In another glaring example of white privilege, a Philadelphia woman who was arrested for spitting on two people on different days is speaking out about her situation, openly admitting to a news outlet she "was acting like a little b***h that day.”


Jacqueline McBride made national news on April 23 after she spat in the face of two people, one of whom was her server at a Di Bruno Bros. restaurant in Rittenhouse Square.

The 27-year-old has since been released from jail after the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office charged her with two counts each of terroristic threats, simple assault and harassment, Philadelphia Magazine reported. 

She contacted Philly Mag and admitted that she did, in fact, spit on two people during two separate incidents. But she tried to defend her actions by claiming she was going through a rough time. 

The incident started, according to her and other witnesses, when McBride couldn't pay for an item on Saturday. She spat on her server after being told she could not pay using PayPal. In her Philly Mag interview, McBride said the server was giving her an attitude, which is why she spat on him. 

Just one day later, McBride spat on a woman who was standing in line at the same restaurant after yelling “B***h, I don’t have the virus.” It was only then that she was arrested and charged for both incidents.


“I was just really pissed off that day. She probably did nothing wrong. I can be a little b***h sometimes, and I was acting like a little b***h that day,” she said. 

The story initially gained traction online and with national news outlets because McBride is one of many people who have been arrested or detained for spitting on people or licking food amid concerns about the spread of COVID-19.

“It’s embarrassing. And I don’t think it’s the least bit funny. People have been making jokes about me online. But it’s not funny. People don’t know what’s going on in my personal life. And they just jump to conclusions, making me out to be like I’m some kind of monster,” McBride told Philly Mag.

Her story includes a variety of excuses for why she spat on her server and claims she is being treated unfairly. McBride said she was a server before the coronavirus hit but has been depressed since losing her job. She also claimed her phone was stolen in April.

“I’ve been in scary situations with no phone and nothing to eat. But I’m not trying to act like some huge victim here. I’ll take the blame for my actions. But you have to know that I was acting out of character. People are treating me as if I am some kind of crumb. Like I’m some kind of lunatic scumbag. But I’m not. I’ve been depressed lately, like a lot of people are. And I’ve been in a kind of desperate situation. Normally, people love me,” she said.

According to court records obtained by Philly Mag, McBride has previous arrests on her record. She was nabbed by Philadelphia police for theft on April 8. She also pleaded guilty to retail theft in 2014.

McBride's next court hearing is scheduled for June 1, and she is now looking for a lawyer — telling Philly Mag that, "the public defenders don’t care about you.”

Coronavirus-LickingCoronavirus-SpittingJacqueline-McBrideWhite Privilege