'AITA for blowing up at my sister’s wedding day makeup artist and wanting to sue her?'
"AITA for blowing up at my sister’s wedding day makeup artist and wanting to sue her?"
As the title says, my sister got married last week.
She booked a makeup artist months in advance and paid a deposit.
Fast forward to the wedding day: the makeup artist shows up wearing a mask and says she’s extremely tired. She starts doing my sister’s makeup but then suddenly stops midway, saying she’s “over it,” too exhausted, and can’t continue.
We were honestly very understanding. We even offered to take her to the ER because we thought she was sick. In the end, my sister had to finish her own makeup on her wedding day (even though she was a make-up artist before but she wanted to get pampered on her special day).
Today, one of my sister’s friends sent me a screenshot from a Facebook group. Turns out the makeup artist wasn’t sick at all — she had gotten lip fillers right before my sister's appointment and was exaggerating the pain and symptoms so she gets dismissed. She was joking and laughing about it in the caption and comments, and even said she paid for the lip fillers with our “easy money.”
I called the makeup artist and confronted her. I’m not going to lie — I yelled. I felt like a fool and I told her she took advantage of our kindness, abandoned my sister on her wedding day, and still kept the money (I actually paid the full amount because I felt bad for her).
Now we’re planning to take her to court. Since then, random people (her friends, I guess) have been contacting me saying I’m an a-hole, that we dismissed her, and that we can’t do anything legally.
Extra context: The makeup artist wasn’t a total stranger. She and my sister had worked together a few times before, so there was already some familiarity and trust there. And the people contacting me knew who my sister is.
So, AITA if we go through with the case?
Here’s what people had to say to OP:
NTA! and u will probably win the case as long as you have proof that she did not complete the services u paid for. Screenshot the social media posts as extra proof.
NTA she took the full payment for an incomplete job. Doesn’t matter her reason, even though she sucks, but she didn’t do the job she was hired for and she owes you a refund.
NTA... Take her to court.. and sue anyone contacting you cause that's Harassment!! You have evidence... Stand your ground!! Updated Me!
I would 100% sue her... she lied and manipulated you... take her to court and don't worry about anything that anybody else says. I hope you have screenshots of the lip fillers and her laughing about easy money. You'll need it for court.
NTA!! It’s Ursula cruel for her to basically steal your money and use it for lip fillers then brag about it. I’m actually guessing she does have lips like Ursula now honestly. Take her to court, but realize that will cost you more money. I hope it all works out!!
But here's the question... why did you even pay her if she only did half the work? Okay, so you ordered in advance and didn't have to bother with prepayment; that's normal. But why did you give her the rest?
P.S. Consult a lawyer to find out what the courts have to say about such cases and whether it's worth pursuing. But yes, you could have a blast. Even if it's a "Pyrrhic victory" where you don't really win, you'll tarnish her reputation and show your clients her true colors: that she can screw them over at any moment.
NTA She did lazy her work and bragged about it. I would settle for negative feedback online, but if you can, you should. This behavior is unacceptable.
NTA you should 100% sue her if you can. Consult a lawyer first to see if you have a case worth going to court over as this sounds like a bad faith kind of situation. I think that's what you call it.
The way I see it OP is the artist fully played all of you. By her playing the 'sick' act she not only got sympathy, but the rest of the day off and full payment because it played on your emotions and you'd look like AHs otherwise for forcing a sick person to work.
Especially because this is a person the bride knew and was friendly with. Save the posts of her bragging online about what she did as evidence for when you speak to someone if you proceed.
NTA! Sue!!! Sue!!! That witch essentially ruined your sister‘s big day and made off like a bandit! What she did was wrong!!!
NTA, but I wonder how strong your case will be given that you paid her even after you knew that she wasn't going to do the job....