‘Sexist pigs’: Woman says she was asked to leave Wetherspoons over ‘inappropriate’ top
A woman has accused a JD Wetherspoon pub in Reading of asking her to leave because of what she was wearing.
Mollie Wood made the claims in a TikTok video posted shortly after the incident, which she says took place at the Back of Beyond pub in Reading.
Wood was dressed in a black halter-neck crop top and midi skirt and said that, at first, her outfit didn’t seem to be a problem.
In the video, which has now been viewed over 471,000 times, she explained how, initially, she and her friend were allowed into the pub chain. But, they were then told they were dressed in “inappropriate wear” and asked to leave.
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Wood explained: “Basically we got denied entry at Wetherspoons. Well, we were allowed in, we checked in, we got ID’d, we were allowed in.
“We got halfway through, we got denied entry to sit down because apparently, we were wearing ‘inappropriate wear’ at a Wetherspoons.”
Wood’s friend in the clip reiterated that the incident took place at the Wetherspoons chain based in Reading.
The pair asked a member of staff why they were not allowed to stay, but the response “infuriated” Wood, who captioned the viral TikTok about the incident, “BACK OF BEYOND WETHERSPOONS u sexist f***ing pigs”.
Wood continued: “And then we asked for the reason and they say it’s because we are comparable to men taking their tops off.”
“Why, [as] women with bigger boobs, are we sexualised to the extent where it’s compared to men that don’t wear tops?”
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With the recent hot weather the UK has been experiencing, Wood questioned why she was allowed into the same Wetherspoons wearing the same top just days prior, but in 26-degree heat, they were not permitted.
Wood ended the clip: “I’m so infuriated at this Wetherspoons. Ugh, I just can’t.”
In a follow-up TikTok video, Wood and her friend thanked people for their support and said Wetherspoons had not yet apologised to her over the incident or answered her formal complaint.
On the Wetherspoons website, it says the dress code requires: “Customers are requested to remain fully clothed throughout their visit, including wearing shoes.
“In addition, some pubs do operate a specific dress code at all or certain times. For information on these requirements, please speak directly to the team of the pub you wish to visit.”
A spokesperson for Wetherspoon told The Independent: “Two female customers visited the Back of Beyond pub in Reading on Sunday evening at approximately 7.40pm.
“Shortly after entering, the customers were politely asked to leave the pub as, on consideration by the pub’s management team, their dress was not, in this particular case, in accordance with the company’s guidance to pubs on appropriate customer dress.
“What may be considered appropriate dress is invariably a matter of individual judgement and whilst no offence was intended to the two customers by the request to leave the pub, we support the approach of the pub’s management team in this instance.”
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