Red Baron employee speaks out after his emotional reaction to viral prank leaves people heartbroken

A Red Baron Pizza employee has expressed his gratitude for the support he has received after he was involved in a viral TikTok prank.

The worker, known as Walt, was approached by a Tiktoker asking him for the time while he was stacking frozen pizzas. The prankster then staged a fake Apple Pay theft, claiming he had taken $10 from the worker.

Walt then became increasingly frustrated with the TikToker, especially when he realized he was filming the whole encounter.

“It’s not a joke to me. My life is hard as it is," he said.

"I have four kids at home, I was supposed to be home an hour ago, and I’m still out here working!” Walt continued.

Many rushed to TikTok to show their support to the worker, and a petition was even started by someone on GoFundMe. The support didn't go amiss with Walt, who left a heartfelt comment under the fundraiser.

"I wanted to take a moment to personally thank everyone who has donated, shared this fundraiser, or left a kind message. The kindness and encouragement you’ve shown me and my family have meant more than I can put into words," he penned.

"My family and I are doing well, and I’m grateful to have supportive people around me. I’ve been keeping things private to protect my family’s privacy, and I appreciate everyone respecting that."

He continued: "I’ve also received a lot of interview requests. Being in the spotlight isn’t something I would normally seek out, but I’m considering sharing my story."

However, before making his decision, Walt said he wanted to 'make sure it’s with people who will treat me and my family with care and respect our privacy.'

Walt concluded the statement by saying: "Please know that even if I haven’t responded to your message or comment, your support has made a difference. From me and my family, thank you."

The person who started the fundraiser confirmed he didn't know Walt personally, however, wanted to 'help push back against rage-bait and show this worker that people care.'

"This fundraiser is about standing up for a working person who is busting their butt and should not have to fear losing stability because someone wanted content and clicks," they added.

At the time of writing, the fundraiser has reached $513,000 of its $700,000 goal.

Red Baron Pizza has also spoken out on the matter, posting a graphic on X, formerly known as Twitter, that read: "Employee of the Month nominations are closed. You know why."

The caption read: "He’s still here. He’s got a fan club. Including us."