Burger King responds as drive-thru employee in blackface explains herself in now-viral video

Insensitive and outright criminal Halloween costumes go viral each year, and in 2026, an employee at Burger King opted for straight-up blackface at the drive-thru window. 

Admittedly, I thought the clip was AI when it first came across TikTok, but it’s actually real. The video was recorded by a Black woman, Shavelle Devine, and uploaded to Facebook on October 31, but it then went viral and spread to other platforms like Instagram. 

In the video, Shavelle asked the unnamed Burger King employee to tell the camera what she was dressed as for Halloween. Not missing a beat, the employee admitted, “I’m just Black tonight.”

Shavelle understandably challenged the choice, but then the employee said it’s not crossing a line if “as long as you have a good heart”, which she claimed to have. She then chuckled when asked if Black lives matter, and admitted she doesn’t understand the experiences of Black people in America. 

“Sorry, you’re making me laugh, sorry, no, yes I do. Or I mean, no, I don’t. No, I don’t,” she said. 

Speaking to People, Shavelle Devine said: “I find this behaviour completely unacceptable, offensive, and disrespectful. African Americans should not have to continuously explain why racism is offensive or why certain actions are unacceptable. We should not have to minimise our feelings, overlook disrespect, or accept racial humiliation for the comfort or amusement of others.”

Burger King has now responded to the blackface scandal 

People obviously had a lot of questions after the video: How did the employee even get to the drive-thru window? Why didn’t management step in? 

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Again, speaking to People, Burger King said:  “We are aware of the video and take the matter very seriously.  The Franchisee of this location is addressing the situation with his team, manager, and Team Member to ensure everyone involved understands why this is not acceptable and won’t happen again.”

In response, Shavelle Devine slammed the fast food chain, arguing there was an  “apparent lack of seriousness” in Burger King’s apology. 

“Rather than recognising the seriousness and offensiveness of the situation, their reactions seemed more like a joke,” she said. “That response sends a troubling message that racial insensitivity is something to laugh about rather than something that deserves immediate attention and accountability.”

The franchise the video was filmed at has not been named, nor has the employee. 

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Featured image credit: Facebook/Shavelle Devine and Marcin Golba/NurPhoto/Shutterstock