A Virginia couple sparked outrage on social media after recording themselves seeming to lick ice cream in a supermarket.
Influencer Tequan Hines and his girlfriend Asia recently recorded a video of themselves walking down the freezer section of a supermarket.
In the video, Asia could be seen taking out a tub of Blue Bunny Ice cream from the supermarket freezer, and appeared to lick inside the container.
Hines could then be heard saying to Asia "let me taste it, let me taste it", before appearing to lick inside of the ice cream container himself.
He then told Asia to put the Ice cream back in the freezer, which she obliged, before telling her "come on, let's run" before the couple began running out of the store, laughing at what they just did.
Hines posted the video on both his Instagram and TikTok pages, before the video began making the rounds on Twitter.
While the video has since been taken down from all of the platforms, it wasn't before plenty of fellow Twitter users could share their disgust at what they just saw, with many calling for the couple's arrest for their unhygienic actions.
\u201c@rahsh33m So when are they getting locked up\u201d— \ud83d\udc41EUPHORIC\ud83d\udde8 (@\ud83d\udc41EUPHORIC\ud83d\udde8) 1683594873
\u201c@rahsh33m What?! What is wrong with people? Why is this even a thing? This is disgusting.\u201d— Terrence Ford \ud83d\udc9b\ud83d\udc1d\ud83d\udc51 (@Terrence Ford \ud83d\udc9b\ud83d\udc1d\ud83d\udc51) 1683594552
\u201c@rahsh33m 20 years in jail. I\u2019m so serious.\u201d— ladidai \ud83d\udce3 follow @heyhearusout (@ladidai \ud83d\udce3 follow @heyhearusout) 1683643328
\u201c@rahsh33m Just remember this is a felony.\u201d— 0p0k.eth (@0p0k.eth) 1683612774
\u201c@IFEEELFREEE @rahsh33m Tampering with a consumer food is a second-degree felony and carries a punishment range of 2-20 years. They\u2019re getting served this week.\u201d— \ud83d\udc41EUPHORIC\ud83d\udde8 (@\ud83d\udc41EUPHORIC\ud83d\udde8) 1683594873
\u201c@EZBreezyT @rahsh33m This was unfortunately a thing a few years ago and I guess some havent learned \ud83d\ude35\u200d\ud83d\udcab\u201d— Terrence Ford \ud83d\udc9b\ud83d\udc1d\ud83d\udc51 (@Terrence Ford \ud83d\udc9b\ud83d\udc1d\ud83d\udc51) 1683594552
\u201c@subzndubz @rahsh33m Good thing they left their insta and Twitter handles for cops to use too \ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02\u201d— 0p0k.eth (@0p0k.eth) 1683612774
\u201cIf they live in your area double check your ice cream before buying\ud83d\ude12\n\nTequan Hines and his girlfriend Asia are under investigation for licking ice cream in a grocery store and putting it back in the freezer.\n\nGet the scoop \ud83d\udc49\ud83c\udffe https://t.co/yTgCp2Yluz\n\n#TequanHines #IceCreamConvos\u201d— IceCreamConvos.com (@IceCreamConvos.com) 1683827525
Following the online vitriol—and after the Portsmouth Police Department opened up an investigation on the incident—Hines took to his Instagram page to confirm the whole thing was, in fact, a hoax designed to get attention and internet clout.
He and Asia purchased the ice cream they were recorded licking.
In an Instagram story, shared by TMZ, Hines displayed the same tub of Ice Cream he and Asia were seen licking in the viral video, before making it clear that it was "already paid for".
Hines also claimed they faked the video for fun and neither of them would ever do such a thing.
"We did not do anything nasty like that, me and Asia [are not] nasty people".
"Be real. Stop being stupid, stop being goofy."
"We did that to fool y'all as a prank, and we fooled y'all."
Hines went on to say he and Asia had spoken with the police following the aftermath of their initial video, but that they were "not going to jail."
Lucky for them this turned out to be a prank, and nothing more, for had they actually licked the inside of an unpurchased tub of ice cream, it could have indeed landed them both in jail.
Such was the case for D’Adrien Anderson, who was caught licking the inside of a Blue Bell Ice cream tub at a Texas Walmart, this time for real.
While Anderson did later return and purchased the contaminated ice cream, the damage had already been done, and the store was reportedly required to dispose of its entire selection of Blue Bell ice cream in the freezers, losing a hefty amount of money by doing so.
Anderson eventually pleaded guilty to criminal mischief and was sentenced to one year in jail.