Back in the summer of 2012, Adam Smith thought that he was going to be a viral video superstar when he pulled up to a Chik-Fil-A drive-thru, hit record on his cell phone’s video camera, and gave the fast food chain hell over CEO Dan Cathy’s statements about gay marriage. Except, what he didn’t realize was that nobody thinks it’s cool or heroic when a grown man yells at a girl who is making minimum wage and has literally no control over corporate policy, so the whole thing backfired spectacularly and Smith became a viral star for all the wrong reasons.
Then, the snowball of facepalm turned into an avalanche of idiocy. For starters, the Chik-Fil-A employee known only as Rachel became the Internet star, as she appeared on various news shows as a sympathetic victim. Her story was used as a political talking point (by both sides) while everything that could go wrong went wrong for Smith. He claimed that he was fired almost immediately after the video went viral, because his company was receiving bomb threats (presumably from enraged Chik-Fil-A supporters, but maybe also from really serious anti-bullying advocates). He posted a video apology to Rachel, and while she accepted it, Smith was still the target of wrath and ire from people who simply thought it was pretty douchetastic to shout at a girl in a drive-thru window.
For the very first time since that “spectacular fall,” Smith spoke to ABC News about what it’s like to go from earning $200,000 a year and having $1 million in stock options to buying limited grocery supplies with food stamps. Smith claims that he’s basically unemployable now, as his “fame” has made it impossible to interview for a job without having to explain why he was one of the most hated men of 2012.
After losing his job, Smith, his wife Amy and their four children also lost their home. They were forced to sell and give away their possessions and move into an RV. A few months later, Smith found a new CFO job in Portland, Oregon. It was the fresh start he needed.
“I felt like, ‘Yeah, I got it. I am back,'” Smith said.
About two weeks later, Smith was fired from that job after his new boss discovered he was the guy from the Chick-Fil-A video. Smith told “20/20” in subsequent job interviews, he was very honest about the video and while prospective employers seemed empathetic and understanding in the end the companies would rescind the offers saying they didn’t want the distraction.
Looking back at the video now, Smith said he was emotional.
“I don’t regret the stand I took, but I regret… the way I talked to her,” he told “20/20.”
He even apologized to the drive-thru attendant he was angry with in another video posted to his YouTube channel, which also went viral. She has forgiven him. But Smith says even people who agreed with his pro-gay opinions won’t hire him.
“I think people are scared,” Smith said. “I think people are scared that it could happen again.” (Via ABC News)
In case you’re feeling bad for Smith and want to know how you can help him in this three-year period of need, you can buy his upcoming book, “A Million Dollar Cup of Water.” You didn’t think this guy was coming out of hiding and bringing a small orchestra of tiny violins without something up his sleeves, did you?