Pop culture moves fast, but there’s one thing that never goes out of style. How a brand shows up when it’s under pressure.
Last month, a viral feud between an Arizona bakery, JL Patisserie, and food influencer Aurora Griffo (known on TikTok as Glamorama) put that on full display. Griffo posted a critical review of the bakery’s pastries and coffee, questioning their quality and calling out what she believed were “fake” ingredients. People.com+1
The bakery’s owner, chef Jenna Leurquin, responded with her own video explaining the ingredients they use and accusing the influencer of trying to arrange a collaboration that involved free food in exchange for a positive review—something the bakery says they declined. In that video, she said her team could accept a bad review, but not what she described as “lying and bullying.” People.com+1
The response went massively viral and sparked a wave of support for the bakery. Shortly after, Griffo issued a public apology, clarified that the bakery does use real ingredients, acknowledged that her wording was inappropriate, and said she was “sincerely sorry for any harm [her] words may have caused,” taking down her earlier posts. People.com
You don’t need to take sides to see the bigger lesson. One review, one response, and one apology turned into
And that’s just one example. Every few weeks, a celebrity, influencer, or public figure is in the headlines for something they said, posted, liked, or did years ago. The story is always slightly different, but the pattern is the same
For small and midsize businesses, these moments aren’t just entertainment—they’re free masterclasses in brand, messaging, and crisis response. At Lagraphia, we work with organizations who don’t have PR teams on speed dial. So let’s break down what you can learn from celebrity apologies and how to apply those lessons before you ever need them.
by Pahuna Sharma-Laden, Founder & CEO of Lagraphia
