Damon Darling Walmart ban sparks backlash after influencer says, ‘I’m just buying people’s groceries!’
Darling, who has more than 10 million across social media, shared footage of himself being removed from Ohio’s Walmart
Popular influencer Damon Darling has sparked backlash after claiming he was banned for life from Walmart, despite saying he was visiting stores to buy groceries for people in need.
Darling, who has built a following of more than 10 million across social media, shared footage of himself being removed from an Ohio Walmart
. He said a police officer later told him he was banned from Walmart, Sam’s Club and Murphy’s.
“That is a life ban from Walmart,” the officer said.
In the video, Darling protested the decision, saying, “I’m just buying people’s groceries!” He also claimed a woman who identified herself as a manager had previously allowed him to film and shop at the store.
“I’m just helping people’s heart out,” Darling said, explaining that Walmart had become part of his content centred on acts of kindness.
Walmart provided a statement addressing the reported ban, saying Darling “has repeatedly violated our policies through disruptive behavior and trespassing, unrelated to any charitable giving”.
The company did not provide further details in the statement.
The decision prompted some of Darling’s followers to call for a Walmart boycott, with one commenter writing, “Sam Walton is rolling in his grave.”
Another asked, “How can buying someone’s groceries be illegal? Seriously.”
Despite the reaction, Darling said he did not want his followers to boycott Walmart.
Speaking to TMZ, he said, “I don’t want any problems. I don’t want anyone boycotting Walmart. I don’t want people to stop shopping at Walmart.”
He added, “What I wanna do is bring love and laughter and that’s what I want to do, so I don’t want to add to any kind of drama in the world.”
Darling said he plans to appeal Walmart’s decision.
