Woman Is Deathly Allergic To Shellfish. Then Her Man Orders A Shrimp Cocktail Right In Front Of Her: ‘Leave Him Or Leave Us Out Of It’

When you’re seriously allergic to one food group, it doesn’t just alter your life. If you don’t live alone, your loved ones will probably have to make sacrifices too, whether that means not eating it around you or taking precautions before having contact with you after they consume it.

At least, that’s what you would expect them to do.

One TikTok creator, Ash Williamson (@lowtoxashwill), sparked outrage on the platform when she shared a video of her boyfriend seemingly disregarding her allergy, one she calls “deathly.”

What Did The Boyfriend Do?

In the clip, which has gotten over 676,900 views, Williamson films her boyfriend sitting across from her at a restaurant. He has a huge shrimp cocktail in front of him, takes one shrimp, and eats it while talking on the phone.

“When I’m deathly allergic to shellfish but he orders it anyway,” she wrote in the video’s text overlay.

She also joked, “I think he craves it more knowing itll send me to the grave.”

In the caption, however, Williamson explains that there is nothing dangerous about the situation for her.

“FAQ: 1. Yes it’s okay. 2. I dont breathe it in & have reactions. 3. Eating it would be bad but I’m not,” she wrote.

Comments Say This Isn’t OK

In the comments, many viewers were not amused.

“My husband is allergic to tree nuts so none of us in our house eats them since we love, respect, and value his life,” one commenter wrote. “This isn’t cute.”

Another thought the video was a bad sign.

“Listen to your red flags,” they wrote. “It only gets worse.”

Someone else could not resist the obvious joke.

“That’s a very shellfish thing to do,” they said.

One commenter with a shellfish allergy said their relationship has a system.

“As someone with a shellfish allergy…my husband can have shrimp and stuff but knows I can’t hold his hand or kiss him till we get home so he can brush his teeth…” they wrote.

Williamson responded to that comment, writing, “This is exactly how we do it.”

Is This Dangerous?

For someone seriously allergic to shellfish, another person ordering a shrimp cocktail is sometimes OK, but only under controlled conditions. It is not automatically safe just because the allergic person is not the one eating it.

It may be OK if the shrimp cocktail is cold, the allergic person is not touching it, no one shares plates, utensils, or drinks, the shellfish is kept physically away from their food, the restaurant can prevent cross-contact, and the person eating shrimp washes their hands and face before touching or kissing the allergic partner.

Cold shrimp cocktail is generally less concerning than hot or steaming shellfish. The bigger airborne concern is shellfish being cooked or served hot enough to release protein into steam. Mayo Clinic warns that some people react after touching shellfish or inhaling steam from cooking shellfish.

It is not OK if the allergic person has a history of anaphylaxis from tiny exposures, asthma, reactions from being near shellfish, or has been told by their allergist to avoid seafood restaurants entirely.

It’s also important to remember that these situations are nuanced. A couple may have a routine in place for situations like these, and Williamson says they do.

@lowtoxashwill FAQ: 1. Yes it's okay. 2. I dont breathe it in & have reactions. 3. Eating it would be bad but I'm not. #onthisday ♬ original sound – burke4444

The Mary Sue has reached out to Williamson via email for comments.

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