Kehlani has responded to Christian Walker’s now-viral clip from Starbucks after huge fan reaction to the footage.
On July 13 conservative influencer Walker, who is the son of former football player and current Republican Senate nominee for Georgia, Herschel Walker, filmed himself approaching Kehlani at a Starbucks drive-thru and accused the singer of criticizing him to the baristas.
Walker, 22, posted a video of the exchange on his Twitter account, writing alongside the clip: “This mediocre singer that everyone’s forgotten about, Kehlani, told my baristas at Starbucks that I was an ‘a**hole’ and to be ‘safe around me.’ Well, I set her straight.”
He continued: “I’m tired of these fake woke people being rude to everyone and acting like they’re the good ones.”
Getty Images/Pascal Le Segretain
Kehlani, real name Kehlani Ashley Parrish, has since responded to the incident on their own social media, posting a lengthy video to explain what happened on TikTok.
In the clip Kehlani says: “I wasn’t gonna address it, but I think we should tell the truth.” They go on to explain that whilst waiting for their order they saw Walker filming on his phone and speaking to a member of Starbucks staff about the Pride flags that were on display at the location.
On Walker’s Instagram stories, he had shared his disdain over the fact that the Starbucks still had Pride flags up in July. Walker, who is openly attracted to men but does not identify as gay, shouted in the video: “These flags from hell should have been removed 13 days ago. Pride month is over, where’s my American flag? You’re intolerant of how I identify!”
In Kehlani’s video, which a fan has since shared to Twitter, they explain that they saw Walker filming his Instagram story about Pride flags. “I go to this Starbucks often, and I also know and can visibly see that everybody that works there is of color, and a lot of them—can’t assume these things—but seem queer to me,” they noted.
The Blue Water Road star then warned the staff at the coffee chain that Walker was behind them and that he “has a habit” of attacking the LGBTQ community.
“I’m like, ‘Watch out, because he’s coming up here with his f***ing phone ready to record,” they said. “I’m like, ‘He’s a f***ing a**hole,’ because I’ve just watched him be an a**hole for the last 10 minutes.”
Kehlani then reveals that Walker had already spoken to them before he started recording the video of him approaching their car, calling them a “b***h” and saying they were holding up the Starbucks. Coincidentally, Kehlani says they were on the phone with a therapist at the time discussing misplaced anger.
“I’m going, ‘I know what you wanna do. You wanna get a reaction out of me so you can go viral,” Kehlani says. “‘and you can post this as some kind of take on people with my political stance, or assumed political stance.”
“Gotta let the fools, fool,” they conclude. “I would like to end this with—I was on a virtual therapy session that entire time. Therapy works babes, I’m proof.”
This mediocre singer that everyone’s forgotten about, Kehlani, told my baristas at Starbucks that I was an “a**hole” and to be “safe around me.” Well, I set her straight.
I’m tired of these fake woke people being rude to everyone and acting like they’re the good ones. pic.twitter.com/V6X88Wg8tX
— Christian Walker (@ChristianWalk1r) July 13, 2022
Later, gossip page The Shade Room posted about the encounter and Kehlani commented underneath the post: “Couldn’t give him what he wanted. Gotta pray for folks!”
“He was circling the Starbucks for 10 minutes losing his mind into his phone behind me, I told the Starbucks folks he was approaching with his camera out about to continue. It wasn’t this deep [crying laughing emoji].”
In the now-famous video, Walker walks up to Kehlani’s car at a Starbucks, saying: “Ma’am, you don’t need to tell baristas that I’m an a**hole because I have an opinion. Get your drink and go away.”
Kehlani shakes their head and attempts to ignore him as Walker continues, saying: “I can have an opinion like everybody else. Why are you entitled to an opinion and not me? You want to tell baristas I’m an a**hole? Well, guess what, you’re the a**hole. You are an a**hole. Get your drink and go.”
Kehlani appears to laugh as he continues: “If you can have an opinion, I can have an opinion, ma’am. If you can have an opinion, get your drink and go,” before he turns and walks back to his car.
