TikToker Natalie Reynolds Banned After Forcing Homeless Woman into Lake for Viral Video

Los Angeles:** Popular TikTok influencer **Natalie Reynolds** has been **banned from TikTok** after a disturbing video surfaced in which she allegedly **coerced a mentally ill, homeless woman to jump into a lake** for \$20—despite knowing the woman **could not swim**.

The viral video shows Reynolds persuading the woman with a false promise of cash and claiming she would jump in too. However, when the woman leapt into the water and began calling for help, **Reynolds fled the scene**. Emergency responders from **Austin Fire and Paramedics** later rescued the woman.

Following public outrage, Reynolds claimed the stunt was part of a “**scavenger hunt**,” but the footage clearly shows her **ignoring the woman’s cries** and fleeing without fulfilling her end of the promise.

Social media users **demanded legal action**, calling the act inhumane and reckless. The backlash led to **TikTok banning her account**, which had millions of followers.

Reynolds, **26**, was later spotted in a visibly distressed state outside TikTok’s Los Angeles headquarters, **pleading through the glass doors** while on a phone call, reportedly trying to appeal her account suspension.

She has since blamed the ban on **“professional jealousy”** from fellow content creators, though most commentators believe the ban was a direct result of her **dangerous and unethical behavior** in the lake incident.

Natalie Reynolds initially rose to fame in 2022 with **lip-sync and dance videos**, later expanding to prank content with boyfriend **Zachary Heulsman**, amassing over **5.6 million YouTube subscribers** and **133,000 Instagram followers**.

Calls for accountability continue to grow, with online critics urging that **platform bans alone are not enough** and that legal consequences should follow.