A Papa John’s employee in Botwelll Lane, Hayes, Middesex became so enraged at the sight of two gay men hugging inside the pizza restaurant that he began verbally assaulting them, calling one customer a “gay bastard” as they were waiting for their food.
The Mirror reports the men, who don’t want to be named for “fear of reprisals,” managed to videotape the incident (which you can watch below.)
Wearing a Papa John’s T-shirt, the employee also asks one of the men if he wants to “shove his mouth on [the other man’s] c***” while challenging them to a fight.
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The video, shot on a smartphone at around 11:30pm on Saturday, has been sent to Papa John’s head office.
One victim tells Mirror Online that he’s “devastated” and can’t believe he was subjected to this abuse “in 2016.”
“He was quite scary,” he says. “It was really upsetting. I’ve been very anxious since – constantly worried — I haven’t been the subject of abuse before.”
A spokesperson for Papa John confirmed that an employee has been suspended following an investigation into the incident.
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One of the victims explained how the situation unfolded:
My friend told me he had been promoted at work and I gave him a hug, when the (worker) said something along the lines of ‘we don’t want none of that behavior in here’ and ‘you’re too close for my liking’.
“I said ‘don’t speak to me like that’ and the guy said ‘I’ll slap you silly’ – that’s when I started recording.”
The video begins with one of the victims asking, “What do you mean you are ‘going to slap me silly’?”
“Let me tell you something, you gay bastard,” says the employee.
“Hey, that’s enough…” says the second victim.
“Don’t you point that finger at me!” the employee shouts. “Get the hell out of my store!”
The customers ask why, with one asking, “Because I am gay?”
“Get the hell out of my store,” the employee repeats, “or I’ll break that phone and I will make you eat it… This is my store, I own it”.
The two customers are pushed out of the store by the enraged employee and a coworker, and one of the victims asks again, “Why did you call me a gay bastard?”
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The employee is then seen kicking out at the pair.
“Am I a gay bastard?” one of the victims asks again.
“Yeah, you are,” the employee states.
Warned that he could lose his job, the employee says, “I don’t give a shit.” Then he asks one of the men “would you shove his mouth on your c***?”
“Yeah he would,” the victim responds, “and what’s that got to do with you?”
Then the employee challenges them to a fight.
“Take your coat off, let’s do it now,” he says, and then slaps the smartphone out of the man’s hand.
That’s where the video ends.
Fleeing the scene, the men grabbed a taxi and went to a nearby Tesco garage, where they showed a policeman the video.
The cop has since requested a copy of the video to investigate.
A Papa John spokesperson tells The Mirror, “We are disappointed by this incident and have a zero tolerance policy towards any abuse of our customers. We will co-operate with the police in their investigation and will consider any appropriate action when this is complete.”
“It’s ridiculous in 2016 that I can walk into a shop and be subject to abuse and homophobia,” one of the victims says.
“I respect people and I was disrespected. I don’t care whether it is a franchise. That person should not be working there discriminating against my sexuality.”
A spokeswoman for the Met Police told the Mirror:
Police were on a routine patrol in Hayes Road, Hayes, when they were approached by two men at about 23:00hrs on Saturday, 17 December who reported that they had been assaulted earlier that evening.
The victims said that they were at Papa John’s in Botwell Lane, Hayes, at about 22:45hrs when they were approached by an unknown man who made homophobic comments and assaulted them.
Police attended Papa John’s and arrested a 29-year-old man on suspicion of actual bodily harm at about 00:30hrs on Sunday, 18 December.
He was taken to a west London police station for questioning.
He has been bailed pending further enquiries to return on a date in early February.”
You can watch the video footage here:
Xzamilloh
I don’t like the implications of the word “flee”… From what was shown, they stood their ground and gave it as good as they got to that piece of shit and it’s about damn time. I hope more gay guys stand up to pieces of filth that like that blob, and I’m glad they went to the police. They weren’t gonna take being treated like that… good. Besides, I don’t think the needed to “flee” that guy… and brisk walk and they would have lost him.
