Walmart shopper trying to escape a wily stalker asked a stranger to be her 'husband.' He nailed it

A shopping trip to Walmart turned into a frightening experience for one woman after she realized a man was following her through the aisles, staring and even leaning over her shoulder. Feeling unsafe, she decided to approach another shopper for help, and he method-acted that role with utmost effort. The woman, who goes by JulieYourFavoriteNurse (@jewels35_85) on TikTok, posted a video explaining the whole story and thanking the man, named John. It has since gotten 1.1 million views and over 136k likes.

In the video, she said she grabbed John's hand and asked him to act like her husband. According to her, John immediately turned to the stranger and asked why he was following her. The stranger muttered "nothing" and retreated down the aisle. She also described the moment that led her to seek help: John had been walking ahead of her; the follower stopped, faced her, looked her over, then got behind her. What he did is among the most common tactics reported by stalking victims. The Stalking Victims in the United States report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that 34% of victims said an offender followed or spied on them, compared to just 12% of general harassment cases. That pattern of being trailed in public spaces is exactly what prompted her to ask a stranger for help.

She said John "didn’t miss a beat… he turned around so fast." That's not all — John stayed with her, walked her to the checkout, then escorted her to her car. When she thanked him, he replied, "If I’m your husband, I have to defend you. I would ask that guy why he was following my wife. I was just playing the part that you asked me to play."  She also advised other women, saying, "If there is a weird guy following you around the store, walk up to any man and say, 'Can you act like my husband?' They’re not going to say no." She added that "you can tell the men from the guys," and that John’s quick, confident response made her feel safe. 

She also shared that even if the man wasn’t pressed right up against her, his behavior made her uncomfortable enough to seek help from a stranger. "There are good men out there that will help protect you," she said, adding that in any moment you don’t feel safe, you should get safe: "I didn’t feel safe, so I got safe." She admitted she was scared, more worried about "pissing off John’s wife" than the man following her, but was relieved at how it turned out. Viewers praised John’s quick action and her decision to ask for help.

@hapahaole11 commented, "We are genetically predisposed to be the provider protector. Well, don’t know about the male youngsters today..." @st_nick53 added, "Some of us grandfatherly types are also willing to be ‘dad.’ And I carry a solid wood cane. And I’ve been asked before." @shanew47 wrote, "Ladies, we are out there. We ask for nothing in return. I would want someone to help my wife out." @80deuceaircav said, "Thank you for the recognition and acknowledgement you gave John. Much respect to you for doing so." @jbuchite commented, "I have been approached a couple of times like this, and I am more than happy to help. You will find more people who will be happy to help than you think."

You can follow JulieYourFavoriteNurse (@jewels35_85) on TikTok for more personal stories and updates.

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