An awkward moment on a Miami-bound flight spiraled into a viral social media storm when a woman, later identified as Vanessa Clover, picked up another passenger's phone charger during a delay.
The clip quickly amassed over 13 million views on TikTok, and the story, told from the point of view of the device's owner on other media outlets, caused Clover to be the target of online harassment, including death threats.
Highlights
- A misunderstanding on a Miami-bound flight over a phone charger went viral, getting 13 million TikTok views.
- Vanessa Clover, accused of stealing, received death threats and harassment online following the video.
- Vanessa uploaded her response video, explaining the incident happened a year ago and she found the charger on the floor.
Due to the severity of the hatred she received, Vanessa uploaded a response video on Wednesday (August 25), where she added much-needed context, including the fact that the incident occurred a year ago and that she picked up the charger after finding it on the floor.
The owner, however, maintained that he had the charger plugged into his seat as passengers briefly deplaned and confronted Clover after another passenger told him she had stolen it.
"I can't understand how so many think that a misunderstanding over a phone charger warrants legitimate threats from strangers online," Vanessa said.
A woman received "harassment and death threats" after a video of her "stealing" a phone charger on a plane went viral on social media
Image credits: rcrelated1
In the video, the man, later identified as Ed Orellano, can be heard accusing Clover of taking the charger, to which she calmly responded that she had found it on the plane. Orellano interpreted her response—claiming that she took it because "no one else was on the flight" and assuring him he would get it back— as "dismissive" and escalated the situation.
Vanessa stated that she wasn't given a chance to adequately explain what happened, as the device's owner immediately started shouting and recording her, prompting her to act defensively.
Image credits: rcrelated1
"This man was already recording and getting in people's faces about the charger by the time I returned to the plane," she explained. "I immediately told him I would return it."
Despite agreeing to return the charger, the man continued berating her, filming the encounter and loudly declaring, "You're gonna be famous on TikTok!" as other passengers, including his wife, attempted to calm him down.
"What the video doesn't show is the man losing his mind afterward. He continued yelling at me and the crew, to the point where attendants threatened to remove him off the flight if he couldn't control his rage," Vanessa added.
Vanessa Clover claims she found the device on the floor and tried to return it. The owner, however, remains convinced that she wanted to steal it and that she was lying
Image credits: rcrelated1
Comparing Vanessa's and the owner's accounts of what happened on the flight reveals several inconsistencies.
First, Clover claims that she found the charger on the floor, took it, and lifted it to see if it belonged to anyone behind her. Upon receiving no response, she took it to an attendant but stated that they "wouldn't take it because they cannot be liable for passenger possessions."
The man, on the other hand, affirms that he left the device plugged in and that he acted based on the information given to him by a third passenger, "I was told, once we got back into the plane, that a girl had stopped by your seat, unplugged the charger, rolled it up, and put it in her bag."
Image credits: rcrelated1
Second, the owner states that he was offered to have the plane's crew call the police to have Vanessa arrested for stealing, but he denied the offer because it would cause further trouble to an already delayed flight.
Clover refuted this notion, labeling it a complete fabrication on Orellano's part. She explained that stewards were instead trying to defuse the situation due to his escalating rage. Viewers faintly hear his wife pleading, "Ed, calm down."
The woman pleaded with her audience to stop the harassment, expressing disbelief at the extent to which the incident had escalated
While Orellano hasn't uploaded a new video related to the incident following Clover's response, he stated that he was anticipating her sharing her version of events at some point. He asked his followers not to believe her, assuring them that "she wasn't trying to do a good deed" and telling his critics that he was "not the bad guy" in the situation.
On the other hand, Clover expressed disbelief at how quickly the situation had spiraled and condemned the threats and harassment she faced afterward. "What's much harder for me to understand is how so many of you think a misunderstanding over a phone charger warrants harassment and death threats," she said.
As the fallout from the incident continues to grow, the online community remains divided. Some sided with the man's frustration over his property, while others empathized with Clover's plea to stop the harassment.
Netizens were initially supportive of Orellano's version of events, but criticism of his behavior has grown since Clover uploaded her response
Image credits: Pexels/Karolina Kaboompics
"She was wrong! Thank you for sharing," wrote one of the man's supporters.
"She definitely does it often. You did the right thing and should have pressed charges," said another.
Others changed their minds upon hearing Vanessa's point of view, empathizing with her and lamenting the harassment she's been put through.
"I'm so sorry you're going through this. Even from his video, it's clear that he obviously has some issues. Hang in there!" a user wrote.
"I'm so sorry you are having to deal with this. We can all clearly tell by this man's voice that the charger isn't the issue here; it's something else, and he's taking it out on you," another stated.
More neutral netizens believe the situation was blown entirely out of proportion, with some leaving comments on Orellano's profile criticizing him for making the issue public in the first place.
Bored Panda has reached out to both parties for comment.
Netizens' initial reactions to the clip were largely supportive of the man's claims, but new information has led some viewers to reconsider