ChrisK
No surprise. He looks like an Indian or Pakistani and probably fucked in the head with religion.
IDoNotHaveToAgreeWithYou
Let me guess, a muslim.
DDstar1me
@IDoNotHaveToAgreeWithYou ….It doesn’t matter what nationality he is or religion he practices for that matter. All I see is a homophobe.
helares
Another big, ugly homophobe who looks like he has seen the boogieman. In my experience, when you fight back, hurl insults at their hysterical faces and go physical… they back down. The only thing I always make sure of is: that he doesn’t have a gaggle of hysterical homophobes with him… in that case, I just run… LOL!
helares
Sorry… sorry… I meant to say cooked, cooked… I swear it was spellcheck. LOL.
IDoNotHaveToAgreeWithYou
@DDstar1me: Actually yes it does matter when the cult is why he’s homophobe. Oh and I’m sure you have had plenty to say about white christian males so don’t try giving me that PC crap.
WillParkinson
@IDoNotHaveToAgreeWithYou: Because no other religion has homophobes.
Kaaper
That fat asshole should be fired, not suspended!
helares
@WillParkinson: … No other religion has homophobes? Have you met my catholic relatives? LOL…!
FnameLname
Has anyone identified this perfect specimen of manhood by name? I would love to visit his social media accounts and discuss how hard it must be to fight off the numerous daily requests he must get to hook up..gay or straight I’m sure..he’s just such a good old piece of man candy.. and the fact that he reeks of pizza is a huge bonus don’t you think?
IDoNotHaveToAgreeWithYou
@WillParkinson: None that are throwing gays off roofs or hanging them in muslim government sanctioned executions or shooting up gay bars.
Mikah92
Another deranged closetcase if you ask me.Most likely fucked in the head by religion. Keep standing up for yourselves my LGBTQ brothers and sisters.
ChrisK
@Mikah92: I noticed that too. It’s not a normal reaction. It’s a reaction of religious brainwashing. Very dangerous too. Same guys that go into crowded restaurants and blow themselves up.
Tobi
@Kaaper: It’s a franchise, probably the branch is owned by him or his dad or one of his numerous relatives.
dm10003
@IDoNotHaveToAgreeWithYou: He looks more like southeast asian than middle eastern.
He BGB
This happened to me back in early 80s. My best friend (non sexual) and I were sitting at a straight bar in Buckhead Atlanta and I hugged him around the shoulders. The employees got so upset and said, you have your own bars! And made us leave. But that was 30 years ago. But this reminded me. Homophobia is fear and ignorance and I would say this crazed employee has a large dose of both.
DarkZephyr
@IDoNotHaveToAgreeWithYou: plenty however that would talk like this guy did. It always bugs me when people like you behave as though what Isis does to gays makes homophobia in other religions OK because it doesn’t usually result in death. Sometimes it does though. And murderous attacks are not the only form of homophobia that exist.
Steven
Kudos to them for standing up to this bully.
That said, I wonder why the bully’s picture is up there clear as day under the headline but it’s blurred out in the video.
highestbidder
@helares: yeah when your Catholic relatives drag you to the town square and throw rocks at you until you’re dead then maybe we’ll equate them with Muslims.
DarkZephyr
@highestbidder: why does the fact that Catholics don’t do that make their homophobia OK? Please explain.
DDstar1me
@IDoNotHaveToAgreeWithYou ….and all others ready to snap back at the wrong person. I hope when you are alone with no one readily at your defense, you are able to stand and deliver with the same snappy and often vile words many of you use on here.
DarkZephyr
@highestbidder: and mentioning that other religions have homophobes isn’t the same as comparing them to Muslims. All Helares did was point out that other religions have homophobes and he’s right.
Xzamilloh
@DarkZephyr: That’s deceptively dishonest of you to frame what he said in that manner. He didn’t say it was okay, but one is clearly worse than the other. I wouldn’t want to be beaten to a pulp or have my throat cut with a jagged piece of glass and left to bleed out in the street, but clearly getting beaten is not on the same level as being murdered… both are bad, but one is clearly more worse than the other.
