A well-known Sydney influencer has apologised for her “tone deaf” video in the wake of the horrific mass stabbing at Bondi Junction, conceding she “showed poor judgment”.
Patti Pink Cake, whose real name is Patricia Lyden, is a former legal aid solicitor turned beloved fashion influencer, with a following of almost 50,000 people on Instagram.
The Double Bay local is best known for her fun videos in which she runs through her outfit for the day, which often includes a plethora of designer brand names.
The reaction to her videos is usually overwhelmingly positive, with her followers praising her for her fabulous sense of style and warm personality.
But a now-deleted video, posted on Monday, garnered a very different reaction.
Patti started off the video by offering her condolences to the families of the victims and everyone impacted by the “unspeakable tragedy” in Bondi Junction over the weekend.
On Saturday, Joel Cauchi entered the Westfield in Bondi Junction armed with a knife and fatally stabbed six people, with 12 others wounded in the horrific attack.
The 40-year-old’s rampage came to an end when she was shot by a lone police officer just after 3.30pm.
“My sincerest condolences and sympathies to the families and friends of those who lost their lives and my wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured,” the influencer said.
“I know that is going to take years both physically and mentally.”
Patti then segued into her usual outfit of the day run-through, saying: “Now, I do have to go out and I have chosen this to wear.”
Her outfit included a Max Mara jacket, a Ralph Lauren teddy bear shirt for “something happy”, chinos and some sandals. To finish the look, she tied a Louis Vuitton scarf to her bag.
“So, I am ready to go. Looks like I am going on safari, but I am probably only going to Woolworths and that can be a safari in itself,” Patti said.
The video prompted swift backlash, with social media users accusing Patti of being “tone deaf” in the wake of the Bondi attack.
She deleted the video from her Instagram, but it was quickly shared to other social media platforms.
“Hello everyone. Yesterday I posted a reel expressing my sincere condolences and sympathy to the family and friends of the victims of the tragedy at Bondi Junction,” Patti wrote in a new post on Tuesday evening.
“On that reel, I went on to describe what I was wearing, clothing I have owned for some years, including a top with a teddy bear on it.
“This addition on the reel rightly upset many people and for that I apologise. It was not my intention to be direspectful or to minimise the tragedy, as some have suggested.
“I showed poor judgment and appreciate the comments of those who were upset by the reel and brought it to my attention. Please accept my sincerest apologies.”
The backlash
“Why wouldn’t you go two posts instead of seguing into a fashion influencer stream. Talk about tone deaf,” one commenter said after the initial reel.
“It’s gobsmackingly alarming, mind-numbingly callous in its disregard of the events in Sydney, just to promote herself, her fashion? I despair,” another wrote.
Others branded the post as “distasteful”, while one added: “You’ve got to be kidding”.
When news.com.au initially reached out to Patti for comment, she declined and noted that she had deleted the video. She later posted her apology.
Dr Vyom Sharma, a health commentator who often appears on ABC, also weighed in on the video.
“I’ve watched this four times. I am genuinely not sure if I find this funny or incredibly offensive,” he wrote on X.
“It’s the 120kph U-turn at ‘And I know that’s going to take years, both mentally and physically SKREEEEEECH ‘now do I have to go out’.”
However, there were fans of Patti who rushed to her defence, saying the fashion influencer had no “ill” intent when posting the video.
“Patti is lovely and her insta is a bit of fun. I don’t think her intentions are ill placed,” one person said.
“It’s harmless. If she didn’t mention it all, she’d be accused of being even more tone-deaf. She lives in her privileged bubble, but she seems harmless enough,” another wrote.
One added: “Oh leave her alone, she’s adorable. Truly upset about the Westfield tragedy, but also loves her fashion.”