Catzavelos’ family business, forcing them to fire him! Even Nike had to make a statement as Catzavelos’ wife worked for them. To make matters worse, he had to face legal action. In 2020, after pleading guilty to crimen injuria, Catzavelos was sentenced to a $3,300 fine or two years in jail, both options suspended for five years.

#28: Not Learning a Lesson
Getting fired from her job at Rent Me Superstore in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for a racist rant at a customer wasn’t enough for Tara Lynn Belcher in 2015. Nope, she needed to do more...for some reason. Upon leaving the shop, an unidentified man who had witnessed the event followed her outside, recording her on his phone to shame her online later. Later, Belcher claimed the man attacked her. However, as the police investigated, they found a very different story. Belcher uttered several racial slurs at the man and then spat at him. He retaliated with a slap before a scuffle broke out between them. Belcher was soon arrested for assault, battery, and possession of banned substances.

#27: Brooklyn Karen
Some Karens don’t take a moment to check they have all the correct information. In 2021, author Frederick Joseph and his fiancé were walking their dog in a Brooklyn dog park. Suddenly, they were approached by Emma Sarley, who mixed up their dog with another that barked a lot. She then told him to stay in his hood. Yikes. When Joseph began recording her, Sarley pretended that didn’t happen and tried to twist it that they were telling her that. Joseph then got support from witness Steve Tracy, who confirmed she had told the couple to stay in their hood. Sarley even tried to grab the phone. Soon after the story broke, software company Bevy fired Sarely for her racist harassment.

#26: Not Fresh Ken
In theory, lawyers should be a model of justice and fairness. But that’s definitely not the case for Aaron Schlossberg. With a history of bigoted behavior, in 2018, Schlossberg lost it at Fresh Kitchen in New York City after he was recorded ranting at staff for speaking Spanish and accusing them of being in the US illegally. The community had some fun with him afterward by sending, among other things, a mariachi band to perform outside his work. Soon after, Schlossberg was evicted from his office space by the landlord, and businesses cut ties with his law firm. In 2020, after being brought up on charges by the Attorney Grievance Committee, officials heavily criticized his behavior and believed the public shame was punishment enough.

#25: Fired Up
Not many Karens have resisted arrest in such a dramatic fashion. In 2023, Jennifer Holder allegedly dined and dashed at a restaurant at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. After attempting to go through a secure door to escape staff, causing the police to respond, Holder grabbed a fire extinguisher and went on a spray-a-thon through the terminal. No one was exempt from Holder’s rampage. Cops, security, flight staff, and passengers were all engulfed in foam. Three flight staff had to get medical treatment due to breathing issues from the harsh chemicals. Even when the cops arrested her, Holder wasn’t done and spat and kicked them. She was charged with several crimes, including battery, assault, and resisting arrest.

#24: Rage of Rapkin
In 2020, many across the US protested the murder of George Floyd. One such protest was organized by teenager Eric Lucas in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Well, lawyer Stephanie Rapkin wasn’t letting that happen and parked her car in the march’s path. After pleading with her to move the vehicle, Rapkin spat at Lucas…during a pandemic! After being arrested and released, the following day, protestors arrived at her home to write outside with chalk. Rapkin was detained again after attacking one of them. In 2023, she was given the option of 60 days in jail or probation with 100 hours of community service. Rapkin chose prison by claiming nobody would want her.

#23: Selfish in Singapore
In 2021, England-born Benjamin Glynn was on his way back from work in Singapore. With the nation having strict pandemic measures in place for mask-wearing on public transport, you’d think he'd be sensible and wear one on the train. But no, to him, masks are a “hoax.” After being filmed breaking the rules, Glynn was arrested for being a public nuisance. This stopped him from returning to the UK with his family, which meant he lost out on a job he was set to start. Glynn was convicted for his procedure-breaking and received a sentence of six weeks in prison. However, he was released days later due to time served. The icing on the cake? Glynn was deported from Singapore.

#22: Thieving & Eating
It’s one level of entitlement to steal items from your partner, but a whole other to grab jewelry that once belonged to his now-deceased mother as a keepsake. In 2018, the police arrived in Troy, Michigan, to find a very drunk Sylvia Hope Verellen refusing to leave her boyfriend’s house and return some jewelry. And she didn’t make it easy for the cops. Verellen punched them, kicked them, bit them, spat at them, and tried to grab an officer’s firearm. Then, it turned out Verellen had swallowed her boyfriend’s passed-away mother’s earrings. After being taken to the hospital to get the items back – gross, Verellen was charged with numerous crimes, including assault and resisting arrest.

