Food influencer Meredith Hayden says she was drugged and kidnapped at Hollywood party
Topics: US Food, TikTok, Social Media
Ella Scott
Featured Image Credit: Stephanie Augello/Variety via Getty Images
Topics: US Food, TikTok, Social Media
Wishbone Kitchen’s Meredith Hayden has detailed how an alleged drug and kidnapping incident has caused her anxiety and panic attacks.
The popular food influencer, who has 2.3 million followers on her main TikTok account, made the claims in a clip uploaded to the video-sharing platform on 3 February.
In response to another creator, who questioned why Hayden was negatively commenting on a recent trip abroad in a now-deleted video, Hayden said she was ‘crying and anxious’ because she was once reportedly ‘roofied’ at a Hollywood party and ‘pushed’ into a car.
‘Being roofied’ is a slang term to describe drink spiking, usually by Rohypnol, a benzodiazepine used to treat severe insomnia and assist with anaesthesia.
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The 30-year-old said she hadn’t previously spoken out about her alleged experience online because it was around the time when she started growing a substantial following.
“I didn’t want to be the ‘roofie kidnap girl’,” she said in the video, which has been viewed almost 530,000 times since it was uploaded.
The content star went on to say that she’d begun therapy after the incident, but didn’t ‘vibe’ with her therapist.
Eventually, the New York Times bestselling author saw a psychiatrist who diagnosed her with ‘PTSD, anxiety, depression, and a pinch of agoraphobia, where I'm afraid to go into crowded spaces’.
Touching on her recent birthday trip to Tokyo, Japan, Hayden admitted that even though she stayed in ‘nice hotels’ she still had anxiety.
The foodie continued: "This is not the way I wanted this to come out. My roofie survival story. But if the shoe fits. You've forced my hand," she continued before referencing a ‘gun to your head’ quote that the original poster said.
“The gun to your head comment was very triggering as a victim of kidnapping. OK, think twice before you assassinate someone's character for voicing anxiety on the internet.”
She claimed she never reported the incident to the police because of an experience with officials, which was allegedly ‘humiliating and frustrating’.
"So what was I gonna do? Go into the police station? And say, 'Hey, I think someone slipped something in my drink last night. I don't know anyone who was at the party.
“There was no security camera footage. This is something I know because the invite to the party said, 'Don't worry, the cameras will be off, so we can all really let loose.'”
She added: “So, no, I didn't report it to the police.
"I put my big girl pants on, and I shoved the feelings down for as long as I could. So, yeah, I still get anxious leaving my house. And I probably will forever.”