Recently, there have been many viral videos featuring “Karens.” This term refers to middle-aged white women who throw tantrums at Starbucks and use tears as a form of negotiation in order to obtain what they desire.
Though these bad actors may be entertaining to watch, their actions have real-world repercussions. Here are some Karens who suffered career and legal repercussions for their misdeeds.
1. Miya Ponsetto
After a video of a white woman who was accused of racism went viral, others quickly began calling her “Karen.” Over the months since, Karens have become ubiquitous on social media; getting in trouble for wearing masks, calling the police on Black people taking their dogs for walks, and more.
One of the most beloved Karens was a California woman who was caught on tape attacking a Black teenager she claimed stole her phone. Miya Ponsetto, better known online as Soho Karen, was charged with felony hate crimes for her actions and recently entered into a plea bargain that allows her to avoid prison time.
ABC News reported that she was seen at the Arlo SoHo hotel in December 2020 and began shouting that her phone had been stolen. She then grabbed at the teenager’s clothes before tackling him to the ground; footage of this altercation quickly went viral.
Some users have labeled her an anti-Semite, while others contend she acted with great entitlement and had no reason to be so.
No matter her views, it’s evident that she still has much to learn and will likely face consequences for her decisions in the future.
She is a 23-year-old from Simi Valley, California and was previously a cheerleader at her high school.
At a time when there was an uptick in coronavirus cases across America, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were working hard to contain its spread by closing off many places to visitors.
After the video went public, many asked if she had apologized for her behavior. She confirmed that she had, but noted that her words weren’t meant to be racist.
On April 11, she appeared in court and entered a plea deal that will spare her jail time and grant her probation instead. Additionally, she must undergo counseling and adhere to the conditions of her other case’s probation.
2. Sophia Rosing
Sophia Rosing, the former University of Kentucky student whose video depicted her attacking a Black student-employee and repeatedly using offensive racial slurs, has been criminally indicted on all six counts.
In November 2013, an incident at Boyd Residence Hall on campus was captured on video and quickly went viral across the internet, drawing national attention to Lexington. UK President Eli Capilouto promptly banned Rosing from campus and she has since been permanently prohibited from re-enrolling at the university.
Last month, a video went viral showing Rosing clearly under the influence. She attempted to hit Kylah Spring while being restrained and shouted several racial epithets at her. At one point she told Spring to ‘do her chores’ before calling her an ‘ugly n***** b****’ while horrified students looked on in horror.
After Spring successfully fought off the attack, police arrived on the scene and arrested Rosing who reportedly bit and kicked an arresting officer before she was handcuffed and screaming the N-word in a singsong tone while being detained, reports indicate.
As if the video wasn’t bad enough, it later emerged that Rosing had been intoxicated when she attacked Spring – leading to charges of public intoxication and disorderly conduct. Additionally, the incident ignited social media outrage and brought out students in support of Spring.
On Monday, a Fayette County grand jury indicted Rosing on all of the charges she had been facing. She has been charged with three counts of fourth-degree assault, one count each of third-degree assault on a police officer, second-degree disorderly conduct and alcohol intoxication.
Despite all evidence against her, Rosing pleaded not guilty to all charges. According to The Daily Mail, her lawyer Fred Peters stated his client is feeling embarrassed and humiliated but wants to seek assistance.
Her attorney, Peters, informed Lex 18 that her client plans to withdraw from school and possibly pursue a treatment program. As such, the family unit may experience hardship as well.
3. Christopher Cukor
Christopher Cukor, a Karen facing consequences for her actions, must consider whether or not she believes she is above the law in any way. If so, then Chris may be mentally unfit to stand trial and may require an insanity plea in order to be exonerated of those charges.
To determine his mental fitness for court, a court-appointed mental health professional must evaluate him and decide if he is fit to appear. At present, they are conducting an examination, with his attorney electing to extend proceedings by two months in order to make the case for insanity.
He acknowledged his crimes and knew he was breaking the law, yet he showed no remorse for them. This is an eloquent assertion, yet one which needs to be supported with evidence.
He also has a history of stealing money from his parents, which could support a theft charge being laid against him later. This is especially relevant considering he had been on a Protective Order from his mother since 28 October 2011.
Chris has not only taken money from his parents but has also been caught in several mugshots for incidents with law enforcement. These include his first mugshot for an incest charge in Henrico County and his second when he was transferred to Central Virginia Regional Jail on August 2, 2012.
These charges stemmed from Michael Snyder’s incident on 28 October 2011, which resulted in a civil suit being filed against him and his mother. He was sentenced to community service, probation and paying Snyder’s medical bills.
Chris’ civil suit was settled out of court, yet he remained in jail at the time. This moment in his life was significant as it served as a reminder that his actions may have put him in legal trouble and that he wasn’t above the law.
4. Lisa Alexander
The term “Karen” has come to be associated with a type of middle-class white woman who often exhibits behaviors indicative of privilege. This includes belittling service industry workers, opposing vaccination laws and engaging in racist microaggressions like asking to touch black people’s hair.
When such people are captured on video, it usually elicits outrage from the public. Some viral incidents, like Stacy Talbert’s claim that her food had been tampered with because she was a police officer, have been labeled “Karen” incidents and have been heavily scrutinized both by the public and social media alike.
These cases have ignited a national dialogue about privilege and its relationship to racism. This has given rise to discussions around how these incidents can be used as tools for political activism.
On March 16th, San Francisco city leaders passed the Caution Against Racially and Exploitative Non-Emergencies (CAREN) Act that makes it illegal to make fake, racially biased emergency calls to law enforcement. Furthermore, those harmed by these calls have the right to file lawsuits in court.
Recently, a San Francisco woman called the police on a Filipino man for stenciling “Black Lives Matter” onto a retaining wall with chalk. Her partner was also involved in this incident which was filmed and shared online.
Many of these videos offer a glimpse into an intimate one-off interaction and have not been thoroughly evaluated. Unfortunately, they often undergo manipulation and reediting to alter the narrative.
There have been many other instances of Karens facing consequences for their actions, such as the farmer’s market organizer who resigned over video of her disparaging a vendor handing out pride flags. In some cases, Karens have been charged with racial discrimination or assault.
Lisa Alexander, a San Francisco-based cosmetics CEO, received harsh criticism when she approached James Juanillo -a Filipino man stenciling “Black Lives Matter” on a nearby retaining wall – and threatened him with arrest. The video went viral, prompting Alexander to issue an apology over the weekend.
