Trader Joe's maskless shopper from viral video tirade speaks out
The Trader Joe's shopper who was caught on camera in an anti-mask tirade that's been seen millions of times online spoke to CBS Los Angeles Sunday.
It was opening day at the Trader Joe's store in North Hollywood when the shopper who's since gone viral tried to go grocery shopping without a face covering.
"I have a breathing problem, basically, from my nose," the woman said.
The woman said the store manager allowed her to shop without the mask that night.
The woman told CBS L.A. an employee offered to shop for her and she could wait outside, but she wanted to shop for herself.
But, she said, a man started cursing at her to wear a mask. She said she felt threatened.
"Nobody was helping me, so at that point is what they show in the video," she said.
The video showed her yelling at fellow shoppers who were demanding she don a mask, saying they were violating federal law.
That's when the angry outburst began in which she referred to people as "Democratic pigs."
"At that moment, I felt they were acting like pigs," she said. "Do I regret it? No. I mean, not really at that moment, I don't."
While Trader Joe's store policy doesn't require masks but instead encourages them, Gov. Gavin Newsom recently issued a statewide face-covering mandate to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
After the outburst, the woman was asked to leave the store but didn't at first, saying she "didn't do anything wrong."
Police were called but no charges were filed and the woman went home, vowing not to revisit that Trader Joe's location.
Sunday night, two men were seen shopping in the store without masks and were quickly escorted out.