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Demi Lovato dubbed 'Karen' for calling LA frozen yogurt shop 'diet culture vulture' over sugar-free cookies

Lovato's lengthy apology video came hours after the internet dubbed her a 'Karen' for calling out the LA frozen yogurt shop The Big Chill's over sugar-free cookies

Demi Lovato is under fire for calling out a frozen yogurt company that she alleges perpetuates "diet culture" by stacking "sugar-free cookies" and "other diet foods". Lovato, who has been controversial more than once since moving on from her Disney star days, called her whole experience as a customer of the Los Angeles-based The Bigg Chill "triggering". Unfortunately, she was immediately dubbed a "dumb and self-centered Karen" by the internet.

“FINDING IT EXTREMELY HARD TO ORDER FROYO FROM [The Bigg Chill] WHEN YOU HAVE TO WALK PAST TONS OF SUGAR-FREE COOKIES/OTHER DIET FOODS BEFORE YOU GET TO THE COUNTER,” Lovato shared on her Instagram stories, adding: “DO BETTER PLEASE". The message was accompanied with the hashtag “Diet Culture Vultures”.

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A 'triggering and awful' experience

Lovato followed that up with another story that said: "So I think I’m gonna have to make that hashtag a thing. I will be calling (out) harmful messaging from brands or companies that perpetuate a society that not only enables but praises disordered eating. #dietculturevultures.” She then posted screenshots from a conversation between herself and The Bigg Chill, where the company wrote to her saying, "We are not diet culture vultures. We cater to all of our customers needs for the past 36 years. We are sorry if you found this offensive."

Lovato also mentioned: "Not just that. Your service was terrible. So rude. The whole experience was triggering and awful. You can carry things for other people while also caring for another percentage of your customers who struggle DAILY just to even step foot in your store. You can find a way to provide an inviting environment for all people with different needs. Including eating disorders — one of the deadliest mental illnesses only second to (opioid) overdoses. Don’t make excuses, just do better."

But soon after Lovato cracked down on the frozen yogurt company, internet called her out for being “immature”. Sharing all of the screenshots from Lovato's Instagram rant, one user criticized, "I legit cannot stand demi lovato. this restaurant is not the cause for ur triggers. sugar free cookies do not classify as “disordered eating” if ur in the right mindset. if ur not, then it’s not the restaurant’s fault. the way she PUBLICALLY called them out was so immature." Another wrote: "It seems to me Demi Lovato walking into The Big Chill frozen yogurt shop & getting ‘triggered’ by a display of food items, than chastising them online for displaying food items, is like an alcoholic walking into a liquor store & asking the store to hide all the liquor." 

Several called her a 'Karen', writing "Demi Lovato is an insufferable Karen" and "Whoever taught Demi Lovato the world revolves around her & her issues did her a huge disservice she’s acting like a Karen…." Sports expert Zach Schwartz also claimed: "I’m sorry it’s a frozen yogurt shop. Did you expect the shelves to be stocked with carrots and kale? This is truly a stupid take. Shaming the best frozen yogurt spot in LA. ??”

Demi Lovato's apology

Lovato shared another follow-up on Instagram, advising the shop this: “I was thinking, maybe it would help if you made it more clear that the sugar free options and vegan options are for that. Labeling the snacks for celiac or diabetes or vegans. When it’s not super clear, the messaging gets confusing and being in LA it’s really hard to distinguish diet culture vs health needs. I think clear messaging would be more beneficial for everyone. You aren’t wrong for catering to many different needs but it’s not about excluding one demographic to cater to others.”

Hours after the bitter back and forth that ended with Lovato accusing the brand of "gaslighting women who stand up for themselves", the singer posted an apology video on Instagram. The video sees her address the issue claiming how she could have handled things better. “I am very outspoken about the things that I believe in. I understand that sometimes my messaging can lose it’s meaning when I get emotional,” she says. “I am somebody who is just very passionate about what I believe in and I’ve lived through enough to know when to speak up for people who don’t have a voice.”

Lovato continued: "Because it wasn’t clear, I definitely jumped to conclusions and probably shouldn’t have gone about this the way that I have. I’m willing to talk to this froyo shop to help get this messaging right… I’m human and I talk about my struggles. I’m passionate, so I’m sorry that I got the messaging wrong. I’m sorry that I may have disappointed some people.”

She further explained: "I’m not coming after a small business as someone with a lot of followers. That’s not what I’m doing here. I walked into a situation that didn’t sit right with me, my intuition said speak up about this, so I did. And I feel good about that. What I don’t feel good about, is some of the way that it’s been interpreted and how the message has gotten misconstrued over all of it. I will do whatever I can to work with this froyo shop if they want to, to help align the messaging." In the end, Lovato concluded: “I’m genuinely sorry that people took it the wrong way. I just get really passionate."