In a controversial TikTok video, Lilly Gaddis, who is white, was fired from her job after she used the n-word slur and refused to apologize, sparking considerable outrage among her viewers. In her video, which has since led to the deactivation of her account, she was discussing the stereotype of women being labeled as ‘gold diggers’. Gaddis attempted to dispute this by saying, “Everyone I know that is married right now is married to broke-a** n*****.” Her rant did not stop there; she also made derogatory comments referring to ‘dumb w*****’ and ‘immigrants fresh off the boat looking for a green card’.
Following the backlash, Gaddis acknowledged the upset her video caused but shockingly admitted, “The backlash made me do a deep dive and soul search, and after all that, I still couldn’t find a care.”
Her employer, Rophe of the Carolinas, responded by terminating her position as a marketing and sales manager, stating, “The employee is ‘no longer with the company’.” They further affirmed their commitment to diversity and respect within the workplace, emphasizing that the business is owned by an African American woman and an immigrant.
The company’s statement highlighted, “We are owned and operated by [an] African American female and [are an] immigrant owned business and handled the situation as quickly as we could. We want to assure you that we are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and respectful work environment where all individuals are valued and respected… We appreciate the support and trust of our community, and we are dedicated to earning back any confidence that may have been shaken by this unfortunate incident.”
Nevertheless, Gaddis has since claimed that her First Amendment right and freedom of speech were infringed upon. Additionally, she has continued to stir controversy on TikTok. In another video, she disparaged ‘nerds’ and ‘people we didn’t hang out with’ from high school, calling them ‘yuck’. This video was later censored by TikTok, which she seemed to anticipate as she provocatively captioned it: “You can’t take me down. #fypage #fypシ゚viral #llddis #trump2024 P.S tiktok I am not bullying.”
