A California bride-to-be whose romantic proposal was disrupted by a woman’s racist outburst has received an unexpected gesture of kindness from a local bridal boutique owner.
Hayley Lugo was given a wedding gown by Lisa Clark, owner of Saint Clark Bridal Suite in Monrovia, after Clark saw the viral footage of Lugo’s proposal at Laguna Beach.
The video shows a woman confronting Lugo and her fiancé, Emmanuel Banuelos, as a mariachi band performed at Crescent Bay Point Park on October 2. During the interruption, the woman shouted, “Go back to Mexico.”
“I feel very blessed to be receiving the gown, and there are still a lot of kind people out there willing to help us despite what happened,” Lugo told CBS News.
The confrontation was recorded through Meta glasses worn by Trinity Lugo, Hayley’s sister, who was standing nearby as the proposal unfolded.
The woman initially objected to the engagement setup, claiming the park was intended for local residents to enjoy picnics and that events were not permitted on the grass.
Trinity Lugo calmly explained that the couple and the production crew would soon leave after the proposal. The woman, however, continued her tirade and threatened to involve police.
“I just called the police. They’re coming out here. They’re going to make you tear it down,” the woman said.
Hayley Lugo received a wedding dress from Lisa Clark, owner of Saint Clark Bridal Suite in Monrovia, after footage of her Laguna Beach proposal spread online.
The angry Laguna Beach resident confronted the video crew as they prepared to record the couple’s picture-perfect proposal.
After repeatedly demanding that the engagement setup be removed, the woman escalated the confrontation by shouting, “Go back to Mexico.”
The woman, later labeled “Proposal Karen” online, appeared visibly agitated as she directed a series of profanities at the couple and the crew.
“I don’t care. It’s every single f*****g weekend and I’m sick and tired of it. This isn’t Mexico either, you motherf*****s,” she shouted.
Since being posted, the confrontation has drawn more than 13 million views across several social media platforms.
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“It made me feel so sad that people still have so much hate and racism in them. When I saw it and heard it, my heart sank. It just left me distraught,” Lugo told the Los Angeles Times.
A spokesperson for the city of Laguna Beach said officials were aware of the viral video and emphasized that the city does not condone hateful language or conduct.
“Laguna Beach’s parks and beaches are open to everyone and are regularly the backdrop to celebrate milestones,” the spokesperson said.
Lugo has since discussed the emotional impact of the confrontation, while Banuelos called the incident deeply offensive.
“It hurts a lot because it’s not just us there. She’s being mean to the whole Mexican culture, the whole Hispanic culture, like everyone’s felt it,” Lugo told ABC 7.
Lisa Clark said she offered the gown to show that “love always wins,” giving the couple’s disrupted proposal a more uplifting ending.
Despite the woman’s racist remarks, the newly engaged couple celebrated the romantic milestone with a surprise engagement party
What was meant to be a romantic moment for Emmanuel Banuelos and Hayley Lugo, was interrupted by angry bystander nicknamed ‘proposal karen’
‘We live in a world where people can be pretty hateful, so I wanted to make sure that she understood that the world is not full of hate, and there is still kindness, and if this is something I could do for her, I wanted to do it,’ Clark told the outlet.
Despite the rough start, the couple explained that they were still able to enjoy their beautiful moment and celebrate at a surprise engagement party. Lugo expressed gratitude for receiving the free dress as a gift.
‘It feels unbelievable… I’m ready to begin this journey with my fiancé, so it’s all just coming together,’ Lugo told the outlet.
Clark shared that she extended the gesture as a message that ‘love always wins’ for a happy ending to their wedding proposal.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Hayley Lugo and Lisa Clark for comments.