A Melbourne woman has accused a TikTok influencer of using her for “wholesome” content in a viral video she didn’t consent to appear in.
you’ve probably seen it already Harrison PaulkThe video has been viewed over 58 million times.
In the video, he approaches an elderly woman sitting alone in a food court in Melbourne and asks her to hold a bouquet of flowers for a moment.
While she admires the flowers, he rummages through her bag. He then told her “have a nice day” and walked away – leaving her with flowers, which apparently brought her to tears.
https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeofharrison/video/7111321730773175553?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=6963406901934949893
The video is captioned, “I hope this makes her day better,” and includes the hashtag #wellsome.
The video was flooded with comments praising the act of kindness, praising Harrison and pitying the obviously lonely old woman.
One person wrote: “Wow that was so beautiful I would cry.”
“I’ve seen it so many times. Her reaction is priceless,” said another.
“She was definitely going through something, but those flowers made it a little better.”
However, she wasn’t.
Woman passing by in video marieshe told ABC she didn’t want flowers, and Harrison actually turned her into a viral sob story without her consent.
“He interrupted my quiet time, filmed and uploaded a video without my consent, and turned it into something it wasn’t. “I feel like I’m there,” she said.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CfyRkoOh0au/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Marie said she realized she was being filmed when Harrison left without flowers.
When she asked if this was true, the group filming her said, “No.”
She then tried to return the flowers to Harrison.
“To be honest, I didn’t want to send my kids home on the streetcar,” she said.
Later that day, Marie was shown the viral video by a friend. Tabloids reported on the incident soon afterward and began praising Harrison’s “kindness.”
“At first it was just a joke, but after reading the article, I felt dehumanized,” she said.
“The article said: ‘An old woman, an elderly woman, a heartbreaking story.’
“And they took a picture of me supposedly crying, and it was just a horrible expression.
“It feels like clickbait.”
Marie said it was frustrating to see herself becoming a sad, lonely old woman.
“There’s a patronizing assumption that women, especially older women, would appreciate receiving flowers from strangers,” she says.
Harrison has posted similar videos of other unsuspecting people on his social media.
A recent video shows him tying his shoelaces and placing shopping bags next to people who appear to be homeless. He then tells them that the groceries (or whatever is in that bag) are actually for them.
Sorry, serving poverty porn. If you really want to help a homeless person, give them cash??? Also, if a woman makes it clear she doesn’t want your flowers, don’t make a video implying that the flowers made her day Please.
Mr Harrison’s team issued a statement to the ABC, clarifying that consent was not required as the video was filmed in public. Side note: This is not entirely true, as rules vary by state and shopping centers may be considered private property.
According to ABC, “He offers flowers and pays for groceries for strangers. Cynics may argue it’s for viewing, but Harrison simply wants people to be more… We are simply making a personal effort to help them feel connected and trusted,” ABC said in a statement.
“His video was taken in a public place, so technically no consent is required.
“That being said, he has yet to come across any gratitude, but if anyone is upset they should feel free to email him privately.
“He wouldn’t want something meant to spread love and compassion to cause anyone concern.”
Look, if an influencer with 3.2 million TikTok followers really wants to cheer someone up, she can probably give them more than a half-empty Kohl’s bag.
