Indian Comedian Zarna Garg Says She Was Trapped In Hermès Restroom
Garg alleged she was locked inside the Berlin store’s bathroom for over an hour, with “no apology, no explanation” from staff.
India-born comedian Zarna Garg has alleged that she was trapped inside a restroom at a Hermès store in Berlin for more than an hour, claiming that staff refused to break open the door despite knowing she was stuck inside.
Garg, who is based in the US, shared details of the incident on Instagram, saying she was left locked inside the bathroom while her children and team watched from outside.
“We are all freaked out because I was locked shut in the bathroom of the Hermes store in Berlin for over an hour and no one cared! No apology, no explanation, not a word of comfort was offered. Not even to my kids or team who were watching in horror on the other side,” the comedian’s Instagram post read.
Garg claimed that the door was a “cheap, flimsy piece of plywood in violation of the fire code”. She further claimed that at first, the team tried to take things lightly, with the possibility of making a fun video after Garg’s rescue. However, they soon realised that the situation was getting “concerning”.
“I was locked in behind a door that was a cheap, flimsy piece of plywood in violation of the fire code. At first we made light of it. Things happen. We started recording, thinking we’ll make a funny video about what you can do when locked in a bathroom. I made an origami village of paper towels and played games like guess how many towels I’m holding,” the post continued.
According to Garg, the situation became increasingly worrying as the wait continued. She said she and her team eventually asked the store managers to call the fire department.
Garg alleged that the store staff were initially reluctant to break down the door. At one point, she said, staff asked her to push the door before attempting to open it with a crowbar.
After being trapped for about an hour and 20 minutes, Garg was eventually freed after the fire department intervened and used specialised tools to open the door.
The comedian alleged that there was no apology or explanation from the store after she was rescued. She said an associate instead handed her a bottle of champagne, which she and her team declined.
Garg said she decided to share the incident on social media because of what she described as the “hostility” surrounding the episode.
She also joked about the incident, comparing the restroom door with Hermès bags and saying the company now had a bathroom door that was “impossible to open and close”.
Her claims about the door violating fire safety regulations have not been independently verified. Hermès has not been cited as having issued a public response to Garg’s allegations in the reports available so far.