#21: Bell Brood
The pandemic really gave Karens a platform to show their terrible behavior. In 2021, Nordstrom Rack in Austin, Texas, enforced a “no mask, no entry” rule. Kara Bell ignored this, claimed she was exempt, then barged into a changing cubicle. However, when she left, the police were waiting. Bell was belligerent to the officers and acted as if she knew more about law than they did. She then attempted to use her faith to claim the rules don’t apply to her. With no patience remaining, the cops arrested her. Bell was handed a citation and banned from the store for at least a year. She was also running to be on the Travis County school board, but that didn’t pan out after all this drama.

#20: Collier Karen
Apparently, even walking down a street is enough to get the wrath of a Karen. In 2021, a mother and her kids walking down a road in Collier County, Florida experienced exactly that. They were on a public sidewalk when Patricia Schmidt stopped her car and blared the horn at the two, apparently believing that they were trespassing in the neighborhood. Schmidt then rolled down the window and yelled at them for walking there, before escalating the situation by going on a racist and ableist rant at the child. Unbelievably, this terrible Karen is an Exceptional Student Education Specialist, a teacher who specializes in special needs children, at Lely Elementary School. Or we should say “was.” Schmidt was thankfully fired from her job due to her disgusting behavior.

#19: SoHo Karen
Losing a cell phone can be a frightening experience that causes people to panic. Even in the panic, any decent person wouldn’t go around racial profiling. In 2020, however, while at the Arlo Hotel in Manhattan, New York, a woman named Miya Ponsetto lost her device and accused teenager Keyon Harrold Jr., the son of musician Keyon Harrold, of stealing it. Not believing his rejections of the baseless claims, Ponsetto attacked him in the lobby before she was dragged away. Her phone was ultimately found in the hotel. In 2022, Ponsetto pleaded guilty to unlawful imprisonment in the form of a hate crime. For this, she was given a two-year probation sentence and ordered to attend counseling.

#18: Cabin Karen
Having already been fired by Norwegian Air for allegedly spitting in a passenger’s cup of coffee, Joanne Wickenden decided to go even further in 2017. Before work one day, the cabin staff employee for British Airways filmed herself via Snapchat. Wickenden felt it was appropriate to slate her job and go on a racist rant against Nigerians. After the video went out, she claimed she was set up and spurred on by co-workers, an excuse that doesn’t really doesn’t make any of it better. Her employers weren’t happy and quickly called in Wickenden for a meeting. However, Wickenden says she resigned from British Airways before she was shown the door.

#17: BBQ Becky
On a warm day at Lake Merritt in Oakland, California, in 2019, a Black family was trying to enjoy a barbecue in a dedicated grilling area, only to be interrupted by Jennifer Schulte, a white woman, who called 9-1-1 on them twice. She harassed them over having a charcoal grill, long enough for a bystander to confront her. The video went viral and details a grand 25 minutes of the altercation in which we get to see exactly how Schulte tries to manipulate the situation and play the victim. She was quickly dubbed “BBQ Becky” online, and plenty of memes began to circulate. Even her alma mater, Stanford University, commented on Schulte. We’d say that’s karma well served.

#16 SoCal Karen
Folk in Torrance, California, just wanted to go about their business. But if they had Asian heritage, Lena Hernandez wouldn’t make the day easy for them. She was known to approach people and spit racist tirades at them. While she escaped punishment for a time, justice eventually came crashing down for Hernandez. In 2019, after verbally abusing a mall employee, a woman named Kayceelyn Salminao stepped in. Hernandez didn’t like this and physically attacked her. It took a while for the police to do anything; but, by 2020, Hernandez found herself in court. She pleaded no contest to a charge of misdemeanor battery. As such, the retired social worker got 45 days in jail, anger management classes, and three years of probation.

#15: Plane Karen
Babies on planes can be a recipe for discomfort. But there are ways to go about potentially asking to move seats and this isn’t it. After realizing she was seated next to an infant, the woman in this video, Susan Peirez, threw a fit rather reminiscent of that of an infant. She then threatened one of the members of the cabin staff with her job… only to learn very swiftly that she was not at liberty to do that sort of thing. Peirez’s attitude took a complete one-eighty, but it was not enough to save her from consequences. When the video went viral online, Peirez was suspended from her employment at the New York State Council on the Arts.

