A hapless tourist's romantic marriage proposal went seriously wrong in a mortifying video that's been viewed more than 13 million times on TikTok.
You can watch the humiliating moment below:
When you get down on one knee to propose to the supposed love of your life, the worst thing you can imagine happening is them saying 'no'.
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But, imagine your elaborate declaration of love not only being rejected, but it going viral online and people accusing you of 'blackmail'.
That's exactly what happened to an Italian suitor — known only as Valerio — who proposed to his girlfriend on Christmas Eve.
In a TikTok video with almost 14 million views, Valerio can be seen dancing with his partner on Rome’s Via Condotti, while being serenaded by a local tenor.
The man then kneels to the ground and presents her with an engagement ring, all the while, a crowd of onlookers clap and cheer.
But things soon go very wrong as his mortified lover begs Valerio to stand up.
He then asks in his native language: "But is it yes or no?"
The woman brutally responds, "no."
"Good @Cartier has a 30 day return policy," Valerio awkwardly captioned the clip.
While some sympathized with the ruined Romeo's pain, many others weren't convinced and slammed him in the comments for the public proposal.
One person wrote: "Anyone who tries to bully a woman into a marriage proposal by doing it as a public spectacle deserves to get dumped."
Another said: "I've learnt some men do this as a form of manipulation. They think if they put her on the spot in front of everyone, she'll say yes to save face."
And a third commented: "I admire her honesty and courage to say no when the whole public is pressuring her to say yes! This is blackmail and she didn't fall for it."
The TikToker shared a follow-up video the next day, with a caption reading: "You think life is hard? Try getting dumped on Christmas Eve after flying across the country and getting rejected in front of 1.4 million people."
Yikes!
It's safe to say deciding to propose in a public place is always a risky one.
Earlier this year, a young couple's dream proposal was ruined by a 'nosy neighbor' on the beach.
In a video shared on TikTok by Zenicca Llanza, we can see a beautiful set-up her boyfriend has organized, including a tent with a cake, white table cloth and dozens of cushions alongside it.
The cake reads, 'Will you marry me?' and there's a sign in the background with the same words.
As Zenicca's now-fiancé gets down on one knee, an unnamed woman comes into the shot to put the sign, that had fell over, back up.
"How to quickly ruin a proposal," the TikToker wrote. "Please be mindful of other people's once in a lifetime event! You never know you're already ruining it."
Topics: Sex and Relationships, TikTok, Viral
Bec Oakes