Devan Jones, a Black mail carrier for the United States Postal Service (USPS), went viral on TikTok last week after choosing peace instead of arguing with a “Karen.” In the video, which now boasts over 15 million views on the social media platform, Jones is drinking a bottle of juice while jamming out to Miguel’s “Sure Thing,” all while a white woman yells at him from outside of his truck.
“When she wants her mail, but it’s your lunch break,” Jones captioned the TikTok video. In a second clip posted on his page, the woman is continuing to yell at him while knocking on his window, saying, “Hello! Hello! Can I get my mail? You’ve been sitting here for 30 minutes.”
@bowtiedev##surethingbymiguel ##mailmanproblems♬ Sure Thing (cover version) – Spinmovin
Ignoring her still and determined to enjoy his lunch break, Jones, who delivers mail in Gardena, California, continues to hilariously dance and sing along to Miguel’s 2010 R&B hit.
In a unique turn of events, the USPS mail carrier and Gardena resident, identified as Michele Houstman, came to an understanding and laid their “beef” to rest. Playing Peaches and Herb’s “Reunited” in the background, Jones posted an update video to his TikTok the next day.
@bowtiedevA day later she respected his lunch and got her mail ##shegothermail ##peaceandlove ✌🏾♬ Reunited – Peaches & Herb
“A day later, she respected his lunch and got her mail #shegothermail #peaceandlove,” he captioned the video, which shows the pair engaging in a hug. Jones also referred to Houstman as “Karen” in the clip, a name often attributed to an “angry, entitled, sometimes racist white woman.”
But as it turns out, Houstman is no Karen at all, but rather a longtime friend to Jones who was in on the whole thing. According to Inside Edition, Houstman often helps Jones with his TikTok videos, and both decided to stage the “prank” on the platform to spread the message that mail carriers deserve breaks for lunch.
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Following online backlash against Houstman, Jones decided to come clean, telling Inside Edition, “I didn’t like the backlash she was getting, so we did a video to say, ‘Hey, we made peace.’ But that wasn’t enough. Now it was, ‘I was doing that to save my job,’ or ‘She’s doing it to save her job,’”
Did you fall for the rouse? Let us know your thoughts on the prank in the comment section.
