‘There’s not enough room’: Influencer allegedly tells woman she can’t post their selfie unless she pays

A TikTok video from Caraline, who posts as @caraline23, has gathered tens of thousands of likes after she described a run-in with an influencer in San Diego. According to the video, she spotted the woman in public and approached her as a fan. The influencer has not been identified, and the account has not been independently verified.

In the video, the creator says she recently moved to the city and had never before run into an online personality she followed. She claims she opened by calling the woman “the most beautiful person” she had ever seen, then asked for audience-building tips. The influencer reportedly suggested her own following came from her appearance rather than any strategy.

Caraline says she then asked for a selfie, and the woman allegedly replied that posting it would require payment, saying she did not allow others to “capitalize” on her appearance. Another line attributed to the influencer was that there was “not enough room” in the industry for everyone. Viewers in the comments have split on how to read the exchange.

Viewers are cheering Caraline on and joking that she looks like Hermione

One of the most-liked comments on the video jokingly offers sympathy to the creator as “Hermione,” and several others compare her to Emma Watson. Many viewers said they hit follow after hearing the story, with one writing, “Spite? I’m in.” Caraline says the encounter left her more determined to grow her platform, partly “out of spite.”

One commenter who says they work in social media suggested a series where followers recommend San Diego spots and the creator films herself trying them. The commenter argued it could lead to partnerships with local businesses and floated a Harry Potter Halloween look. Another commenter, who said they grew up in San Diego, recommended Cabrillo National Monument at low tide.

Plenty of commenters keep asking her to name the influencer

Calls for a name are common in the comments, as several viewers asked outright and one admitted they are nosy. However, Caraline replied in a comment that she knows the frustration but will not send people to hate on anyone, adding that “no one deserves that.”

One commenter floated the idea that the influencer sees Caraline as competition, while another said there is “plenty of room” in the industry for everyone. However, that theory remains speculation rather than anything the influencer stated, and no public video of the encounter has surfaced. Everything described so far rests on Caraline’s own telling.

A separate group of viewers aimed at influencers more broadly, as the video’s on-screen text asks whether influencers think they are above everyone else. One commenter said they get “the ick” from influencers who behave this way, while another urged people to stop idealizing influencers and celebrities.

It is not the only recent TikTok account of an awkward in-person moment, as another creator shared her own cafe tipping encounter.