‘I know this guy, and he was literally getting it for his kids; he didn’t have to shame him like that,’ one person wrote.
“Maybe just a ‘sorry bro, kids have to be present to get a gift’ – he looked really embarrassed and reacted that way,” they continued.
Laing and the man at the centre of the incident Xaris Tofilau later cleared the air during a friendly online call, marvelling about how much of the context was lost after the clip went viral.
The Auckland father told Laing he was overwhelmed by the situation at the moment.
“I was shy. I was all too eager to get the toys. I didn’t come with my kids. It all happened so fast,” Tofilau said.
“I was just frustrated. I swore like that. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m not that person.
Laing and the man at the centre of the incident later cleared the air during a friendly online call. Photo / @Instagram
“I felt ugly walking out. I felt sorry for your intentions and how it got blown out of proportion.”
Laing told Tofilau he couldn’t recall seeing the kids in the moment and thought he was trying to cheat the system.
“But really, it was your nerves from the cameras and heaps of people.”
Laing said everyone else thought he was trying to humiliate the Auckland father.
“I spoke to you like my mum speaks to me when I’m being naughty.
“But if you felt that, I want to apologise.”
The reality star confirmed Tofilau reached out to him before Christmas to clear the air.
“We’ve been sweet for a couple of days, but people are still hurt.”
“In that moment, I had good intentions, you had good intentions. It was just a misunderstanding,” he said.
Tofilau said, “We can’t control the internet, but we can control our hearts and minds”.
Multiple people online defended Laing’s actions on the day.
Heliala Creations called the incident “so embarrassing”.
“People weren’t just taking a toy, they were grabbing arm-fulls, pushing past kids, moving like it was a riot,” the poster said.
“What really blew my mind was how People KNEW that if they were to get the most expensive toy that other kids would miss out. And they didn’t care.”
“Then had the nerve to turn around and get angry at him for not putting limits on THEIR greed.”
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