An influencer’s negative review of a bakery has backfired online, with the owner accusing her of “lying and bullying.”
Aurora Griffo, who regularly shares food reviews on her TikTok account Glamorama, posted a video critiquing the popular Arizona bakery JL Patisserie, sparking a flurry of reactions online.
“I don’t mind spending $10 on a pastry if it’s really good, but you cannot use fake-ass ingredients,” she said in her now-deleted video.
“She essentially tried to blackmail us,” the bakery claimed.
Griffo took particular issue with the bright green pistachio filling in the pastries, adding that, overall, “everything was a little on the sweet and rich side.”
Aurora Griffo, who reviews food on her TikTok account Glamorama, is facing backlash after a negative review of Arizona bakery JL Patisserie, criticizing their pistachio-filled treats for using “fake-ass ingredients.”
“All of that being said, I think if you stay away from the expensive ingredients, you can definitely enjoy a delicious, rich pastry here,” she concluded.
While her comments may have seemed like fair criticism, the bakery disagreed.
In a now-viral response video, JL Patisserie revealed that Griffo had contacted them prior to her visit, proposing a collaboration.
CEO Jenna Leurquin said the bakery “respectfully declined” because the request didn’t fit within their budget.
JL Patisserie CEO Jenna Leurquin addressed the influencer’s claims by showing the ingredients used in their pastries, noting that the pistachio paste is imported from Italy.
“Then she essentially tried to blackmail us by saying if we offered the food for free, she would write a good review about us,” Leurquin explained in her response video.
Griffo reportedly showed up the next day despite no agreement being in place, which led to the negative review that left a sour taste for the bakery.
“We totally respect a bad review,” Jenna said. “But we don’t like lying and bullying.”
She then walked through the bakery to debunk several of Griffo’s claims, highlighting their imported pistachio paste (99% pistachio), flour from Europe, and sourdough made from scratch over six months.
“The problem is if the next generation is influenced by her to believe it’s okay to bully and disrespect the food industry,” Jenna concluded.
“We like working with influencers, but acting like the working class is beneath you, promoting that kind of message on social media, and trying to bribe us for free stuff is not something we support.”
The response video went viral, reaching over 63 million viewers, and prompted a reply from Aurora Griffo—though her response has since been deleted.
“We like working with influencers, but acting like the working class is beneath you, promoting that kind of message on social media, and trying to bribe us for free stuff is not something we support,” Leurquin said.
In response, Aurora Griffo opened her video by acknowledging the confrontation:
“G–damn, someone finally stood up to me. I’ve got to say, f–king kudos, for real. I respect that. What I don’t respect are the lies.”
She also pushed back on claims that she had offered a positive review in exchange for freebies, sharing what appeared to be screenshots of her Instagram DMs with the bakery.
“When it’s a collab, I will still do the honest review and highlight/focus on what I enjoyed and be softer/quicker on my words with what I may not like as much,” her message read.
“Regardless, Jenna, I respect your courage, I do respect your talent,” she added.
“I hope both sides of your pillow are cold at night, and I wish you nothing but the best.”