Xzamilloh
But, I agree that in this instance, the guy’s religion is completely irrelevant. All that matters here is that the gay guys fought back and let that blubbery bastard know that he picked the wrong two to mess with.
blackout_boycott
People seem to think that LGBT people is not human, that we all have to eat, drink, and the same as everyone else. Bullying from the religious community is not of our business. We go places, buy food, drinks, etc. And pay taxes like everyone else.
A harmless hug of a friend, doesn’t mean nothing against anyone else. These people was their to eat in peace, not to be harrassed by a employee.
If this person was homophobic, why did he accept a order from them.
I say this employee was looking for a fight for no reasons.
We are who we are, no one has the right to change who we are.
boops123
No knowledgeable self respecting LGBT person should go to Papa Johns anyway.
He is a homophope himself and spends millions on anti-gay causes.
jdboston617
Sorry, kick his fat ugly ass or call the police.
captainburrito
Was he an employee or did he own the franchise? If it is the latter i hope they don’t let him operate it any more or there is simply a boycott and he closes down.
fur_hunter
This just goes to show how religious institutions twist the minds of people and make them hateful and intolerant. We are not born intolerant. Religious training and bigoted thinking makes people that way. Religion is supposed to teach how to love and care for others….not hate them because they don’t believe the same as you do. Sad. Just sad.
JerseyMike
Somebody body would be getting me out of jail.. I would have gone through that place like the Tasmanian devil from bugs bunny. People better start fighting back. Only way to beat a bully is popping his azz up side that greasy head.
ChrisK
@boops123: I didn’t know that. One thing I did know was that when Obamacare was being considered they raised the biggest stink about it saying they’d fold, etc. That reason enough was enough to keep me away from their shitty pizza’s.
Isn’t if funny how being anti gay means you’re usually just a shitty person across the board.
Dakotahgeo
THANK YOU, DDstar1me! Religion has no place in this discussion, although he might want to watch himself, as Muslim people are not the most welcome in negative circumstances around the world. SOME Christians are just as blitheringly brainwashed!
Rock Star
I shouldn’t tell you what I did to some homophobes that threw beer bottles at me and my friends in front of the gay bar we were about to go into. Let’s just say it was unfortunate for the perps that my car was parked in front of the bar and we all hopped into my Plymouth Fury and followed them up Laurel Canyon drive at speeds up to 60 mph and then cut them off at Mulholland Dr. What happened next should be in a movie. A gay movie. A very gay movie.
ChrisK
@JerseyMike: Notice how fatty got all emboldened. Standard bully behavior.
ChrisK
@Rock Star: 60 on Mulholland should be a movie like the fast and the furious.
mujerado
@IDoNotHaveToAgreeWithYou: Your “guess” that he’s Muslim says more about you than about him. Being anti-Muslim is no better than any other prejudicial attitude.
Mundo
@Xzamilloh: Thanks for that!
Rock Star
@ChrisK: Dearest ChrisK we were doing 60 on Laurel Canyon, which if you know the street is quite a feat without dying. Gay and Furious would be more like it.
sfcarlos65
I’m the glad the guys fought back. More people should learn to speak up
Heywood Jablowme
We don’t know he’s a Muslim, the link doesn’t specify, he might very well be a Hindu.
@captainburrito: The link says Papa John’s “suspended” him for this, so probably he doesn’t own the store (despite claiming to own it).
Brian
I found this to be so sexy. The pizza maker has a beautiful voice. It’s much sexier than the voice of the gay guy. Ravish me, sexy pizza maker!!!
Fattyfatty2x4
@Xzamilloh: you know, you are no better than that twat. You don’t like something, you go right for the physical appearance. This is why I’m ashamed to be a homosexual.
