A TikToker said she was almost abducted from her Pilates class.
Jenn, a.k.a. TikToker @thejenncooke, shared the harrowing incident and said, "It really pisses me off that us as women have to deal with this," about having to be constantly vigilant in public after her unnerving experience.
"It's disgusting that this just happens," she said in the clip, which was viewed more than one million times.
In an initial clip, Jenn said that a man in cargo shorts followed her to her Pilates class.
She noted it was odd for anyone to wear such unusual attire to a fitness class, but she didn't think anything of it at first.
She became aware of his presence when he followed her as she headed toward the bathroom.
When he managed to get her attention, he started asking her random questions. Still, Jenn said she "just wrote him off, I just didn’t think anything of it.”
Moments later, the woman next to Jenn in the class told her she saw the man go through Jenn's bag and tamper with her water bottle.
Jenn recalled in the video:
“So I didn’t drink out of my water bottle anymore, which I think is what saved me. So don’t leave your water bottle anywhere, ever. Even in places you feel safe, like your home Pilates studio.”
You can watch her video here.
When she left the Pilates studio and got in her car, Jenn immediately called her mom and noticed how the stranger was "peeling" across two lanes of traffic and causing a scene as he tried to catch up to her.
He pulled up and asked her, "You’re single, right?”
Jenn told him she was on the phone with her husband when she was, in fact, talking to her mom.
But the attempt to throw him off was unsuccessful, and he persistently tried to get Jenn into his car.
She eventually made it home safely after throwing him off her trail.
She said she was in contact with her Pilates studio, which has surveillance footage. The studio told her they were “taking action with the police.”
One user commented:
"This is happening all across the country and it’s scary! I bought pepper spray, but ugh it sucks!”
Jenn agreed and said she received a:
"Disgusting amount of messages of other women saying that similar things have happened to them."
"That woman who told me about the water bottle literally saved my life," she said in the follow-up video, adding:
"Let's look out for each other. It's disgusting that this is happening."
Other TikTokers continued weighing in over the incident and gave props to the fellow Pilates student who informed her about the water bottle.
@thejenncooke/TikTok
@thejenncooke/TikTok
@thejenncooke/TikTok
Others vented their frustrations and commiserated with the TikToker over similar situations.
@thejenncooke/TikTok
@thejenncooke/TikTok
@thejenncooke/TikTok
@thejenncooke/TikTok
In a third follow-up video, Jenn said she was apprehensive about posting the first video because she was scared and also worried that commenters would try to invalidate her experience.
Thankfully, no one did, and she was met with plenty of support.
@thejenncooke/TikTok
"If you have a situation to share, share it," she advised.
"You have advice on self-defense? Share it."
"Let's all come together, be stronger, fight for each other."
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@Doug Ellin/X
@evanrachelwood/Instagram