Burger King worker's Halloween face paint draws national scrutiny

A Burger King employee in Minnesota served customers at a drive-through window on Halloween with her face painted black. The incident was captured on video by a customer and shared publicly on October 31. The clip shows the worker wearing a uniform, cap, and headphones while interacting with patrons.

The customer who recorded the footage, identified by PEOPLE magazine as Shavelle Devine, posted the video on Facebook. In the clip, Devine asks the employee about her appearance. The worker replies, “I'm just black today.” When Devine asks if the practice is appropriate, the employee states, “As long as you have a good heart.”

The conversation continues with questions regarding the worker's support for the Black Lives Matter movement and her understanding of the challenges faced by Black people. The employee responds with uncertainty, saying, “Well, no. I just wanted to be black.. No.. Yes, I know. I mean, no. I don't know. No, I don't know.”

Burger King issued a statement acknowledging the video and describing the situation as serious. The company noted that the franchise owner is addressing the matter with the management team and the employee involved. The goal, according to the statement, is to ensure all staff understand why the conduct was unacceptable and to prevent recurrence.

According to SoapCentral, the incident took place in Faribault, Minnesota, though Burger King has not confirmed the specific location. No confirmation has emerged that the employee was fired or suspended following the review.

An artificial intelligence generated video circulated online, appearing to show the worker's arrest. The Faribault police department confirmed that no one was detained in connection with the drive-through incident.