Church Lady Follows Teen Into Restroom To Tell Her That She's Too Big To Wear Jean Shorts
"I should feel accepted and loved and now I don’t want to go back to that Church."
Kues, Cost Of Thousands / Shutterstock A 19-year-old woman was hurt and humiliated after an older woman followed her into a church bathroom to offer her unsolicited opinion on the young woman’s outfit choice. The young woman was reduced to tears as she told the older woman that she loved who she was, and that her insults would not change a thing.
Although her church was once a place where she felt welcome, she now fears walking through the doors after the horrific treatment she was subjected to.
The older woman followed the young woman into a church restroom just to tell her that she was ‘too big’ to be wearing jean shorts.
Jenna, who was 19 years old at the time of the incident that unfolded at Swansboro United Methodist Church in North Carolina, walked into the women’s restroom when she was followed by one of the church’s leaders. The older woman began berating Jenna as she cornered her in the restroom over her choice to wear denim shorts, which she claimed that Jenna was “too fat” to be wearing in the first place.
Snippets of the repulsive conversation were recorded by Jenna herself and later shared on social media.
“So you’re sitting here calling me fat?” Jenna is heard asking the woman from behind the camera. “Oh, you don’t think you are?” the woman responded.
Through her tears, Jenna told the woman that she loves who she is, and begged her to leave her alone. Instead, the woman responded that she “doesn’t have to” leave her alone, and told Jenna to “stop swearing” at her, before proceeding to tell her that she does “give a [expletive]” about Jenna's outfit, even if Jenna doesn’t.
The woman then warned Jenna not to come back out to the church wearing the same shorts.
The video caught the attention of millions of people, who were disgusted by the woman’s hurtful words toward Jenna.
“I would’ve dropped every curse word in the book at her,” one TikTok user commented. “As a Christian, I don’t claim her,” another wrote. “I’m sorry you had to go to a church full of people who are unloving,” a third user added.
In a now-deleted Twitter post, Jenna wrote, “I should feel accepted and loved and now I don’t want to go back to that church. I'm absolutely astonished that someone can have this much hate in their heart."
After the disturbing encounter, she informed her pastor of what happened. Thankfully, he decided to take serious measures to ensure that the woman would never harass any other churchgoers again.
The church pastor banned the woman from the church committee, informing her that she would never be able to partake in any leadership role again.
The church also delivered a statement on social media addressing the appalling incident.
"A faithful and very gifted young lady and worship leader was body shamed for her appearance… We are shocked and saddened by this act. The church is supposed to be a place of safety, love, and acceptance,” the church shared on Facebook. "We are currently working to assure that nothing like this will happen again and will update the church on specific next steps we are taking soon."
Thankfully, Jenna showed us all that she is a much more compassionate person than the cruel woman, and asked others to stop sending hateful messages her way.
"I want everyone to understand I do not hate her," she wrote in a tweet that has since been deleted. "I do not hate that woman in the video, and I will never hate her, because that's not what God told us to do. Instead, I forgive her."
While Jenna may not hate her, the woman should still be held accountable for her actions.
Years after the incident, Jenna took to TikTok to praise two young boys who recorded an older man harassing them at church, instilling how important it is to capture their horrific acts on camera and to share them to protect others.
“I am incredibly proud of your boys for not only standing up for yourselves, but for also recording it,” Jenna said.
“You know who you are at the end of the day," she continued. "And they have to live with the fact that they bullied children.”
Hurtful comments can have long-lasting, profound effects on people that you may not even realize. Insulting someone’s weight or appearance can diminish their self-esteem, and promote insecurity and lifelong trust issues with others.
It is not our place to remark on one’s weight or to dictate what is appropriate for them to wear. Even if we do not like what someone is wearing, we have the freedom not to dress our own bodies the same way.
In the meantime, we should leave others alone and allow them to wear what makes them comfortable and proud in their own skin.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.