Trader Joe’s ‘Karen’ says she was given permission to shop without a mask

A Trader Joe’s shopper who was captured in a viral video going berserk on employees who confronted her for not wearing a mask in North Hollywood, California, says she received permission from the grocery chain to shop sans face covering, according to a report.

The woman, who declined to give her name, said the heated encounter began because another customer harassed her for disregarding the statewide mask order, news station KABC reported.

“Right away he started using obscenities at me, saying ‘f you,’ the c word, ‘wear your f-ing mask’ all of this,” the woman told the outlet.

She said she called the manager of the Trader Joe’s store in Toluca Lake and got the OK to come without a mask, but mistakenly ended up at the North Hollywood location, where she was told they could make an exception for her that day, according to the outlet.

Videos taken by other customers showed the woman throwing down her shopping basket, shouting at store employees, and claiming her doctor will not let her wear a mask.

The woman, who declined to elaborate on her medical condition, said that she does not regret the outburst — and denies that she had any political motivations.

“Unlike whatever lies they are putting out there, I had no political agenda,” she said. “I had nothing. They might use whatever else I said later in my anger, it doesn’t matter. What happened to me should not be happening to anyone else.”

Trader Joe’s didn’t respond to a request for comment, KABC reported.