YouTuber Bryan Arnett has landed in hot water with popular fast-food chain In-N-Out over a recent prank video that went south quite quickly. In a video uploaded to his channel on April 25 this year, Arnett donned an outfit identical to that of an In-N-Out employee and posed as a drive-thru worker at a closed location in Glendale on Easter Sunday. The lewd remarks made by him to unsuspecting customers during the prank have led the popular chain to file a lawsuit against him.
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Who is Bryan Arnett and what did he do?
With over 600,000 followers across YouTube and Instagram, Arnett is a content creator known for frequently making prank videos and uploading them on his platform. He has picked In-N-Out as his playground for pranks in previous videos as well where he hung a fake employee of the month plaque with his photo on the wall of a restaurant and paid his bill in pennies.
In his latest antics, Arnett asked customers if they would like their food made “doggy style”, suggested that employees of the chain dip their feet in the lettuce used to make food that was contaminated with condoms and cockroaches, implied that the chain only served food to gay people and asked a customer if they’d like to try the “monkey burger” which came with a “damn-near black bun”. The tip of the iceberg came when he asked a customer, “I like watching my wife sleeping with other men. Is that something you’d be interested in?”
The lawsuit
The lawsuit was filed on June 20 and accused Arnett of falsely representing the company and defaming its brand with “lewd, unsettling and bizarre” behavior. A cease-and-desist letter was issued in early May. The suit seeks to ban Arnett from all In-N-Out locations, recoup any earnings made from the video, and pursue damages as applicable. In-N-Out had previously filed a suit against another content creator for similar antics at the chain.
{{/usCountry}}The lawsuit was filed on June 20 and accused Arnett of falsely representing the company and defaming its brand with “lewd, unsettling and bizarre” behavior. A cease-and-desist letter was issued in early May. The suit seeks to ban Arnett from all In-N-Out locations, recoup any earnings made from the video, and pursue damages as applicable. In-N-Out had previously filed a suit against another content creator for similar antics at the chain.
{{/usCountry}}“For over seven decades, we have worked hard to create a welcoming and enjoyable experience for every Customer who visits us. Recently, we have seen an increase in online media personalities who have chosen to play pranks or practical jokes that are designed to embarrass, humiliate, or upset our Customers, their families, and our Associates. These individuals have engaged in behavior that includes deception, trespass, lewdness, and other actions that have then been posted on social media for their personal and monetary gain at the expense of our Customers and the In-N-Out Burger brand,” said In-N-Out Burger Chief Legal & Business Officer Arnie Wensinger in a statement to The Independent.
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Arnett’s response to the lawsuit
Arnett responded to the incident with a follow-up video posted on his YouTube days after the lawsuit. The video saw him sitting in his car and chowing down an In-N-Out burger while he was at it. “When I went out and filmed the video, I kinda knew what kind of waters I was stepping into. I knew I was kinda teetering the line a little bit, pushing my luck. I wouldn’t say I’m worried about the lawsuit. Like yeah, sure, it’ll probably be annoying or whatever, but whatever’s gonna happen is gonna happen,” he said.
The prank video as well as the follow-up remarks video published by Arnett have since been switched to private viewing on YouTube.