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A content creator in Atlanta is claiming on TikTok that she experienced disrespect and racial bias during her visit to a Black-owned spa in Buckhead. The woman had brought her tripod and camera to capture a few moments of her stay to post as part of her social media content. However, while doing so, the general manager confronted her for filming inside the facility and told her that another customer had felt uncomfortable and complained about the tripod.
The woman replied that she had no intention of filming other customers and questioned why she was being singled out even though she had seen previous guests upload similar videos from the same spa. In response, the manager said the spa had specific guidelines for those who wished to record and that all recordings must be approved at the front desk to protect guests’ privacy. Still, the customer maintained that no one had informed her of such a policy and that her equipment had been visible when she checked in. Her tripod, she explained, wasn’t obstructing anyone, and she had only been recording a short clip of herself.
More on What Happened
The conversation became heated when the woman revealed that she had overheard the manager and staff making jokes about her recording setup. “I feel very disrespected and unwelcome here, and I don’t know why,” she said. She also pointed out that both she and the manager were Black women and asked why another Black woman would, in her view, embarrass her publicly. The manager responded that race had nothing to do with the matter, adding that the spa operated with “excellence first,” regardless of color.
As both women continued talking over each other, the manager reiterated that filming was allowed only with prior approval, while the customer insisted she had seen other guests record freely and accused the other woman of being dismissive and unfair. At one point, the manager suggested, “You and I need to have this conversation when you’re not angry because you’re not listening to me.”
Still, things didn’t calm down even after their conversation ended. After the customer had changed out of her spa robe and was about to leave, she accused the manager, who was now standing in the reception area, of being racist, saying, “How are you racist to your own kind?” The two got into a few more heated exchanges before the TikToker was ushered out, with the door closed in her face.
Netizens React to the Atlanta Content Creator’s Spa Incident
Reactions to the incident were divided on TikTok. Some people sympathized with the content creator and said they would have felt the same way in her position. “Omg girl I’m so sorry that happened to you!!!!” one viewer wrote, while another said, “Oh sweetheart don’t let them make you cry.” Someone who thought the manager’s approach was out of line commented, “Absolutely disgusted with their behavior. I’m so sorry to anyone who has had to go through this going here. The racism is loud and clear!!!”
Others, however, thought the situation had been blown out of proportion. “It’s a damn spa. Y’all do the most for views smh get that seaweed wrap and get the hell on,” one person remarked. A different netizen added, “Yall content creators need to be more considerate. You crying on the fyp because you couldn’t record. This is too much [sic].”
A few agreed with the spa’s right to set boundaries. “As a spa manager in Atlanta the manager is correct, they have the right to tell you that you can’t record BUT it sounds like how they treated you is unacceptable,” one comment read. Another person wrote, “I’ve been to several spa’s [sic] and you cannot film. Girllllll!”
