People still bring it up. Honestly, if you were online in 2015, you couldn’t escape it. The Ariana Grande doughnut licking incident—often dubbed "Donut-gate"—wasn't just a minor blip; it was a full-blown cultural moment that nearly tanked the reputation of one of the world's biggest pop stars. It feels like a fever dream now, but for a few weeks in July, the entire internet was obsessed with a tray of powdered pastries in a small California shop.
It happened on the Fourth of July. Most people were out watching fireworks, but Ariana Grande, her then-boyfriend Ricky Alvarez, and two friends wandered into Wolfee Donuts in Lake Elsinore. They weren't there for a quiet snack. They were there for a late-night run that ended up on a grainy security camera, and eventually, on every news screen in America.
The Midnight Surveillance Footage
TMZ leaked the video a few days later. In it, you see the group laughing and being generally rowdy. While the cashier’s back was turned, Ariana and Ricky were caught on camera "maliciously licking" and even spitting on doughnuts that were sitting on top of the display case.
They didn't buy them.
The employee, Mayra Solis, later told the Associated Press that the singer was "really rude." But the licking wasn't the only thing that set people off. When a fresh tray of oversized doughnuts was brought out, Ariana was recorded saying, "What the f*** is that? I hate Americans. I hate America."
Those words hit like a ton of bricks. It’s one thing to mess with food; it’s another to trash-talk your entire fanbase on the nation’s birthday.
Why the Health Department Got Involved
This wasn't just a PR nightmare. It became a legal and regulatory headache.
- The Riverside County Department of Environmental Health sent investigators to the shop.
- Wolfee Donuts actually had its health rating downgraded from an "A" to a "B."
- The owner, Joe Marin, was devastated. He’d had an "A" since opening in 2009.
- The shop was cited because the doughnuts were left out unprotected, which is a violation of California state food laws.
Marin initially wanted to press charges for food tampering. However, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department eventually announced that the owner declined to move forward with criminal charges. Ariana was off the hook legally, but the public court of opinion was just getting started.
The Apologies That Missed the Mark
Ariana tried to fix it. Her first attempt was a written statement where she claimed her "I hate America" comment was actually about childhood obesity.
She said she was frustrated by how freely Americans eat without thinking about the consequences. It felt... weird. It was basically a public service announcement about healthy eating delivered by someone who had just licked a tray of sugary treats. People weren't buying it. It felt like she was "preaching" rather than apologizing for the actual act of contaminating food.
Then came the YouTube video.
She looked tired. She was wearing a plain shirt, sitting on a bed, and she admitted she was "disgusted" with herself. She mentioned she had recently had emergency oral surgery, which was why she had backed out of the MLB All-Star Concert, but she took full responsibility for the "fiasco."
"I've never been prouder to be American, to be honest," she said in the video, trying to walk back the "I hate America" line. "Seeing how ugly it looks when you behave a certain way makes you want to never behave that way again."
Long-term Fallout and the White House
You might think it ended there, but the ripples lasted for years. In 2016, WikiLeaks released emails from the Democratic National Committee showing that the Ariana Grande doughnut licking incident actually cost her a performance at the White House.
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The vetters were worried about her "substance." They didn't want the optics of a "donut licker" performing for the President. It just goes to show how much "minor" celebrity mistakes can actually derail massive professional opportunities behind the scenes.
Wolfee Donuts, on the other hand, had a rough go of it. While they eventually got their "A" rating back, the shop faced years of being known only for this incident. They struggled with the notoriety and eventually closed down. It’s a sad footnote to a story that most people treat as a punchline.
What We Can Learn From Donut-gate
Looking back at it today, the incident is a masterclass in how not to handle a scandal. If you ever find yourself in a PR firestorm, here is the move:
- Own the specific act. Don't pivot to a social issue (like obesity) to justify bad behavior.
- Apologize to the victims. The shop owner and the employees were the ones who suffered the most, not "the American public."
- Realize cameras are everywhere. Especially if you are a global superstar.
- Wait for the smoke to clear. Sometimes "explaining your mindset" just makes you sound defensive.
Ariana eventually recovered. Her career reached even greater heights with albums like Sweetener and Thank U, Next. She leaned into a more mature, refined image, but the internet has a long memory. Every few years, usually around the Fourth of July, the screenshots resurface.
If you're ever in a bakery and feel a "truth or dare" coming on, maybe just buy the doughnut first. It saves a lot of phone calls to your lawyer.
To avoid similar pitfalls in your own digital reputation, make sure to audit your social footprint and understand that "private moments" in public spaces rarely stay private. You can start by checking your own privacy settings and being mindful of the impact your actions have on small businesses in your community.