A confrontation at a Smoothie King in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has gone viral after a couple claimed employees refused to serve them because the husband was wearing a sweatshirt supporting President Donald Trump.
Cellphone video reviewed by USA TODAY shows the tense exchange between the couple and staff members, which quickly spread across social media this week.
"You literally looked at us and I asked you if everything was okay," the woman says in the video. "You said, 'We don't feel comfortable serving you because of my husband's hoodie.' That is discrimination."
The couple was later identified as Erika and Jake Lindemyer, according to reports from Fox News and the New York Post.
During the back-and-forth on video, one employee is heard pushing back, saying, "We have a right to refuse service here, and that's what we did."
The incident gained further traction after a separate TikTok video filmed from the employee's perspective went viral, amassing more than 6 million views. As reported by The Detroit News, part of the USA TODAY Network, the employee later launched a GoFundMe related to the incident, though the fundraiser has since been disabled.
Smoothie King employees 'are no longer with the business,' the company says
Smoothie King has since moved to cut ties with the employees, the Texas-based company confirmed in a series of social media posts.
"Following an investigation into an incident involving a guest who was refused service at a franchised location in Michigan yesterday, the franchise owner has taken immediate action and the two employees involved are no longer with the business," the company said on X, adding that corporate officials and the franchise owner reached out to the customers to apologize.
"The local owner is also taking further action and enforcing mandatory retraining for all employees that outlines our guest experience standards," the post continued.
Smoothie King added in a statement to USA TODAY that it is "committed to ensuring our stores are a place free of discrimination of any kind, where every guest and team member is treated with kindness and respect."
"We care for everyone who wants to live a healthy and active lifestyle regardless of their race, gender, religion and political affiliation," the company added.
Employee releases statement addressing the incident
Former Smoothie King employee, Janiyah Mishelle, doubled down on her decision in a statement to Fox News.
"In my opinion, in this specific instance, I had the right to refuse service due to discomfort with a customer interaction - just as he had the right to wear the political merchandise," she, in part, told the outlet. "I would like to clarify that my statements were/are NOT on behalf of Smoothie King. I would also like to thank everyone who is currently supporting me through the digital harassment, political re-framing, and job-loss."
Contributing: Max Reinhart and Charles E. Ramirez, The Detroit News
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY.