Story that went viral of Wilcher being asked to leave KFC restaurant in Mississippi because of the way she looked was a hoax, according to an investigation conducted by KFC.
By H. Nelson Goodson
June 24, 2014
Jackson, Mississippi - On Tuesday, representatives of Kentucky Fried Chicken Corporation (KFC) confirmed, a claim that went viral about Victoria Wilcher, 3, being asked to leave from KFC restaurant in Jackson for the way that she looked was a hoax. The KFC investigated the claim and could not find any video or food order transaction on the day Wilcher and her grandmother were supposed to have been asked to leave a KFC restaurant. There are two KFC restaurants in Jackson and none of the locations showed that either Wilcher or her grandmother were customers on the day it was claimed the incident occurred. Kirk Hannon, the owner of the Jackson KFC franchise has not commented about Wilcher's hoax.
Kelly Mullins, Wilcher's grandmother had claimed, she and Wilcher were ssked to leave a KFC restaurant. But Wilcher and Mullins were never at the KFC in Jackson on May 15 as it was claimed on a Victoria's Victories Facebook (FB) posting, according to the Kentucky Fried Chicken Corporation.
The Laurel Leader-Call also reported that Mullins told WAPT TV in Jackson shortly after the incident went viral on social media on June 12 that: "I ordered a sweet tea and mashed potatoes and gravy. I sat down at the table and started feeding her and the lady came over and said that we would have to leave, because we were disturbing other customers, that Victoria's face was disturbing other customers."
Teri Rials Bates, Wilcher's aunt had posted on her Victoria's Victories FB page that the incident happened on the KFC restaurant on State and High Streets, but that restaurant has been closed for several years, according to KFC. Bates later updated the page and then posted that she had made a mistake and stated, the incident happened at the Woodrow Wilson location. KFC investigated and found that Bates, Mullins and the Wilcher family had been lying, created the hoax and the incident never happened.
Bates also created a Gofundme account for Wilcher that collected $135,000 in donations.
The Wilcher family never came out and said it was all a lie, but the KFC investigation later exposed it as a hoax.
KFC had offered $30,000 to help pay Wilcher's medical bills and a plastic surgeon from Las Vegas offered reconstruction surgery.
The Wilcher family is now focusing on the healing process that Victoria is going through after three pitbulls attacked her on May 15 and disfigured her right side of her face, according to the Laurel Leader-Call.
Wilcher was taken to the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital on May 15 for treatment.
Richard Maynard, spokesman for KFC released the following statement, "Like the rest of America, the KFC family has been moved by the story of Victoria's injuries and recovery. After the alleged incident was reported to us, two investigations took place, including one by an independent investigator. Neither revealed any evidence that the incident occurred and we consider the investigation closed. We are honoring our commitment to make a $30,000 donation to assist with Victoria's medical bills. We hope everyone keeps Victoria in their thoughts and prayers. She will certainly be in ours."
Wlcher's Facebook account Victoria's Victories and a gofundme page account that raised about $135,000 have been disabled. Gofundme donors are now requesting for gofundme dot com return their donations that were generated from lies.
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