Influencer who Walmart banned for life after ‘giving free money to shoppers’ issues groveling apology & begs for help

A VIRAL do-gooder slapped with a lifetime Walmart ban has issued a groveling apology to the retail giant and begged his furious fans to help him get a second chance. Damon Darling, who has built a huge following by surprising strangers with cash and paying for their groceries, insisted he still “loves” Walmart despite being barred from its stores. Influencer Damon Darling has issued a groveling apology to the retail giant Credit: TikTok/damondarlingtv Walmart banned Darling, not for charity, but for disruptive behavior Credit: Getty The influencer was kicked out of a Walmart in Ohio earlier this month before a police officer later told him he had been handed a lifetime ban from the retailer. Now, Darling has struck a conciliatory tone as anger over the punishment continues to erupt among his supporters. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! “I do wanna make it clear that I don’t have any beef with Walmart,” he said in a video posted after the ban. “I don’t want you guys to have any beef with Walmart. If you were shopping at Walmart, continue to shop at Walmart.” “I love Walmart.” Darling then apologized directly, saying he understood the retailer was entitled to enforce its rules. “I understand that they have their policies. I want to respect their policies,” he said. “I love Walmart still and I respect them. I’m sorry.” Most read in The Sun But he is also hoping his massive fanbase can help convince the company to reverse course. Rather than boycott the chain, Darling urged supporters to ask Walmart, “Will you please give Damon a second chance?” “I wanna reconcile. I would love to work with Walmart,” he added, revealing that one of his dreams is to get his Meemaw Coffee product onto the retailer’s shelves. His plea came after footage showed Darling being ordered out of the Ohio store while apparently trying to pay for customers’ shopping. Darling admitted past disruptive stunts might have contributed to the lifetime ban Credit: TikTok/damondarlingtv Darling filmed himself buying groceries for strangers in an Ohio Walmart Credit: TikTok/damondarlingtv “I’m just buying people’s groceries!” he protested during the confrontation. Darling claimed a woman he believed was a manager had already given him permission to film, but another employee disputed that before ordering him to leave. Walmart has stressed that Darling’s charitable giveaways were not the reason for the action. A spokesperson said, “Mr. Darling has repeatedly violated our policies through disruptive behavior and trespassing, unrelated to any charitable giving.” The company has not publicly detailed all of the conduct that led to the lifetime ban. Walmart’s published filming policy states that unauthorized filming inside its stores is prohibited and says the company reserves the right to enforce that rule. Darling has previously posted comedy skits filmed in Walmart stores, including clips involving staged falls, throwing items and pouring milk over himself, according to TMZ. He acknowledged in an interview with the outlet that some of his older videos may have contributed to Walmart’s decision, while saying his content has since shifted toward helping people. But his apology has done little to calm supporters who believe the retailer treated him unfairly. “You did nothing wrong. Walmart owes you an apology,” one person wrote. Another declared: “Nahhh we have beef with Walmart. They did you DIRTYYYY!!!” “No more Walmart……..Ever!!” another supporter posted. Another said, “I didn’t even like Walmart anyways. I will definitely not be back now.” The backlash puts Darling in the unusual position of pleading with his own followers not to punish the company that banned him. Comment now