TikTok content creator Krystal Joyce secured €20,000 (₹18 lakh) in compensation after an Irish court ruled against fashion retailer Zara and its security firm, Bidvest Noonan, for defamation.

The dispute arose from an unsettling experience at Zara’s Blanchardstown outlet, where a female security officer abruptly pulled aside the fitting room curtain while Joyce was mid-change, leaving her embarrassed and distressed.

Adding to her discomfort, she overheard the guard persistently saying, “I am calling the guards,” insinuating she had committed an offense. Joyce, who boasts over 125,000 followers and frequently visits stores for social media content, was then prevented from exiting the changing area and interrogated in front of onlookers.

Judge Roderick Maguire found Joyce’s testimony credible and highlighted significant contradictions in Zara’s defense, including a misleading document submitted by one of their witnesses. He concluded that the retailer and its security team had unfairly portrayed the influencer as a wrongdoer, causing her emotional distress.

As a result, the court mandated Zara’s parent company, ITX Retail Limited, and Bidvest Noonan to each pay €10,000 (₹9 lakh) in damages. Additionally, they were ordered to cover Joyce’s legal expenses. The judge emphasized that her visit was part of her professional routine and that the public embarrassment she endured was wholly unwarranted.