Woman Goes on a Date in Arizona. 30 Mins In, He Starts Yelling and Gets Racist. By the End of the Night, She’s Bleeding, and Then Comes the Worst Part
Hell, no.
A woman’s viral video about a nightmarish date in Arizona is blowing up online. Elizabeth Thorne, @elizabeththorne on TikTok, recounts how her disastrous dinner date started off awkward but quickly spiraled into something straight out of a horror movie. What began as a quiet, slightly shy meetup at a restaurant allegedly turned into a full-blown racist rant, a shove, and a toe injury that left her bleeding while her date laughed.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, the real kicker came later when she discovered he lived in her apartment complex. There was no escaping him until she moved out. Thorne’s video walks through the cringe-worthy details. She met the guy at the restaurant, where he was sitting at the bar. The first 30 minutes were just awkward small talk, nothing too alarming. But then, he “really broke out of his shell,” as she put it, and things took a dark turn.
She reported how he started telling her how much he hated Mexicans. When she pointed out that she was, in fact, Mexican, his response was, “You don’t look Mexican, so it’s fine.” Things only got worse. Thorne alleged that he wouldn’t stop yelling about how much he hated “these types of people,” drawing stares. She said she kept hoping no one was listening, because he was literally screaming his hate in public.
Things escalated when they moved to a speakeasy around the corner
Thorne admitted she should’ve ended the date right then, but curiosity about the speakeasy kept her going. Ten minutes in, she couldn’t take it anymore. The guy was rude to the bartender and didn’t tip, so she had to cover it herself. On the walk back to her car, he pushed her into a tree, and she stubbed her toe on the cement barrier around it. Blood started gushing, and instead of helping, he laughed.
When she asked why that was funny, he doubled down, saying he thought it was hilarious. At that point, she just wanted to go home. But the nightmare wasn’t over. The next day, she left her apartment and realized he lived right next door. She had to see him for months until she finally moved out.
The video has struck a nerve online, with viewers sharing their own horror stories and expressing shock at how the date unfolded. One commenter wrote, “The fact that you stayed after telling him you’re Hispanic is insane,” to which Thorne replied, “I know. It was literally my first date after a 7-year relationship so I was dumb.”
Another person chimed in, saying, “I work for a local municipality in Arizona (Fire Department). I meet a lot of racist people on calls – which isn’t shocking but it is weird. I hope you meet a good man who treats you better.”
Dating horror stories like Thorne’s are a whole genre on TikTok
They tap into the collective anxiety of modern dating, where apps, ghosting, and safety concerns make every meetup feel like a gamble. These videos often blend real experiences with scripted elements to heighten the drama, and while some are clearly exaggerated for entertainment, they still resonate because they reflect the very real fears people have.
Thorne has posted other dating horror stories on her account, so it’s hard to say how much of this one is pure reality versus polished storytelling. But whether it’s 100% true or not, the themes hit home. Being racist is bad enough, but being a loud, unapologetic racist? That’s a whole new level of unacceptable.
The story also highlights how dating can sometimes feel like a minefield. You never really know who you’re going to meet, and red flags can pop up when you least expect them. Thorne’s experience is a stark reminder of why setting boundaries early is so important. If someone shows their true colors within the first 30 minutes, it’s probably not going to get better.
This isn’t the first time Arizona has been in the news for a dating-gone-wrong story
In May, a woman was accused of killing a man she met on a dating app in a hit-and-run incident in Phoenix. According to PEOPLE, Mikela Bahe, 30, is facing multiple charges, including second-degree murder, after allegedly running over 52-year-old Norris Taft with his own SUV. Taft texted his nephew during the date, saying he’d been “catfished” because Bahe didn’t look like her profile picture.
The two had gone to a dispensary before returning to Taft’s apartment, where police believe an argument escalated into violence. Surveillance footage showed Bahe leaving the apartment complex, getting into Taft’s SUV, and then driving over him as he stepped in front of the vehicle. She allegedly dragged him underneath the car before fleeing the scene.
Bahe was arrested three days later after police tracked her to a shuttle heading to Flagstaff. She told investigators she remembered being with Taft but claimed to have no memory of what happened after they left the dispensary.
The two stories, while vastly different in severity, share some similarities
Both involve dates that started off with promise but quickly turned dangerous. Both highlight the risks of meeting strangers in person, especially when alcohol or other substances are involved. And both serve as cautionary tales about the importance of trusting your instincts. If something feels off, it probably is.
Thorne’s story might be the stuff of viral TikTok content, but it’s also a reminder that dating can be a wild, unpredictable ride. Sometimes, the worst part is realizing you can’t escape the person afterward. For Thorne, the silver lining is that she’s no longer stuck seeing her date around her apartment complex. But for others, the lesson might be to always have an exit plan.
(Featured images: Elizabeth Thorne @elizabeththorne on TikTok)
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