Man starts harassing woman during karaoke. Her friends immediately stepped in protect her

A recent TikTok video by @rubypeters22 captured a disturbing encounter at a karaoke bar. While performing a song with her brother, a stranger repeatedly harassed her. “Was singing with my brother when a random man came up to me. He got touchy with me,” she wrote in the text overlay.

The video begins with a lively karaoke bar illuminated by colorful disco lights. As the woman, dressed in a black dress, sang on stage, a man in a puffy gray jacket approached her. Holding a drink, he repeatedly tried to brush against her while making crude expressions.

He escalated his behavior by touching her shoulder, spinning around, and attempting to shout into her microphone before making a vulgar hand gesture toward his friends. As he walked past, the woman looked at her brother and then to the side to ensure the obnoxious man was gone. But then he returned. He stood at the back of the singer and started screaming gibberish in her ear while hooting at his friends.

Laughing and pointing at the singer, the bespectacled man continued his antics. Before he could take it further, one of her friends stepped in. Moments later, a female friend joined, wrapping a protective arm around the singer’s shoulders. With her support system in place, the singer regained her confidence and resumed her performance, while the harasser backed off for good.

The viral video amassed over 25 million views, with thousands condemning the man’s behavior. Many also criticized the lack of intervention from bystanders and bar staff. "The bar staff should really have stepped in and asked if you're okay with it," said @leebaxter3. In the same vein, @sakita_kai said, "The bystander effect that a lot of people have is very unfortunate. To visibly see what's happening and not even attempt to step in breaks my heart."

Many praised the singer for staying composed despite the unsettling situation. “You’re way nicer than me! I would’ve stopped singing and caused a scene. He would regret ever coming near me,” said @jasmyn_muir.

After this video circulated on social media and went viral, the singer received a message from another TikToker. The singer posted a follow-up video sharing screenshots of their conversation. This woman told her that the man in the video was her friend’s partner.

"He isn’t a creep or a weirdo, just a little drunk," she wrote in the message and requested that she remove the video. The woman seemed to force the singer into deleting the video because, according to her, the man was on the verge of a mental breakdown after watching it. Fairly enough, the singer dismissed the request and refused to delete the video.

You can follow @rubypeters22 on TikTok to watch her videos.