TikToker pretending to be needy mom called megachurches for help with their responses going viral: ‘Joel Osteen would never’
Woman goes viral after conducting social experiment with US megachurches
- A TikToker, Nikalie Monroe, conducted a social experiment by calling over 30 US megachurches, pretending to be a struggling mother in need of baby formula.
- Monroe, an Army veteran without children, used a crying baby sound effect to test churches' willingness to help a desperate parent.
- Out of 42 calls, 33 churches refused assistance, while only nine offered help, sparking widespread online criticism.
- Houston's Lakewood Church, one of the nation's largest and wealthiest megachurches, declined immediate help, stating an application process could take weeks.
- The church's response, given its substantial net assets and previous controversy during Hurricane Harvey, drew significant outrage from internet users.