A South Carolina single mother who went viral for running an entire Burger King restaurant by herself says she has been fired from the job after prioritizing her children, according to the New York Post.

Nykia Hamilton, 25, became an internet sensation in July when a customer posted a TikTok video of her juggling every station inside a Columbia, S.C., Burger King during a severe staffing shortage. Just weeks later, she revealed that she lost the position over what the company described as “attendance issues.” 

“Bruh [Burger King] fired me because I’ve been late because of my kids,” Hamilton said through tears in an August 8 TikTok post. “My kids come first. Y’all don’t pay for no babysitter, or nothing.”

Hamilton, a mother of three, said she often worked 12-hour shifts to provide for her family, at times closing the restaurant completely on her own. 

“Had to do the dishes, do prep, do the floor, do the front counter, drive-thru,” she told WACH News. But she admitted the long hours left her with little time to spend with her children: “I have to provide for them, but I really don’t have time to spend with them, and it hurts me a lot.”

Hamilton said she was grateful for the chance to work at Burger King despite the grueling demands. “By grace of God, she gave me a job,” she said of her manager. “So that’s the only reason why I stayed for her.”

Burger King confirmed her dismissal, noting that the franchise that operated her store decided to terminate her employment. “No Team Member should ever be left to run a restaurant alone, even for a short period of time,” the company said in a statement. “In this situation, the franchisee confirmed that the individual involved is no longer employed due to repeated attendance issues.”

Despite the setback, supporters have rallied behind Hamilton. A GoFundMe campaign launched to help her support her children has already raised nearly $100K.