A woman at Cannes asked her waiter “do I look like I eat carbs,” then his response to the pizza went viral

A viral video featuring Canadian television personality and businesswoman Ann Kaplan Mulholland has resurfaced on X, sparking debate over how public figures treat hospitality workers. The footage, filmed at the Cannes Film Festival, shows Mulholland seated at an outdoor restaurant as a waiter approaches with a slice of pizza.

As the server moved to place the food on her plate, Mulholland asked, “Do I look like I eat carbs?” The waiter immediately withdrew the pizza, and the exchange was filmed and later shared widely online.

As detailed by the Daily Dot, the clip drew sharp criticism from viewers who saw it as an example of a public figure looking down on a service worker. Fitness influencer Joey Swoll shared the video and argued that Mulholland could have simply declined the food politely, adding that how someone treats waitstaff says a lot about their character. Mulholland later stated that her family received threats in the aftermath of the clip spreading online.

The clip drew comparisons to a decades-old hiring rule

Mulholland has since said the video was a staged, satirical bit rather than a genuine interaction. She said the waiter and the other people at her table were aware the moment was being filmed, and that her comment about carbs referred to dietary allergies and intolerances rather than a general aversion to food.

The clip’s spread also revived discussion of what is known as the Waiter Rule, a long-standing idea used by some executives to judge character based on how a person treats service staff. As reported by Silicon Canals, the concept became a staple of executive folklore following a 2006 USA Today article by Del Jones, with CEOs from companies including Panera Bread and Raytheon citing it as a hiring consideration. Elsewhere online this week, a Kentucky Buc-ee’s discovery also picked up traction after a shopper noticed a missing soda fountain flavor.

The theory behind the Waiter Rule is that a person’s behavior toward someone who cannot influence their career or status is a more voluntary and revealing signal than how they act in front of someone with authority over them. Researchers who study behavior under power dynamics have noted that the rule is not a validated measure of character and that factors like tone, exhaustion, or cultural differences can be mistaken for rudeness in a single interaction. In a separate consumer story making the rounds, a Walmart pricing complaint also went viral after a shopper reacted to Halloween candy prices.

Mulholland has not commented further on the threats her family received, and no additional statements from the parties involved have been released since the clip resurfaced.