Fattyfatty2x4
@jdboston617: *incoming personal attack* spoken like a true Faggot. Go right for the physical attributes. And by that word I don’t mean homosexual, I mean the attitude of superiority because you view yourself as physically perfect and someone who does not fit your definition you go immediately for. Never mind that he is just a complete douchebag because of his views.
Fattyfatty2x4
@ChrisK: yeah, because you are any better than this homophobe with your prejudice people who don’t live up to Your expectation of physical beauty. Go back to faerie land.
Xzamilloh
@Fattyfatty2x4: Yeah, you’re not projecting at all, are you? Is your last name “CantFitThroughTheKitchenDoor”? As a fatty my damn self, I’ll make any crack about his blobbish ass all I want. “You’re not better than that twat”? Right… that’s what SJW crybabies say because they can’t handle words or punches so they must be the same. Don’t let me disturb you… get back to your whine tasting.
nmharleyrider
@IDoNotHaveToAgreeWithYou: Is religious discrimination OK as long as it’s not homofobic? Let us who have been constantly been discriminated against not do the same thing for others because of ethnic background, religion or any other thing.
SportGuy
Send that fat gross Muslim back to the middle east.
dubstepskater94
Ok… first off, if he was the “owner”, then he wouldn’t act that way because any fool knows that a business would fail if they run paying customers off (probably some minimum wage guy who has to go on a power trip to justify his sad existence). Second, he’d know a little thing called Anti-discrimintory Laws… (duh)… and Third, he needs to worry about Trump doing the same thing to him (only he won’t just be escorted out of a building, he’ll be escorted out of the Country… (see? doesn’t feel good to be descriminated against does it?) And who the crap eats Papa John’s Pizza… their pizzas are not really that good (too greasy, too salty, etc…)
I would’ve loved to see him get dropped by one of those two gay guys…
RIGay
Hey folks! Welcome to the new normal! Get used to it; the orange, gloating fuckwad won, and his trolls are feeling empowered.
Nothing to do now except…
GET INVOLVED IN YOUR LOCAL ELECTIONS! Take back your towns, your cities and your states, THEN we can aim for the enabling Congress and the cess-pit of this new administration!
GET INVOLVED.
BriBri
The owner looks like a Muslim. Any questions? Do we want more here? Certainly not.
JerseyMike
Yeah this guy deserves to have his azz kicked. I would say the same no matter his color. Love when the ra@ist come from under their rocks. Looks like a mooslum.. Bunch of fcuking hypocrites.. Upset because he discriminate against one of us but turn around and do the same thing.. Anytime someone is ra@ist against a race that isn’t yours, they will be ra@ist against you when your back is turned. I see you..
Heywood Jablowme
@dubstepskater94: He’s not in the US, this happened in England.
I’d guess though you’re right, he’s probably not the owner as he claims. The link says Papa John’s “suspended” him for this incident and I wonder WTF that means exactly, but seems to indicate he’s not the owner.
Brian
The guy who claims to be gay was pressing the pizza maker’s buttons and being obnoxious.
ChicagoBlue
Its not about religion you fools, its about *culture* He looks like a Paki or Indian, where being a “man” means you get to treat the rest of the world like shit, including women and get away with it. Moslem, Hindu, Christian, in that part of south Asia, having a dick is all that matters. I see too much of that attitude here. I admit, I checked a coworker once when he indicated women were inferior. “In this country, in the 21st century, we don’t say shit like that in public” He started ranting about “freedom of speech” at which point I admit, I said a few things I ought not to have, but he never talked smack about women or gay people around me again. These vid guys get total props for holding the line as best they can. It’s not easy.
Paco
I always have to wonder about the men that have such irrational visceral reactions to the mere existence of gay men. A congratulatory hug between two male friends shouldn’t cause such a reaction from any well-adjusted person. Even if they were holding hands and kissing, such a reaction would be irrational.
