14 DAY TRIAL // Fast food restaurant chain KFC now says that, after ordering that two separate investigations be carried out, it has found that the viral story about how a disfigured girl was kicked out of one of its restaurants in the US is no more and no less than a hoax.
The entire conundrum began earlier this month. Thus, the girl's grandmother claims that, sometime around June 5, she and Victoria stopped for some sweet tea, mashed potatoes and gravy at a KFC in Jackson, Mississippi.
At that time, Victoria Wilcher had several wounds on her face, which she reportedly got after being attacked by a pack of pit bulls. The wounds are visible in the photo above, which was shared on Facebook by the girl's grandmother.
The grandmother, named Kelly Mullins, says that, shortly after she and Victoria sat at a table at the KFC restaurant in Jackson, an employee approached them and required them to leave because the 3-year-old's looks were upsetting customers.
Sometime after, the grandmother decided to take action against the restaurant chain and its alleged poor treatment of 3-year-old Victoria, and took to Facebook to get a KFC shaming campaign rolling, Daily Mail informs.
“Does this face look scary to you? Last week at KFC in Jackson MS this precious face was asked to leave because her face scared the other diners. I personally will never step foot in another KFC again and will be personally writing the CEO,” the woman wrote in a post on June 12.
Fast forward a few days, and KFC was quick to apologize to 3-year-old Victoria Wilcher and her family. Besides, the restaurant chain offered to give the family $30,000 (about €22,050). The money was intended to help cover the girl's medical bills.
Apart from this, people who were terribly touched by the girl's story also decided to lend her a helping hand, and a webpage set up to raise funds for Victoria's treatment has until now received donations amounting to $135,000 (€99,229).
What's interesting is that, apologies and $30,000 donation aside, KFC now claims that the girl and her grandmother were never kicked out of one of its restaurants, be it the one in Jackson, Mississippi, where they claim the incident occurred or some other one.
The restaurant chain says that neither the girl nor her grandmother appears on security footage taken the day the 3-year-old girl was supposedly kicked out by a not-so-polite employee. Besides, am order for sweet tea, mashed potatoes and gravy placed on the day of the alleged incident is yet to be found.
Hence, KFC argues that, all things considered, the entire affair is likely no more and no less than a hoax. Which is a fancy and polite way of saying that it was a lie engineered to get money from folks who cannot resist a good sob story, some might want to add.
Not at all surprisingly, the girl's family claims that the incident did happen. “I promise it's not a hoax. I never thought any of this would blow up the way it has,” the girl's aunt reportedly wrote in a statement on the girl's Facebook page, which she manages.
Interestingly enough, restaurant chain KFC says that, hoax or no hoax, it has absolutely no intention to back down on its promise to help cover 3-year-old Victoria's medical expenses.