Victoria’s Secret has shared a statement in response to the ongoing controversy surrounding the viral “Karen” footage taken inside one of its stores in New Jersey.
On Tuesday, the company said safety is its “top priority” and confirmed a “full investigation” is underway.
“We are dedicated to continuing this critical conversation and demonstrating our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through our actions and our words,” the company’s statement, released on Twitter, said.
The footage in question was filmed by Ijeoma Ukenta and shows a woman, later identified in multiple reports as Abigail Elphick, striking at the camera and chasing Ukenta through the store. Elsewhere in the video, the woman is seen violently shaking her legs while screaming about being recorded.
“I’m happy I did record. … And mind you, they took her statement first because she called the police and she completely lied,” Ukenta said earlier this week when sharing details of the ensuing police report. The woman, per the police report, claimed she had a panic attack that was caused by being recorded.
A GoFundMe organized by Ijeoma Ukenta had raised $79,000 at the time of this writing. According to Ukenta, the money will go toward defending herself.
“I was assaulted and harassed by a white woman and and nothing was done by security nor the police,” she said. “I’m looking to hire me an excellent attorney who can help me bring light to this wrong.”
Below, see the full statement shared by Victoria's Secret in response to the “unsettling” footage on Tuesday:
