TMZ reports that a Cinnabon employee in Wisconsin was fired after a video showed her using hate speech toward customers, and the police bodycam footage that followed is now circulating online.
In TMZ’s telling, the officer walks up and opens with a blunt line: “Bet you know why I’m here …” as he references the viral clip he says he watched.
TMZ describes the employee acting confused at first, almost like she doesn’t understand why police are involved at all.
Then the conversation turns tense fast, because the officer is trying to pin down what happened, while she’s trying to explain it in a way that doesn’t really add up.
What The Employee Told Police, According To TMZ
TMZ reports the employee claimed the customers “came here and harassed me,” and she told the officer she has PTSD.
TMZ says she also claimed the customers “knew exactly” she was ill, and that it “was not the first time.”
But in the same bodycam exchange, TMZ says the officer presses her for details and she can’t clearly explain what the customers did.
According to TMZ, when asked what the customers did to her, she answers in circles—saying things like she doesn’t know, or she has no idea, even while insisting she was threatened.
That’s the part TMZ highlights as “bizarre,” because the claims are serious, but the specifics never really arrive.
TMZ also reports the officer, sounding frustrated, urges her to cooperate so he doesn’t have to arrest her for disorderly conduct.
That threat – arrest for disorderly conduct – sits at the center of the bodycam clip, because it shows how quickly a workplace argument can turn into something with real legal consequences.
The Viral Video And The Firing
TMZ says the employee was recorded using the n-word multiple times toward a couple, and TMZ describes her as “proudly proclaiming herself a racist” in the clip.
TMZ also mentions lewd gestures, speaking directly to the camera, and acting like she didn’t care who saw it.
TMZ’s bottom line is straightforward: after the clip went viral, she was fired.
That sequence – video goes up, public reacts, employer cuts ties – has become a modern pattern, and it’s worth noting that it often happens before the full context is understood.
At the same time, when you’re on camera using a racial slur at customers, that’s not a “gray area” moment. It’s the kind of thing most employers will treat as instantly disqualifying.
TMZ also notes the employee referenced PTSD, but TMZ says the nature of that PTSD is unclear, and it’s not explained how it connects to the confrontation.
And TMZ makes a pointed observation: based on what can be seen, it appears the customers were there to buy food, not start a public spectacle.
Another Version Of Events Pushed By The Gateway Pundit
Cristina Laila at The Gateway Pundit frames the episode differently, emphasizing the claim that the customers were Somali and that they allegedly harassed and threatened the employee before the recording began.
Laila reports the employee’s name as Crystal Wilsey, and writes that a clip went viral showing her using profanity and the n-word at Somali customers.
According to Laila, the customers allegedly instigated the altercation by harassing her and then pulling out a phone to record her reaction.
Laila describes a moment in the clip where a man accuses Wilsey of “sexualizing” her body, and Laila says the woman responds that she is going to record her.
Laila’s article then recounts the confrontation escalating into insults and profanity on both sides, with the employee using racist language and the customers firing back with their own verbal attacks.
The important thing to keep straight is that Laila is presenting a narrative where the employee was provoked, while TMZ is presenting a narrative where the employee’s explanations don’t hold together under basic questioning.
Those two frames can both exist in the same story, but they don’t lead to the same conclusion.
Even if someone is being rude, insulting, or needling you, that doesn’t magically justify dropping a racial slur, especially in a workplace where you’re representing a business.
The Officer’s Threat To Arrest And The Bigger Question
Laila also points to the same police bodycam footage, and she notes that Ashwaubenon Public Safety is the agency involved.
Laila repeats the officer’s opening line—“Bet you know why I’m here…” – and says the officer threatens arrest for “disorderly conduct” while questioning Wilsey about the verbal altercation.
TMZ and Laila overlap heavily on that point: both describe an officer who is trying to figure out what happened, and who warns the employee that she could be arrested if she doesn’t cooperate.
That’s where this story becomes more than internet drama.
A lot of people hear “disorderly conduct” and think it’s nothing, like a scolding. But it can mean handcuffs, booking, legal fees, court dates, and consequences that don’t disappear just because the incident started with an argument.
TMZ’s description suggests the officer is confused by the employee’s inability to explain the alleged threats, and that confusion is what drives the “work with me here” tone.
From a practical standpoint, this is a harsh lesson in how “I have PTSD” can be true and still not function as a shield in the moment.
Police are usually not trained to treat a claim of PTSD as a substitute for facts. They want: what happened, who did what, and what can be proven.
If you can’t answer those questions, you’re stuck in the worst possible place—making accusations that sound serious, while the video evidence shows you saying something that looks plainly indefensible.
The Fundraiser And The Incentive To Pick Sides
One detail that stands out in Laila’s reporting is the claim that a GiveSendGo fundraiser for Wilsey surpassed $157,000.
That’s not just a side note. That kind of money changes incentives.
It can turn a messy argument into a political symbol, because once donations start rolling in, people feel pressured to defend “their side” no matter what the facts end up showing.
TMZ doesn’t focus on fundraising. TMZ focuses on the video, the bodycam, and the employer’s response.
So you end up with two different types of coverage: TMZ leans into the spectacle and the contradictions, while Laila leans into the “harassed employee” frame and the backlash against the customers.
The danger in both directions is obvious.
One side can downplay what happened before the slur was used, and the other side can downplay what it means to use a slur at all.
A Simple Reality That’s Hard To Escape
Here’s the uncomfortable truth that sits underneath both TMZ’s reporting and Laila’s reporting.
If the customers really did harass the employee the way Laila suggests, that’s wrong, and it deserves criticism. People shouldn’t goad workers into meltdowns for content.
But if the employee used racist hate speech the way TMZ describes, that’s also wrong, and it carries its own consequences – social, professional, and potentially legal if the situation spirals.
Both things can be true at once: someone can be mistreated, and still respond in a way that crosses a line they can’t uncross.
The bodycam piece matters because it shows what happens after the internet clip ends.
It shows the real-world part – police showing up, questions getting asked, and the possibility of an arrest hanging in the air.
TMZ says the officer just wanted cooperation to avoid taking her in.
And if you watch stories like this play out long enough, that’s usually the point where people realize the “viral moment” wasn’t the climax – it was the opening scene.
Mark grew up in the heart of Texas, where tornadoes and extreme weather were a part of life. His early experiences sparked a fascination with emergency preparedness and homesteading. A father of three, Mark is dedicated to teaching families how to be self-sufficient, with a focus on food storage, DIY projects, and energy independence. His writing empowers everyday people to take small steps toward greater self-reliance without feeling overwhelmed.
