New York

New York Man Is Fired After a Woman Accused Him of Ripping Her Wig Off in the Street

The woman posted a TikTok calling out the man during the incident.

@lizzyashmusic via TikTok

A woman whose wig was ripped off her head by a man while walking in New York City early Monday morning said she now wants to take legal action.

The woman, known online as Lizzy Ashliegh, posted a video on TikTok of an incident that she said took place around 1 a.m. near Penn Station, when a man ripped off a turquoise-colored wig from her head. In the video, which had over 500,000 views as of Wednesday evening, Ashliegh, who is audibly distraught, asks the man, “For what reason did you take my wig off?” The man appears intoxicated in the video, and is seen laughing when questioned.

“Why did you do that?” Ashliegh asked the man. “What makes you think that that’s OK?”

@lizzyashmusic

Pardon my French but he needs one good ass whooping !!! 🤬🤬🤬

♬ original sound - Lizzy Ashliegh

The video of the incident shows two people were with the man, and they encouraged him to apologize.

Ashliegh, who is a creative director, actor and singer, posted another TikTok later that morning explaining how her wig was secured with combs, highlighting the excessive force the man used when he ripped it off her head.

Ashliegh’s initial TikTok video about the incident garnered hundreds of comments from TikTok users who ultimately helped identify the man in the video as Anthony P. Orlich, who worked as a litigator for Leader Berkon Colao and Silverstein LLP, a law practice based in New York. The firm declined a request for comment, but directed NBC News to a statement posted Tuesday on LinkedIn announcing Orlich’s termination. 

Read the full story on NBCNews.com here.

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