Celebrity News

Walmart catches flak for joke tweet that seemingly references Paul Walker’s death

Another day, another “edgy” corporate Twitter faux pas.

Walmart is the latest megabrand to step in it on social media after seemingly making a joke about Paul Walker’s death in reference to, of all things, Pillsbury cinnamon rolls.

The brand was responding to @iamlaurenmiles, who tweeted “*me racin to the nearest Wally World*” — accompanied by a GIF of a car driving erratically through traffic — in response to the news that the chain was now selling Pillsbury cinnamon rolls with pink strawberry-and-cream icing.

“Hey, Paul Walker,” the individual or possible AI or hive mind responsible for running the megastore’s Twitter, wrote, “Click it, or ticket” — which is actually a slogan used by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s seat belt safety campaign — perceived by many as an insensitive reference to the star’s 2013 death.

According to a suit filed by his daughter Meadow, Walker, a passenger in Roger Rodas’ Porsche Carrera GT, died when he was trapped by his seatbelt in the burning car after a high-speed crash.

While it’s possible Walmart was simply referencing Walker’s role in the popular “Fast and the Furious” franchise, the brand obviously realized its error and deleted the tweet, though users have continued to circulate screenshots and comment on it.