In-N-Out sues YouTuber who dressed up as an employee to film lewd prank

Daily Mail​

5 days ago

A popular YouTuber has been sued by In-N-Out burger over an 'unsettling and bizarre' prank video where he disguised himself as an employee and made vulgar comments to customers.
The 24-year-old YouTube prankster Bryan Arnett shared a video with his 334,000 subscribers in April that showed him posing as an In-N-Out employee.
He took orders from unsuspecting customers while slipping in disturbing lines like, 'I like watching my wife sleep with other men,' according to KTLA News.
Now, the beloved Southern California fast-food chain has filed a lawsuit against the creator, accusing him of making 'lewd, unsettling, and bizarre' remarks that defamed and tarnished the company's reputation.
'Arnett made lewd, derogatory and profane remarks, such as stating that In-N-Out had cockroaches and condoms in its food, and that In-N-Out Associates put their feet in lettuce served to customers,' the lawsuit alleged, as reported by KTLA.
On April 25, Arnett posted a prank video - reportedly filmed on Easter Sunday, when the restaurant was closed - in which he wore the signature red apron, white collared shirt, and paper In-N-Out hat at what appeared to be a Glendale location.
In the now-privated video, Arnett lured customers at the drive-thru, pretending to take their orders while handing out fake menus, making inappropriate remarks, and asking uncomfortable questions.
In one instance, the lawsuit alleges, the YouTuber crudely asked customers if they wanted their food made 'doggy style' - a filthy twist on the chain's iconic 'animal style' menu options, KTLA reported.
He reportedly told one customer that the establishment was 'only serving gay people,' prompting the diner to drive away. To another, he claimed a 'manager' had put his feet in the lettuce being served to customers.
In-N-Out accused Arnett of making 'racially insensitive' remarks, including a disturbing moment when he offered a customer a 'monkey burger' - complete with a 'damn-near black bun.'
One moment the In-N-Out brand found particularly disturbing, according to SF Gate, was when Arnett bluntly asked a customer, 'I like watching my wife sleep with other men. Is that something you'd be interested in?'
At one point in the video, the 24-year-old enlisted the help of an accomplice to stage a fake incident, pretending a cockroach had been found in a customer's order.
'We've had a pretty bad cockroach problem this week,' Arnett told his partner-in-crime in front of a customer placing an order, as reported by SF Gate. Shortly after, the pair pretended a condom had fallen into a customer's meal.
The video was uploaded to his YouTube channel on April 25, despite warnings from In-N-Out to take it down for trademark infringement and filming customers without their consent, KTLA reported.
The federal lawsuit, filed in Santa Ana on June 20, accuses Arnett of 'falsely representing' the company, as reported by The Los Angeles Times. It also notes that In-N-Out issued a cease-and-desist letter on May 2.
The company is now seeking a lifetime ban on Arnett from all of its restaurants, the profits earned from the video and compensation for potential financial damages, according to KTLA.
They argued that rather than coming off as jokes, Arnett's 'defamatory, insulting, racially insensitive, bizarre, and lewd' comments tarnished the brand's image and eroded customer trust.
'In-N-Out cares deeply about its customers, the goodwill those customers have for its brand, and the Associates who work tirelessly to uphold that brand by their commitment to ensuring every customer has a positive experience,' the lawsuit states, the LA Times reported.
Though the video has since been made private, Arnett appeared unfazed by the fallout, claiming he was 'pushing the boundaries' - a telling detail, since this isn't the first prank he's pulled involving the brand.
On Monday, he responded to the lawsuit in a new YouTube video - now also private -while ordering and eating In-N-Out in his car, as reported by SF Gate.
'I'm not gonna sit here and act surprised,' Arnett said. 'When I went out and filmed the video, I kind of knew what kind of waters I was stepping into.'
'I knew I was kind of teetering the line a little bit, pushing my luck,' he added. '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.'
In a previous video Arnett uploaded - now private - he was kicked out of an In-N-Out by management after attempting to pay for a stranger's order using only pennies, SF Gate reported.
In another video, he meticulously placed a fake 'Employee of the Month' plaque on the wall of one of the restaurant's dining rooms.