Woman left in tears at Melbourne Airport after worker’s cruel comment

A Melbourne woman’s Queensland holiday was ruined by a cruel comment from an airport worker who left the traveller in tears.

A woman left to peruse Melbourne Airport’s retailers while awaiting her delayed flight has shared the horrible moment she received a nasty comment about her body from a worker.

Kayla Houlihan instantly regretted browsing the Ripcurl store after she was approached by a staff member with an unsolicited question about her body.

Ms Houlihan, the owner of Tribe Skincare, revealed how the comment shattered her confidence ahead of her highly anticipated break in a TikTok uploaded on Monday.

“I’ve just spent the last hour crying at Melbourne Airport,” she told followers, explaining how she had initially been excited at the prospect of buying some last-minute holiday items.

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Kayla Houlihan was fat shamed at a Melbourne Airport store. Picture: TikTok/tribeskincare

A Ripcurl worker asked when she was due. Picture: TikTok/tribeskincare

“I was just going about my business, shopping around for some clothes, and the lady who was there was like, ‘Oh, how far along are you?’,” she recalled.

“I was like, ‘What?’ because I’m not pregnant.

“So I said, ‘No I’m not pregnant’. And she was like, ‘I’m so sorry I just thought you looked pregnant.’”

Ms Houlihan said the comment left her feeling insecure about wearing the swimwear she packed.

“Now I have to go to Queensland and wear a bikini on my holiday because that’s all I have with me after being fat shamed,” she said.

Hundreds were left mortified by her story and called on the store to apologise and “do better”.

“It’s never OK for people to comment on someone else’s body, have the best holiday and embrace your beautiful self,” one comment read.

Ms Houlihan was left feeling insecure about wearing bikinis on her holiday. Picture: Instagram/kaylahoulihan

“If you don’t know the person why comment? I’m so sorry this happened to you. Sending positive vibes,” another wrote.

“Something that should NEVER be assumed. I’m so sorry this has been your experience,” someone else wrote.

Others shared horror stories from times they too had been wrongly considered pregnant.

“Same happened to me! I bloat quite badly and I was wearing a dress and she made a comment. I cried for days and still traumatised,” one said.

“This has happened to me too! And it’s absolutely mortifying,” another wrote.

Ripcurl has since made an attempt to apologise to Ms Houlihan on behalf of its worker.

“We have been alerted to an upsetting situation that occurred within one of our stores on Monday,” a spokesperson told news.com.au.

“As a brand that celebrates and empowers all women, we are saddened to learn a customer has had this experience.

“We have been in contact with the customer directly to apologise and to discuss this misunderstanding further.”