TikTok User Films Himself Saving Young Girl From Stranger at the Mall in Viral Video

A popular TikTok user claims he helped a young woman escape a stranger who approached her by pretending to know the girl and helping her get out of the weird situation. The video, posted by Brandon Robert, has over 45 million views since he shared it on Jan. 31. The video drew widespread praise from other TikTok users, with some calling him a “good citizen” and others saying his mother raised him right.

The video begins with Robert sharing a narration, which notes that a “weird man” made a girl “uncomfortable” in a mall store. Robert approached the girl and pretended to know her. The girl went along with it, even asking if an “Aunt Claire” was with him at the store. As the two walked away from the strange man, the girl thanked Robert for helping her. “He asked if I want to go back to his place,” the girl told Robert. The TikTok user said he saw the man touching the girl and asked if she was ok. “Yeah, thank you for helping me,” she told Robert.

Over 132,000 TikTok users have commented on the post, with many of them showing respect for Robert’s actions. “You’re literally the best for this,” one person wrote. “[Thank you] for helping her out; it’s pretty sad how often girls have to deal with situations like this,” another wrote. “Guys, PLEASE do this,” another added. “It [really] does help [because] unfortunately these men will only leave a girl alone when another man comes.” One person asked if “Aunt Claire” could “be the universal code now.” Another TikTok user noted that “sad women have to go [through] stuff like this.”

In an interview with In The Know, Rober said the girl he helped was only around 19 years old. “You could just tell by her face she was quite frightened,” he said. Robert was also afraid of the man because of his behavior, so he pulled out his camera for his own safety. “Thankfully, the man didn’t try to talk or touch me,” he said.

Robert told BuzzFeed the girl knew he was watching the scene, so she quickly realized he was trying to help. “She went along with me ‘knowing’ her immediately,” he said. “She was very appreciative and said I may have just saved her life.” Robert walked with the girl out of the store and helped her to her car.