#14: Soup Skirmish
Working in the service industry can be a thankless job. And being a manager, you have to deal with customer complaints, adding more stress to tense employment. In 2021, we all witnessed just how brutal it can be when a customer threw a bowl of spicy soup at a restaurant worker. Reportedly, Amanda Martinez had called to complain about her takeaway soup being so hot that it apparently melted the plastic lid, but it didn’t go anywhere. So, she went into the restaurant, Sol de Jalisco in Temple, Texas, and argued with manager Jannelle Browland. The act of violence caused Browland injuries and, in 2023, Martinez would plead no contest to assault. She received a 15-month deferred adjudication, 6 days of jail work release, and was fined $800 plus court costs.

#13: Albany Karen
It might be spelled slightly differently, but we actually have a Karen named Karen for this entry! (Love it when this happens!) In 2021, a group of Black women, including local community activist Jammella Anderson, were having a nice time at a restaurant in Albany, New York. Then, Caryn Burton got abusive and went on a racist rant. Even when the cops arrived to sort out the problem, Burton could be heard yelling racial slurs at customers and the staff. After the grim video spread online, Burton’s employer Humana, a medical insurance company, fired her and slated her for her hate speech. Plus, Burton was also banned from other establishments in the area.

#12: Commissioner Caren
Hitting the jackpot! Another Karen named Karen! In 2018, the police pulled over an unregistered car and impounded it in Tenafly, New Jersey. The car, as it transpired, was being driven by the daughter of Caren Turner. Turner was on the Board of Commissioners for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and tried to use her power to intimidate the cops who stopped her daughter. The car’s registration was two years out of date and an insurance card couldn’t be produced at the time of the traffic stop. Turner, upon arriving at the scene where the vehicle was to be impounded, displayed aggressive behavior, requested that officers refer to her as “commissioner,” and mentioned she was friends with the mayor. Turner eventually released an apology, resigned from the board, and was fined $1500.

#11: Starbucks Karen
During the pandemic, many businesses globally had a simple rule for customers: wear a face mask. It was government-mandated for one thing. But, it proved to be too much for some, including one Amber Lynn Gilles. After being refused service at a Starbucks in San Diego, she photographed Lenin Gutierrez and tried to publicly shame the barista on social media. Only, it backfired magically. A GoFundMe was created on Gutierrez’s behalf that brought in over $105,000! In interviews, Gutierrez stated he planned to put it toward his prospective dance career. With that very public embarrassment, Giles then issued a lawsuit against the fundraiser’s creator, Matt Cowen, for various reasons, in part with the hopes of attaining some of the money from the GoFundMe.

#10: Key Fob Kelly
In 2018, D’Arreion Toles attempted to go inside his apartment building in St. Louis, Missouri. However, Hilary Brooke Mueller wasn’t keen on that idea. She stood in his way and blocked his path. As they spoke, Mueller acted as though she owned the building – she didn't – and kept asking which unit Toles lived in, demanding to see his key fob. Even though he had a key to get in, she continued harassing him inside after Tole had to force his way past her. Once the video was released, many accused Mueller of being racist. However, she claimed it was because she didn’t recognize Tole. Regardless, Mueller’s employer Tribeca STL fired her for her dodgy behavior.

#9: Texas Karen
In 2022, a group of four Indian-American women was walking to their cars after dinner in Plano, Texas. Instead of going home after a nice night, they had to endure the racist tirade of Mexican-American Esmeralda Upton. Using a flurry of slurs and insults, the unhinged Upton also struck the women several times and threatened them. Feeling in danger from the abuse and attacks, they called the cops, who arrived shortly after. Later on, Upton was arrested for assault and making threats. But that’s not all! At the time of writing, two of the four women, Bidisha Rudra and Indrani Banerjee, have issued lawsuits against Upton for the traumatizing incident.


#8: Permit Patty
Have you ever seen a child harmlessly selling something on the street to raise money for something and thought, “yeah, I’m gonna ruin their life?” If so, you and Alison Ettel could be besties. In 2018, in San Francisco, eight-year-old Jordan Rodgers was selling bottled water on the street to help her mom financially and go to Disneyland. Ettel, infuriated by the constant noise as she worked from home, called the cops about Rodgers’ lack of a permit. As you can imagine, this didn’t go down well with the internet, which pointed out the racist overtones. With all that pressure and dispensaries refusing to stock products from Ettel’s employer, she was forced to resign as CEO of the cannabis company TreatWell Health.

