An influencer is speaking out after stirring up a LOT of controversy.
Earlier this month, influencer Catherine Ebs, who boasts over 1.6 million followers on TikTok, took to the video sharing platform to document her trip to a Montauk grocery store… Where she pretty much ripped the small town establishment to shreds!
The video, which Catherine has since deleted, sees her and a friend hitting up a Sam’s Club to buy supplies for a four-day trip in the serene New York village. However, at EVERY turn, she complains about the store’s variety of fruits, veggies, meats, snacks and just about everything else. Walking into the grocer, she says:
“This is so small town vibes it’s not even funny. I have a feeling this is not gonna be good news.”
She goes on to repeatedly call the shopping trip “a simulation” while criticizing the selection and laughing out loud.
“Their fruit does not look good. Like, all their fruit looks bad … I’m mad at Sam’s Club. Sam’s Club and I are not friends.”
Related: Taco Bell Connected To Nationwide Explosive Diarrhea Outbreak? DETAILS!
She goes on:
“Low-key, we should just order out cause this is crazy.”
You get the gist of the video, but you can see it in full for yourself (below):
@bkclippeddat #xyzbca #abcxyz #blowthisupforme #viral #fyp
♬ original sound – Bkclips
Across the social media platform, users weighed in with various takes:
“Are we not seeing a regular grocery store? I’m so confused”
“at what level do you become this detached??”
“mind you this is like…. a nice grocery store for a small town.”
“I am literally so confused lol what’s the problem.”
“this is so dystopian”
“Im so confused, she hated everything, but found everything she wanted, and left with a cart full of stuff”
“Tell me you only shop are erwan [sic] without telling me you only shops are erwan [sic].(I def spelt that wrong lol)”
“Creating drama where there is none”
“im sorry confused lol how is shopping a ‘crazy experience’ and a ‘simulation’ ? lol and did they say Sam’s club? the sister store to Walmart who is a very big corporation? lol im old and im confused. help lol”
“‘Literally, what is happening to us right now?’ NOTHING, literally nothing!”
“First time on earth?”
“Where I saw the Louis Vuitton bag that’s all I needed to know super out of touch, unfortunately”
“Whoever screen recorded this before she could delete it is the mvp.”
In the wake of the backlash, Catherine has chimed in once again to attempt an apology.
On Monday, the influencer returned to the video platform to explain herself:
“I wanted to come on because I’m not someone to not address the situation, especially at this scale.”
She noted she took a week off to spend time with her family before diving into the meat of the problem:
“Looking back, the video I posted walking in the grocery store — did I have a bratty, bad attitude? Yes. I was very, very, very frustrated with the day. I spent weeks to make sure that everything went to plan and us girly pops putting all the pressure on our shoulders to make sure family birthday parties, family parties, family weekends, family trips, everything goes well.”
She continued:
“Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong. On the flip side, watching it back through the lens of others, I am now well aware that my day stressors were not [reflected] in the video. When I look back, I cringe because my intent versus the impact are miles and miles and miles apart. That’s not me. That video does not reflect my own true character, my own true thoughts. I come from way, way, way less than what I have now, so I know what it’s like to not be able to feed your family, going to bed hungry; that just was the furthest thing [from] my intention.”
She went on to claim the “bullying” she received after posting the video was “unbelievably eye-opening.”
“I wish the people that took this moment for their own virality. If they meant to make such an impact and they wanted to make such an impact I wish they would have been like, ‘Hey let’s like let’s use her name for the clout, but let’s use it for impact. And the impact is every single person does deserve fresh produce and not bleached eggs, not rotten cucumbers — like, everyone deserves that.”
She went on to claim that a major “stressor” was the fact that she was buying food for her vegan brother who mainly eats fruits and veggies:
“I was like, ‘Oh s**t, now I have someone in my household that can’t eat,’ but reflecting and seeing it through the lens of people who are like, ‘I always have people in my household that can’t eat,’ I know how bad that looks.”
Catherine concluded the video by noting she wants to “move forward” and “keep growing.”
“If you want to be here, you’re welcome to be here. If you’re not, that’s totally understandable, but just know from the bottom of my heart I truly am sorry.”
Watch her video (below):
@cadyebs Thank you for growing through life with me ????
♬ original sound – Catherine Ebs
But while she may be ready to move on, others aren’t quite on the same page. In the comments, users point out her apology felt “disingenuous.”
“This felt… so disingenuous, but whatevs. I unfollowed and I think it’ll stay that way. Best of luck to ya.”
“The tone right off the bat isn’t great”
“accountability is not bullying.”
“wait but this isn’t an apology it’s an explanation”
“I feeeel like this is a lot of excuses.”
“It’s still early enough to delete this and re-record”
“she talked so much and yet said absolutely nothing”
“PR teams will study your tik tok as what not to do”
“Babe. It’s not stressors, it’s PRIVILEGE”
“You never went to bed hungry lol”
“Sorry did you just say the people calling you out should have used the moment to advocate for fresh produce instead? this is WILD”
Others, however, took a more neutral stance:
“Do I think your video was tone deaf, yes. But do I think people are blowing it way out of proportion, also yes. It was obvious you were genuinely in a bad mood and it feels like ppl are just bandwagoning instead of genuinely being upset”
“As a longtime follower, I knew the delivery landed wrongly, immediately. We have seen you be very kind, loving, compassionate and giving! Tbh we all have our moments and comments we shouldn’t say, yet aren’t under a microscope. ILY!”
Some have even made their OWN videos mocking Catherine:
@sarahklait Guys that was genuinely terrifying omg 0/10 recommend ???? #pov #influencer #influencersbelike #groceryshopping #erewhon
♬ original sound – Sarah Klait
@tuckerthorn This felt like a simulation???????? ???? #fyp #spoof #influencers
♬ Chopin Nocturne No. 2 Piano Mono – moshimo sound design
What are YOUR takes on this situation, Perezcious readers?? Sound OFF in the comments down below!
[Images via Catherine Ebs/Instagram & TikTok]
