If you peruse TikTok a lot in your spare time instead of going out to touch grass, see the sun, etc. then you may have come across a captivating dilemma from a Sydney jeweller that sent people across the world into an absolute spiral.
Let’s call it the Australian necklace-gate.
TL;DR: Why are Aussie influencers being accused of stealing a necklace?
We’ll try to summarise this briefly.
A Sydney jewellery brand, Luna Rae, recently went viral after posting a TikTok claiming that an Australian influencer had stolen a $360 gold-and-diamond necklace. According to the brand, the influencer bought the necklace, received it (as confirmed by delivery tracking), and later claimed the item never arrived, receiving a refund.
Luna Rae said they later spotted the influencer wearing what appeared to be the same necklace online, but they did not publicly name the person involved, which has obviously led to mass speculation as to who allegedly stole the necklace.
@lunaraejewellery We can’t believe we found her TikTok- What do we do in this situation?#storytime #influencerstory #caughtoncamera #smallbusiness #jewellerybusiness ♬ original sound – Luna Rae
Several influencers have now been wrongly accused of stealing – from Abbie Chatfield, to Jessika Power, to even 2014 Bachie alum Laurina Fleure.
And now some people have gone as far as to speculate it’s a publicity stunt by the brand, because the identity of the influencer hasn’t been revealed and no legal action has been taken.
What have the Aussie influences being accused said?
Aussie influencers accused have taken to TikTok to rebut the claims, with Abbie and Laurina both posting responses to the false accusations.
“It’s wild that people will assume that I stole a necklace, that I committed a crime, because they see an outspoken woman,” Abbie said upon learning about necklace-gate through people accusing her of stealing.
Abbie ended up in tears as she talked about being sick of being accused of things she didn’t do.
“Every day I see a lie about myself on the internet,” she said. “And now these poeple who don’t like me say it must’ve been Abbie Chatfield who committed a crime”
/@abbiechatfield Replying to @ebony|mumof4 ♬ original sound – Abbie Chatfield
Laurina, who appeared on Blake Garvey’s season of The Bachelor in 2014, also spoke out about the accusations.
“The necklace comments are getting old and, quite frankly, mean,” Laurina said. “It has nothing to do with me, I have never heard of Luna Rae, I have never engaged with them, and I’ve certainly never stolen from them.”
@laurinafleure it’s not nice being accused of something that has absolutely nothing to do with me .. please redirect your witch hunting
♬ original sound – Laurina Fleure
What has Luna Rae said?
After the original Luna Rae post went viral due to people accusing a bunch of different influencers, the company called out the comments for being mean.
“So many people are supportive, but far out, everyone just wants to assume the worst in people. Abbie Chatfield, Jessika Power, Vanessa Romito… everyone else that everybody has named, no, definitely not, they haven’t done it,” the founder, Amy Bradley, said.
“We never asked for this, I’m just a brand owner giving an opinion on something shitty and everyone’s taken it so far.”
Amy went on to say it wasn’t a publicity stunt for the business which has been in operation for six years and said people on Google had started giving the company one-star reviews.
“Shame on people who think the worst of everyone and that’s just what TikTok is about.”
@lunaraejewellery @Alright Hey 🇦🇺🉠@Vanessa Romito @Jessika Power ♬ original sound – Luna Rae
Needless to say, this video also caused backlash as people thought the brand didn’t take enough responsibility when it came to the repercussions of their original viral video.
“May I suggest a social media manager…” one person said with another saying, “What did you think would happen?”
“YOU should have said who stole the necklace instead of leaving it up to speculation,” someone else commented, with another agreeing, “She took no accountability, whatsoever! Blaming and shaming everyone for what she started.”
Others leapt to the defence of the small brand though.
“For all the haters…she asked advice regarding theft and chargebacks. Happens to small businesses all the time. She didn’t ask for a witch hunt by keyboard warriors,” one person said. “She’s spot on. People are being wrongly accused and attacked. That’s so wrong!”
Want to CHATTR with us? Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok for more entertainment news.
