Woman filmed telling Latino couple to 'go back to Mexico' at Laguna Beach proposal
A video from Crescent Bay Point Park in Laguna Beach, California, shows a woman confronting a proposal crew and telling the Latino couple to "go back to Mexico". Online users have named her as Lori Nunis, which the sources here do not independently confirm, and the city has condemned the language.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2A video shows a woman confronting a videographer and photographer hired to capture a surprise marriage proposal in Laguna Beach, California, and then telling the Latino couple to "go back to Mexico". New York PostR “Footage shows a woman confronting a videographer and photographer who were hired to capture the surprise engagement in Laguna Beach.” Read at New York Post ↗ Hindustan TimesN “The incident soon took a racist turn with her telling them to ‘Go back to Mexico’.” Read at Hindustan Times ↗ Mixed · 2The videographer told the California Post the incident happened on Oct. 2. It took place at Crescent Bay Point Park, where the setup included rose petals, a mariachi band and a view of the Pacific. New York PostR “The videographer told The California Post that the incident happened Oct. 2” Read at New York Post ↗ New York PostR “Emmanuel Banuelos organized a mariachi band for girlfriend Hayley Lugo at Crescent Bay Point Park in Laguna Beach” Read at New York Post ↗ Hindustan TimesN “a mariachi band playing against the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean” Read at Hindustan Times ↗ Right · 1In the footage, the woman, who appears to be walking a dog and says she lives nearby, tells the crew the park is for residents. She says "It's every single f–king weekend and I'm sick and tired of it", demands they tear the setup down and says she has called the police. New York PostR ““The park is for people who live here and enjoy the park and have picnics,” the woman says in the video.”““Just tell him to tear it down, you’re gonna have to anyway. I am sick of this s–t,” she says adding that she had called the police.” Read at New York Post ↗
Right · 1When the mariachi band started and the couple arrived, she is heard saying "It's f–king Mexican. This isn't Mexico either" and, as she walked past the couple, "Go back to Mexico." The New York Post says the proposal lasted less than 40 minutes. New York PostR ““Bulls–t. It’s f–king Mexican. This isn’t Mexico either, you motherf–kers,” the woman is heard saying.”“The proposal lasted less than 40 minutes.” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 1The couple are Emmanuel Banuelos and Hayley Lugo. Lugo told ABC 7 the words "hurt a lot" because the woman was "being mean to the whole Mexican culture", and said they would not want to be the next viral moment. The videographer, Lugo's sister Trinity, said she did not escalate so as not to disrupt the proposal. New York PostR ““It hurts a lot because it’s not just us there. She’s being mean to the whole Mexican culture, the whole Hispanic culture, like everyone’s felt it,” she said.”“she didn’t want to disrupt the proposal, so she chose not to escalate the situation, Trinity said.” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 1The couple said the woman had approached them first before the verbal assault. In the original report the woman was unidentified, and the New York Post said on Oct. 7 that she had "yet to be formally identified". New York PostR “The couple said the woman, who has yet to be formally identified, had actually approached them first before unleashing her verbal assault on video.” Read at New York Post ↗ New York PostR “The unidentified woman appears to approach the crew” Read at New York Post ↗
Right · 1The City of Laguna Beach said it rejects "hateful language and behavior of any kind" and that this does not reflect its community's values. Laguna Beach requires permits for filming, and it was unclear whether the crew had one. New York PostR ““We reject hateful language and behavior of any kind as it does not reflect our community’s values,” they told The Post.” Read at New York Post ↗ New York PostR “The city of Laguna Beach requires permits for filming, but it was not immediately clear whether the crew had obtained one for the shoot.” Read at New York Post ↗ Centre · 1Hindustan Times reports that online users identified the woman as Lori Nunis, a Laguna Beach real estate agent and jewelry maker, citing two reports carried by Yahoo News and AOL. It says the identification came from online sleuths and that this led to calls to boycott her jewelry business. Hindustan TimesN “Nunis was identified in two reports, one carried by Yahoo News, and the other by AOL.”“After Nunis was publicly identified by online sleuths, people began to call her out and attention turned towards her business as well.” Read at Hindustan Times ↗ Centre · 1Hindustan Times says a website linked to her name now requires a password and that an Instagram account for the jewelry shows no posts. RE/MAX told the gossip page Reality Wives that she has not been affiliated with the brand since January 2022. Nunis herself is not quoted in any of the coverage. Hindustan TimesN “HT.com can confirm that a website linked to the name Lori Nunis now requires a password to enter.”““Lori Nunis has not been affiliated with the RE/MAX brand since January 2022.”” Read at Hindustan Times ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Hindustan Times follows the aftermath: the online identification of the woman and the closing of her business pages. It relies on gossip-page and aggregator reports.
