Tammy Rivera asserted in an Oct. 25 social media post that she was racially profiled while shopping at CVS.
Rivera claimed that the employee followed her throughout the store as she picked up a few items including a hair wrap and hair oil. Although the reality star didn’t disclose her exact location in the Instagram video, she did, however, share the employee’s name in her caption, Ginger.
Rivera said, “I’m in CVS, I come here almost every other night. I know almost every person that works in this store. I came here to get some satin hair wraps and some DOO Gro oil.”
She continued while pointing the camera at Ginger, “This lady [stood] here, she must be new, she [stood] here, and she watched me on the aisle acting like she was fixing stuff on the aisle. I’m watching her watch me.”
The 35-year-old added that Ginger watched her “so hard” that when she opened the box containing the satin wrap that the CVS worker immediately told her, “Don’t do that.” As the video went on, Rivera shared that when she asked the worker who she was talking to, Ginger reiterated the demand.
While Rivera replied that she could do what she wanted because she plan to purchase the item, Ginger shot back, “No, you cannot, don’t do that.” As both women continued going back and forth, the “Waka and Tammy” star said, “What you thought was, I was a child or someone stealing because you [stood] there and you watched for two aisles, and I watched you watch me, and I didn’t say anything, not one thing.”
Toward the end of the video, Rivera explains why she was upset because of Ginger’s delivery. She stated, “It was the mannerisms and [how] you spoke to me like I was as a child. … Why are you watching me from two aisles away telling me not to open something that I’m about to pay for?”
Rivera wrapped up the recording by mentioning when Ginger asked her to leave the store, she suggested the worker call the police. She said while Ginger laughed in the background, “Then she’s going to tell me to leave the store. I told her to call the police. … You’re about to be on Instagram to 7.5 million followers, so laugh at that.”
As fans began to view Rivera’s video many were torn. Some felt the CVS employee was just doing her job and shouldn’t face any repercussions. While others claimed that she would get fired.
“Smh and she laughing report her a–! See how hard she be laughing when she get f–king fired.”
“Wow! & the fact that she’s laughing at the end .. we’ll see who’s laughing when she lose her job .. HA.”
“You about to lose your job.”
“She was doing her job though? lol you mad she didn’t know who you were bc she would’ve told ANYONE not to open stuff before they buy it.”
“Am I the only one who thinks it normal that you’re not supposed to open any items until you pay for it ?? @charliesangelll I don’t think the fight is worth it mommas let her think what she wants everyone is not phased by fame?”
“It’s not the customer service it’s the fact that why would you open it?! She was doing what she get paid to do. @charliesangelll.”
A short time later, Rivera clarified a couple of things regarding the situation. She said she went to CVS to get hydrocortisone for the mosquito bites she got from her recent trip to Belize. While in the drugstore she picked up additional items, like the satin hair wrap and DOO Gro oil as she claimed Ginger monitored her every move.
She said while mentioning how she wasn’t greeted nor assisted in her shopping needs, “As I walk in, I watched this lady watch me through three aisles, and I watched her stand behind the corner aisle acting like she’s fixing stuff…Not once did she greet me, not once did she ask if I need help with anything, instead as soon as she saw me do something that was against store policy, she [said] ‘Don’t do that!'”
Rivera closed the video by saying the only reason why she spoke out was that she wanted to be treated “like a human being.”
