A heated confrontation erupted at Laguna Beach, California, where a woman who owns a multimillion-dollar property on the shoreline insisted that a family vacate the public beach area in front of her home. The incident, captured on video and shared widely on social media, has sparked significant attention.
The video begins with the property owner, dressed in a swimsuit and sarong, aggressively shouting at the family. “Get outta here now,” she screams while extending a white rope to demarcate her supposed property boundary onto the sand. The rope and stakes she used had already sectioned off part of the beach adjacent to her property.
As the family awkwardly gathers their belongings and starts to leave, the woman continues her tirade, swearing and insisting they move faster. “I can say whatever I want to, so get f***ing moving,” she yells. “I’m not joking around. It’s not harassment on the beach, it’s harassment on my home property.”
@rosiecheeks_irl Karen on Laguna Beach extending the property to a public area… we were never on her her property at all. She even told my friend her ass was out bcs she was wearing a dress… its a beach?? #victoriabeach #karen ♬ original sound – Rosie
The woman behind the camera, who is being forced to leave, responds, “Ma’am, we’re fing walking,” as she and the children head away from the area. The property owner retorts with: “Pretty fing slow.” The escalating tension prompts the woman filming to unleash her frustration: “Jesus Christ … shut the f*** up!” before dubbing the property owner the “Karen of the week.”
The social media post has garnered thousands of comments, many commending the woman behind the camera for maintaining her composure. One commenter noted, “The coastal commission is going to have a field day with this video,” highlighting the potential legal implications for the property owner’s actions. Another added, “You are so much better than me,” while others expressed their disbelief at the audacity of the situation, with one saying, “There would’ve been a whole beach rave right at that location within 10 minutes if it was my decision.”
In California, beach access laws stipulate that the state owns the beach waterward of the mean high tide line for public use. Additionally, dry sandy beach areas landward of this line may also be owned by the state or other public entities like counties and cities for public enjoyment. While private property ownership exists along some beaches and bluffs, the state maintains ownership of most tidelands, submerged lands, and waters in trust for public benefit and use.
The incident has brought attention to the complexities of beach access rights in California, underscoring the tension between private property owners and public access advocates. As the video continues to circulate online, it remains to be seen how authorities will respond to this high-profile dispute.