- Emphasis
- Identification as Lori Nunis, the boycott calls, the RE/MAX disclaimer and the locked website.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not include the couple's own account or the city's statement.
- Charged language
- “‘Karen’”“racist outburst”“witness protection era”
- For example
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“Lori Nunis has been identified as the Lagua Beach ‘Karen’ who was caught on video trying to shut down a California couple's marriage proposal.” — Hindustan Times
“The California Post and several social media users dubbed the woman ‘Karen’, a pejorative term used for a middle-aged white woman who shows entitlement.” — Hindustan Times
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- The New York Post treats it as a viral 'Karen' story. It first covers the confrontation, then the couple's hurt and the city's condemnation.
- Emphasis
- The woman's quoted tirade, the proposal setup and the couple's emotional response.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not report the later online identification of the woman or the backlash against her business.
- Charged language
- “‘Karen’”“hijacks”“racist Karen”“furious woman”
- For example
-
“Laguna Beach ‘Karen’ hijacks California couple’s romantic engagement” — New York Post
“The in-love California couple engaged at an idyllic park in Laguna Beach revealed how much the actions of a "racist Karen" who interrupted the occasion hurt them.” — New York Post
What every side reports
- The incident happened on Oct. 2 at Crescent Bay Point Park in Laguna Beach and was filmed.
- The woman, who appeared to be walking a dog, told the couple to 'go back to Mexico'.
- The setup included rose petals and a mariachi band.
- It was unclear whether the crew had a filming permit.
Where accounts differ
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Whether the woman has been identified
- Centre
- Hindustan Times says she was identified as Lori Nunis by online sleuths and by two reports carried by Yahoo News and AOL, and does not independently confirm it.
- Right
- The New York Post, on Oct. 7, said she had yet to be formally identified.
Laguna Beach place
The City of Laguna Beach says it is aware of the video, rejects hateful language and behavior, and describes the city as a place of acceptance and inclusion.
“Laguna Beach has long been a place of acceptance and inclusion.” — New York Post
Lori Nunis person
Named by online users and two reports as the woman in the video. No comment from Nunis is reported, and a website linked to the name is now password-protected.
“HT.com can confirm that a website linked to the name Lori Nunis now requires a password to enter.” — Hindustan Times
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre1 article
-
Mixed Reports the woman's online identification and business backlash, relying on gossip-page and aggregator sources, with some sardonic quoted commentary.
Right2 articles
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Laguna Beach ‘Karen’ hijacks California couple’s romantic engagement
Critical Reports the confrontation as a 'Karen' incident, quoting the woman at length and noting the public outrage.
-
Sympathetic Centres the couple's hurt and the city's condemnation, and calls the woman a 'racist Karen'.
- 4 Oct 18:58 First New York PostR Laguna Beach ‘Karen’ hijacks California couple’s romantic engagement
- 7 Oct 19:14 +72h 16m New York PostR California couple whose proposal was hijacked by ‘racist’ neighbor reveals what happened after the camera switched off: ‘Hurts a lot’
- 9 Oct 03:16 +104h 18m Hindustan TimesN Lori Nunis' jewelry site 'locked' after Laguna Beach ‘Karen’ has outburst on video: ‘Go back to Mexico’
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.