ChicagoBlue
@dubstepskater94: dude, did you miss the part about this being in the UK? You miss the fact that this is Daily Mirror (kind of a scandal rag) So Trump or this “country” don’t have anything to do with it. Tesco, hello, big Brit grocery store. Next time, use context cues
David Myers
@ChrisK: Race and religion are irrelevant. What is important is his hostility, bigotry, and fear. Also his sense of entitlement. He says he owns the business (he is a manager perhaps) of a chain business franchise at most. That does not give him the right to discriminate in a public business. I’m glad he has been fired and I don’t care what race or religion he belongs to. Bigots are present in all races and all religions.
David Myers
@DDstar1me: Bravo to you. I totally agree with how you look at it. He is a homophobe and that is what counts . . . not how or why he got to that position. There are homophobes in all religions and in all races.
David Myers
@mujerado: Here here!!!
hanfrina
… Yup! “Papa John’s” (PJ’s) -MUST-fire this Anti-Gay Trash. But, here in America, you wouldn’t find any-LGBT-person at a PJ’s, ’cause their so-called “Pizza” sucks!!! LOL!!!
David Myers
@Fattyfatty2x4: Thank you for pointing that out.
David Myers
@Brian: Yeah he pressed the guy’s buttons by hugging his friend and then had the effrontery to get upset because the “owner” showed himself to be a homophobic bigot! (sarcasm alert). I think maybe you might be a bigot too!
nitejonboy
Why is his face blurred ? I want his face seen by the whole world, I want this fat bastard shamed!!!
Kangol
He had to insult two gay men and throw them out of his cr@ppy restaurant but he was certainly curious about the “c0ck” “on” (?) one man’s “mouth.” Yet another closet case creep lashing out. Post the name of the restaurant so people will know where to stage a boycott!
Berkleyguy
There is no room for this kind of abuse to any customer regardless of race, physical appearance, sexual orientation or identity. One can only hope that Papa John’s corporate office deals with this swiftly and harshly – not just a slap on the wrist. The employee should be summarily fired and the franchisee should lose his privileges. If I were the CEO – I would buy the contract back from the franchisee and close that location altogether.
seaguy
I would rather be a gay bastard than a fat bastard who better be out of a job now.
seaguy
@Brian: Yeah and obese homophobe with food in his beard is so sexxxy. Get your eyes checked.
Heywood Jablowme
@seaguy: Heh – I’ve been laughing at that for awhile. I don’t recall Brian ever telling us what his “type” is before now. Yikes! Well, to each his own I guess.
Heywood Jablowme
@seaguy: But of course, Brian says “There is no such thing as gay sex” !!!!! (quote! – see the nearby thread about “straight” guys having “dude sex”) – so I’m not sure exactly what Brian wants to DO with pizza guy.
Transiteer
He’d better be unemployed now. His behavior is unacceptable. And punishable. Obviously has ‘issues’.
spanprof
It’s always the ugly fat fuck, isn’t it?
oz1967
A sweaty, obese fat fuck with a minimum wage job, who could not get a fuck from the neighbor’s dog even if his life depended on it. No wonder he is an unhappy chappie and sadly these are probably the best years of his life.
Doug
It!s bad enough that they censored what he said, but what was the point of pixelating his face? This public should have been given access to who this guy was, and it would have been more humiliating for him gestures just getting fired.
maxdadmark
Why are we surprised? It’s Papa John’s for christ’s sake. As any good progressive liberal knows, this corporation is owned by a right wing asshole who cut employees’ weekly hours rather that pay their health insurance. LGBT people should avoid this dump (and Domino’s and Chik-fil-A) like the plague, which they are likely to catch is these shit holes.
SnorlaxationKH
I’m glad the asshole’s picture is available regardless of the vid being censored.
Captain Obvious
@Xzamilloh: Ah now I see you’re a troll with no life who uses words that Trump voters do to insult people who actually have sense. Even more pathetic than I thought. You’re just comedy now.
XzamilIoh
@Captain Obvious: Fuck you FAGGOT!
Sluggo2007
He’s too fat and ugly to get laid. Therefore, he’s jealous of the two guys. That being said, the real horror here is that two gay men would go to Papa John’s for pizza. Yecch!!!!
