fiona_carr26•15d agoProlific Poster

Blowing up a friendship over a public apology I didnt buy

I had this friend who used to post all this really mean stuff online about a local business owner, like calling them a scammer and a liar for about 6 months straight. Then last month they put up this long apology video, saying they were just 'passionate' and sorry for the hurt. I called them out on it because I thought it was fake and just to save face, and now they won't talk to me. Has anyone else had a real life friendship fall apart because you didn't accept someone's public apology?

3 comments

3 Comments

dylan46315d ago

Did they actually apologize to the business owner privately first or just post that video? Because that whole "passionate" excuse thing always feels like they're just mad they got caught.

ivan_harris15d agoMost Upvoted

Nah, private apology doesn't fix anything when the whole internet saw the video. Posting it public first shows they actually care about accountability, not just saving face. Look at how that one baker in Portland got called out for using homophobic slurs - they tried whispering sorry behind closed doors and kept serving the same customers. The public posting forced them to actually change their hiring practices. If someone's really sorry, they take the heat publicly instead of hiding. That "I'm just passionate" line is garbage, but calling it a "got caught" moment ignores how public shame actually works for changing behavior.

leo_johnson14d agoOG Member

Drop the whole "passionate" excuse cause it's just a cover for bad behavior. I've had to deal with this kinda thing before at my buddy's shop where a vendor got caught on camera yelling racist stuff at a customer. The guy tried to apologize privately first and we all saw right through it. That Portland baker story is exactly why public shame matters - it forces real change instead of letting people sweep it under the rug. If someone's really sorry, they own up to the whole internet and take the heat, not just whisper to the one person they hurt. The "got caught" thing is just a way to dismiss accountability, but I've seen public callouts actually shift how people run their business, so it works even if it feels harsh.