A woman is calling out Starbucks after claiming the chain sent her to the hospital.
In a video with over 1.3 million views, TikTok user Janna (@jannawaugh) says that Starbucks “tried to kill” her.
According to Janna, her order began as it usually does. She ordered a Venti iced vanilla latte, blonde espresso, sugar-free vanilla syrup, oat milk, and cold foam. Janna says that she is a frequent Starbucks customer, visiting the store “every other day.”
This day, however, was different. After taking a sip, she says she felt something strange on her tongue. It was, per Janna’s description, “super hairy, nasty,” akin to a caterpillar.
Upon closer examination, Janna says she realized that her drink was filled with mold.
What Happened Next?
Once she realized she had consumed mold, Janna says the reaction was immediate.
“Elevated blood pressure, hives, nausea. Felt like I was gonna throw up,” she summarizes.
Concerned, she says she went to urgent care. There, she says she was told to take Benadryl and an antihistamine allergy medication, which she was instructed to take for the next seven days.
“Even though that was not super fun, my heart is hurt the most,” she states. “But I will say today was my last day going to Starbucks.”
Starbucks Responds
In a follow-up slideshow, Janna shows an email she allegedly received in response from Starbucks.
The email offers an apology. However, it also confusingly states, “Even thought things happened, I have to say that thanks heaven this did not incur in any hospitalization, nor the foreign object being swallowed, which might have been dangerous.” While Janna voluntarily went to urgent care, she says she believes she ingested some mold.
Starbucks also allegedly offered Janna $75 in store credit as part of their apology. In a comment, Janna says that she did not accept this offer.
Following the email, Janna presents evidence of her visit to urgent care. The notes say she presented with itching and nausea. In the next slide, “allergic reaction” is listed under “differential diagnosis.” This is different from an actual diagnosis; a differential diagnosis is a list of possible conditions that could explain someone’s symptoms, not a definitive explanation of why these symptoms are occurring.
Does She Have A Legal Case?
A restaurant serving moldy food is a problem. Not only can moldy food make someone sick, but if a restaurant is serving spoiled food to customers, it could be an indication that they are failing to meet other health and safety standards as well.
This is why experts recommend reporting restaurants that serve moldy food to local health authorities. From there, the relevant agencies will be able to determine if it was a one-off mistake or a bigger problem with which the restaurant needs to deal.
In the comments section, many users encouraged Janna to pursue a lawsuit. Her ability to actually file suit, however, would depend on a few factors—for example, what exactly was in the drink, whether Starbucks was responsible for it, whether it actually caused her symptoms, and what damages she can prove.
If she can prove that she had symptoms, that Starbucks was responsible, and the experience caused damages, it’s possible that she has the grounds for a legal case. That said, urgent care listing a possible allergic reaction under “differential diagnosis” may not be enough to prove damages for a personal injury lawsuit.
Commenters Are Angry
In the comments section, users expressed their anger while sharing their own experiences.
“As someone who works there i literally have no clue how that wouldve happened considering we hand make the drinks?? like the barista DEFINITELY saw that s— and STILL handing the drink out,” wrote a commenter.
“As a 225 Starbucks barista, that is NASTY. I’ve worked at 4 different stores across different districts and states, and all of them have cleaned the ice bins to standard nightly, and deep cleaned them once a week!!!” exclaimed another. “Report to 1-800-SBUX and notify the local health department! I’m so sorry this happened to you!”
“As a Starbucks barista, there’s noooo reason there should be mold!! Starbucks standards are so HIGH. That store needs to be audited asap because this is sooo bad (I believe you),” stated a third.
@jannawaugh Was in fact not “YUM”! @Starbucks #starbucks #mold #gross
BroBible reached out to Starbucks via email and Janna via TikTok direct message and comment.