Josh S
I really the only one who sees (1) the ridiculous hyperbole in this article’s writing and (2) that these two gay men clearly goaded the employee? The guy didn’t “hurl” slurs, he just muttered disapproval. The gay guys immediately started getting in his face with their lackluster outrage, and most importantly they were jabbing their fingers just inches from his face — I got the impression they were drunk, but regardless it is very confrontational to jab your fingers at someone. The employee asked them to leave but they stayed and continued escalating the situation, and the employee responded. I’m not defending the employee at all, but I disagree that the gay guys are somehow completely innocent — they could have simply yelled at the employee and left, but instead they antagonized him and inflamed the situation. You don’t put out a fire by pouring gasoline on it. Anyway, it’s typical one-sided “journalism” for Queerty to print this story without interviewing the employee.
Josh S
Am I really the only one who sees (1) the ridiculous hyperbole in this article’s writing and (2) that these two gay men clearly goaded the employee? The guy didn’t “hurl” slurs, he just muttered disapproval. The gay guys immediately started getting in his face with their lackluster outrage, and most importantly they were jabbing their fingers just inches from his face — I got the impression they were drunk, but regardless it is very confrontational to jab your fingers at someone. The employee asked them to leave but they stayed and continued escalating the situation, and the employee responded. I’m not defending the employee at all, but I disagree that the gay guys are somehow completely innocent — they could have simply yelled at the employee and left, but instead they antagonized him and inflamed the situation. You don’t put out a fire by pouring gasoline on it. Anyway, it’s typical one-sided “journalism” for Queerty to print this story without interviewing the employee.
johnkcopley
@Sluggo2007: he looks like he eats plenty of Pepperoni
clhs
He’s absolutely revolting. Disgusting slither of cat-sick.
There’s a bus that goes from near my house to Hayes. Wonder if I should pay this abhorrent streak of whale mass a visit?
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
@Josh S: Yeah these guys are no brave, community heroes by any stretch of the perpetually outraged imagination..but that doesn’t negate that guy’s response mightve be completely out of line too, if only we had the footage what led up to this mess.
Clay83
It still surprises me that people of his origin will squeel all day about how they are discriminated against and nobody wants them round, however they are very quick to spew their vile hatered at anyone. The double standards are astounding.
Brian
I just feel the purportedly gay guy in this video was acting like a self-righteous prig. Now, I could be wrong but that is the impression that I got.
Look, I’m not denying that the employee was out of bounds. However, I think the alleged gay guy should have simply reported him to the company without acting so self-righteously.
Daggerman
….this is just what I’m talking about. How can such an ugly, fat greasy slob get away with saying such drivel. I mean are they Gods gift to manhood?? Really—what deplorable rubbish.
Xzamilloh
@XzamilIoh: Oh, look… I respond to Captain Obvious and the “Xzamilloh” troll mysteriously appears the next day. Not even trying to hide it, are you.
Xzamistletoe
If you can’t click on my name, it isn’t me. “Xzamistletoe” is here for the holidays, reminding impersonators of me (flattering) that they can kiss my big black ass!!
missuniverse
Pretty sure he is a Muslim and not the owner since Papa John”s cannot suspend an owner, probably a minimum wage worker.
XzamilIoh
I also care quite a bit about online reputation so please stop slandering my name by posting on the internet.
Xzamistletoe
@XzamilIoh: Keep going, Captain Obvious… just more ammo against you. Timestamping every single one of these.
James Hart
@ChrisK: Sadly: When the Mu***ms take over the world, this kind of behavior will be par for the course.
jamessavik
I can’t wait for some slob to try that sh*t on me. I’ll mess him up so bad, his own goat won’t know him.
ShowMeGuy
The boycott of Papa Johns is still on. Why are we still eating there?
PJ hates people.
ChrisK
@ShowMeGuy: They are right down the street from me. As a matter of fact they’re the closest. I’ve boycotted them for years though because they’re duchebags that aggressively tried to stop Obama Care.