Fawn Weaver wanted the internet to laugh with her, not at her, so she flipped the script on her recent viral awkwardness.

The Uncle Nearest co-founder posted a reenactment skit on Instagram on Dec. 27 that reunited her with E. Jermon Manuel, the man who sparked backlash after a tense exchange at one of Weaver’s bottle-signing events earlier this month. In the caption for the new clip, Weaver teased, “Same place. Same people. Plot twist.”

The original encounter showed Weaver being approached outside an event by Manuel, who told her they’d been in the same class in middle school. Weaver’s off-the-cuff reaction — “I do not. I’m sorry. I don’t remember the sixth, the seventh, or the eighth grade” — was captured on video and triggered criticism online, prompting Weaver to apologize and explain she’d been trying to read the safety of the situation. 

Instead of letting the moment linger as a public scold, Weaver and Manuel leaned into repair. The two staged a playful role reversal in front of fans, then shared that they connected afterward over cigars and Uncle Nearest, and even checked a sixth-grade yearbook to confirm faces. Weaver wrote that Manuel “is a super cool person” and described a brunch they shared after the redo.

Weaver’s response models a healthy route to redemption: acknowledge, repair, humanize. She knew this moment mattered beyond laughs. Viral missteps can escalate fast and even damage a business and its legacy. Her apology asks for nuance, and the skit turned that awkward moment into public recognition that centered goodwill.

In the age of instant viral judgment, a little accountability (and brunch) can go a long way…and change the narrative.