#7: Victoria’s Secret Karen
In 2021, something strange happened at a Victoria’s Secret store in Millburn, New Jersey, while Ijeoma Ukenta was doing some shopping. Ukenta reportedly claimed she asked Abigail Elphick to step back as she was too close when they browsed. So, she went to the staff and told them Ukenta threatened her. When Ukenta began filming, Elphick attempted to hit her before she sobbed on the floor. Later, Elphick stated her reaction was due to a panic attack from being filmed. In the aftermath, Ukenta created a GoFundMe page for legal costs against Elphick. Within the page, she also criticized the handling of the situation by the security and police. At the time of writing, over $104,000 has been donated.

#6: Coughing Karen
As most people came together during the global events to support each other, some did their best to do the opposite. In 2021, masked shoppers in a Super Saver store in Lincoln, Nebraska, attempted to get their groceries calmly. However, Janene Hoskovec had other ideas. With a smirk on her unmasked face, she dramatically coughed at people, pretending it was allergies. When folk protested Hoskovec’s grotesque actions, she patronizingly called them “cute” and “sheep” before descending into a rant about other people’s health. After a very quick investigation, her employer, the software company SAP, fired Hoskovec.


#5: Smoothie Thrower
In 2022, employees at Robeks in Fairfield, Connecticut, were trying to get through the day. Well, not on James Iannazzo’s watch! After buying a smoothie there, he gave it to his son at home, who had an allergic reaction. After medical attention, Iannazzo arrived at the store and launched into a tirade of insults, slurs, and threats. However, the employees claimed he never mentioned the peanut allergy to them. He finished it off by throwing the smoothie at the staff. Well, it all went wrong for Iannazzo. Firstly, he was arrested and received one year of probation. Then, Iannazzo was fired by Merrill Lynch. Finally, he faced a lawsuit from one of the employees, but in September, the case was settled for $7,500.

#4: San Fran Karen
Looking like a mix between a character from “Smile” and “Get Out,” James Juanillo was probably pretty startled in 2020 when he turned around and saw Lisa Alexander staring at him. At the time, he had just finished writing “Black Lives Matter” with chalk on a property in San Francisco. Well, Alexander and her husband Robert apparently knew the person who lived there. This is odd since Juanillo actually resided there for years. The couple then called the cops on the activist. Once the video was released, Alexander had to put the website of her company, LaFace Skincare, offline temporarily, and she publicly apologized to Juanillo. While Robert was fired from the financial firm Raymond James.

#3: Radio Karen
It’s not every day a Karen films her own terrible behavior for the world to see and judge. But Dianna Ploss is on another level considering she had a little bit of fame. In 2020, through Facebook Live, the conservative radio host recorded herself berating landscapers in Nashua, New Hampshire, as they were working on the street. Ploss seemingly had an issue with the workers speaking Spanish. She repeatedly told them to speak in English before asking if any of them were “illegal” and saying their work was “communism.” Geez. Afterward, the radio station WSMN cut ties with Ploss and the show she had hosted there for the past couple of years.

#2: Family of Karens
In 2021, Johnny Martinez was doing his job by checking cars for permits in the car park of a residential building in Nashville, Tennessee. However, he realized he was being followed by a Karen family duo, Bitsy Brennan and her son, Edward. The two demanded to know what he was doing there, ignoring the ID badge around Martinez’s neck. Things quickly escalated when Edward attempted to attack Martinez in response to him filming the confrontation. In response, Bitsy called the cops to come and sort this out. However, the duo apparently left before the police arrived. Once the video went viral, Bitsy was reportedly fired from her job at UBS, while Edward was charged with assault.

#1: Central Park Karen
If this incident hadn’t been filmed, it could have ended poorly for the victim. In 2020, Christian Cooper was in Central Park in New York City, enjoying some bird watching. But he spotted Amy Cooper, no relation, with her dog that was off its lead, against the park’s rules. When Christian asked her to leash the dog and then offered it a treat, Amy exploded. While strangling the poor pup as she held its collar tightly, she called the police, put on an act, and claimed “an African-American man” threatened her. Wow. After the backlash, Amy temporarily gave up her dog to a shelter and was fired by her employer Franklin Templeton. She later took them to court for illegal dismissal, only to lose.


What other Karen incidents did we miss? Belinda Miller driving through a Popeyes restaurant? Fay Johnson attacking a 12-year-old with an oar? Or something else? Let us know below!