A Maryland hairstylist is doubling down on her actions after a viral video of her physically confronting a teenage client landed her with a second-degree assault charge.

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The dramatic incident unfolded on March 2 in Prince George’s County when Jayla Cunningham, 18, was caught on camera dragging a 15-year-old girl by her hood and throwing her to the ground inside her salon. Cunningham claims the teen was trying to leave without paying for a $150 hairstyle that included pricey hair extensions.

Now Cunningham is facing jail time for the violent solution to her problem…

Caught on Camera: Stylist Confronts Teen Over Payment

In the viral clip, which has amassed over 54 million views, Cunningham can be heard demanding, “Sit right here until somebody sends it,” referring to payment for the service. She then aggressively tells the teen, “I’m not f–king playing, you just tried to f–king run. You lucky I ain’t beat the s–t out of you.”

The footage also shows Cunningham confronting her young client, threatening to cut out the weave she had just installed, a move that further fueled online outrage.

Speaking to Fox affiliate WTTG, Cunningham insisted she had no choice but to take matters into her own hands.

“She ran. Forget trash, she ran without paying me,” Cunningham explained. “I dragged her by her hood back into the salon until I could get paid or, you know, until the police come or until, you know, she let me take out the service.”

She added, “I feel like if I didn’t do that, she would have been gone, and I would have just never been paid.”

The teen’s mother, however, sees the situation very differently. She claims her daughter accidentally sent the payment to the wrong CashApp account and was trying to resolve the issue when Cunningham attacked her.

“It’s just absolutely absurd. It’s viral. It’s all over the country,” the mother told reporters, adding that her daughter is deeply traumatized.

She also alleges that Cunningham didn’t just grab her daughter’s hood but also yanked her hair in the process, causing further distress.

In addition to facing an assault charge, Cunningham is now the target of a civil lawsuit filed by the teen’s family. Attorney De’Aja Thompson, representing the family, condemned Cunningham’s actions:

“The video is horrendous. It’s a 15-year-old girl. We’re talking about someone’s child here—a child who is being dragged across a salon floor over something as simple as a mistake.”

Cunningham, who was unaware of the assault charge when contacted by reporters, insists she has witnesses to support her side of the story. However, since the video went viral, she claims to have received death threats and fears for her safety.

She is scheduled to appear in court on April 18.

 

What are your thoughts about this sticky situation?