A TikToker who went viral for blasting a wildly underwhelming Secret Santa exchange gift he received at work is back with a new update—he got fired.
Rae (@raeshorn101) pulled attention last week when he showed off the bag of “gifts” he received from a Secret Santa exchange with a price limit of $50, ultimately calling out someone named Michael for sticking him with an open box of expired Pop-Tarts, used cologne, and a packet of Mambo sauce from McDonald’s, among other underwhelming items.
Although he never mentioned Michael’s last name, specified that the exchange took place at his workplace, or shared where he worked, going viral apparently caused some issues with the corporate overlords at his job.
“I guess corporate seen it, and they felt some type of way about it, even though it wasn’t really anything to talk about,” he said. “And yeah, it’s not funny, but it’s just like, why did I just get fired?”
@raeshorn101 Here’s the update #fyp #viral #secretsanta ♬ original sound – Rae Raeee🩵
Rae had a little bit of a heads up that something was going down, as he posted a video shortly before the one above to let viewers know he was being called in for a mysterious meeting—and specifically that they had seen the viral TikTok.
“I didn’t even do nothing, for real,” he said. “All I did was talk about how I didn’t like the gift that Michael gave me, and that was it. It wasn’t a big thing.”
@raeshorn101 Replying to @Toby #secretsanta #secretsantagift #christmas #viral #secretsanta🎅🎄🎁 ♬ original sound – Rae Raeee🩵
TikTokers getting in trouble—or even getting fired—over posting videos related to their jobs is something that happens from time to time. But usually when we hear about things like this, it has more to do with the fact that they’ve posted something that could conceivably make the company look bad. In this instance, it’s difficult to see how that’s a conclusion that may have been formed, leaving both Rae and viewers confused about why things played out the way they did.
“I feel like Micheal snitched,” wrote @dreadheadrn.
“I would sue retaliation and wrongful termination,” @cherrybee_ suggested, although most states allow companies to fire workers at any time as long as they can give a reason.
@worldkass felt as if it “sounds like a Karen that works with you came across the video and snitched,” while another viewer claimed that mentioning a co-worker, even just by first name, may have violated the company’s social media policy.
Rae seems to be taking the whole thing in stride, saying that he felt as though God had been telling him to leave the job for a minute anyway. Still, it’s clear the whole thing has left him a little shaken up.
“There’s always another job, but it’s just like, I actually liked the job,” he said. “I didn’t know the system would be like this.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to @raeshorn101 via TikTok comment.
