Several tabloids were quick to pick up the story, in some cases linking it to Samsung smart fridges specifically, despite the original post not naming a brand. Others questioned the plausibility of the sequence of events as described.The Pluribus advert referenced in the post does exist. Images shared online show a fridge screen displaying the message “WE’RE SORRY WE UPSET YOU, CAROL” against a stark yellow background. The image that circulated most widely, and that many tabloids and social media posts later reused, originated from a separate Reddit post titledshared by a user named Shellnanigans. That comment appeared approximately three weeks before the viral Reddit post.

Source: The Times December 14, 2025 14:54 UTC