Starbucks ‘Karen’ Says She Wants Half of $100K Raised for Barista Who Refused to Serve Her Without a Mask

While face masks aren’t required in every state, city or store, there are some locations where they are not just a recommendation but a requirement for service. 

In June, Amber Lynn Gilles entered a Starbucks located in San Diego. She was not wearing a face mask, and it is that particular store’s policy that customers must wear face masks.

While Gilles did not bring a face mask with her, she did bring two documents explaining that she has a medical condition that prevents her from wearing a face mask. One document was a pelvic exam showing that she has an ovarian cyst. The document was from 2015. The other document was from a chiropractor. It was handwritten, and it simply stated, “Amber has underlying breath conditions that prevent her from wearing a mask or any type of facial covering whatsoever. Please contact me if have any questions.”

Lenin, the Starbucks barista, refused to serve Gilles despite these documents unless she put on a face mask. Gilles went full Karen and berated the barista on Facebook in a now deleted post where she wrote, “Meet lenen from Starbucks who refused to serve me cause I’m not wearing a mask. Next time I will wait for cops and bring a medical exemption.”

Gilles post did not get the reaction she expected. Someone started a GoFundMe for Lenin, and it has already raised more than $105,000 in tips for the barista!

In a very Karen turn of events, Gilles now says she wants half of the money raised for Lenin. She has even started her own GoFundMe to raise money for legal fees in case she decides to sue.

She is not at all sorry for her actions. In fact, she wants an apology. She told KGTV, “I feel like I need the apology. I’ve been discriminated against, I’m the one who’s sick.”

Do you think Gilles deserves an apology? Do you think Lenin did the right thing by refusing to serve her?