Humble Red Baron worker humiliated by vile influencer pauses GoFundMe that raised $800k so he can live his life in peace

The humble Red Baron worker who was humiliated by a vile influencer online has paused the GoFundMe page that has raised nearly $800,000 for him.

Walt Z shared how much he and his family have appreciated the support from the public, but it's time that they move on and get some peace.

'Your kind words have meant the world to my family and I this past week. I still cannot believe how much you have all rallied behind us, and I can never thank you enough. I’ve been able to spend lots of extra time at home with my family this week,' Walt, a father of four, said on Thursday.

'After giving it a lot of thought, I’ve decided not to participate in any interviews. My family’s safety and privacy come first, and I feel this is the best decision for us. I appreciate everyone who has reached out and hope you understand.

'I’ve decided to pause donations to my fundraiser today, Thursday, November 5, marking one week of your incredible generosity and support for my family and I,' he added.

Walt told his supporters that if they wish to keep donating, then they should give the money to others in need instead.

'Thank you for your kindness, your generosity, and for making my family feel so supported. We will never forget it,' he wrote.

The pause in funding comes after a video of Walt stalking shelves at a grocery store in Michigan went viral online.

Walt Z, the Red Baron worker who went viral in a prankster video, has paused the GoFundMe campaign that raised nearly $800,000 for him

Walt made the announcement on Thursday as he thanked his supporters and the man who created the page

The clip, which was posted in August but recently reposted on social media, showed a streamer approaching Walt and asking him for the time.

But when Walt pulled out his phone to check, the prankster took out his phone as well and played the Apple Pay chime, pretending to take the worker's hard-earned money.

He initially responded calmly, telling the prankster to leave him alone, but as the moment carried on, Walt told the streamer that it wasn't a joke to him because he works hard to provide for his family and that he just wanted to get home to see them.

After the influencer pretended to take money from Walt, he told the man behind the camera: 'Don't mess with me right now.'

But the person recording continued prodding and provoking him to get a reaction.

Once Walt began getting upset, the prankster told him to calm down and repeated: 'It's just a joke.'

But Walt didn't see it that way, telling the other man: 'It's not a joke to me... My life is hard enough as it is.' His voice began trembling as he continued: 'I got kids at home that went to bed without me. I was supposed to be at home an hour ago, and I'm still out here working!'

The worker then shouted: 'And I gotta get up at five in the morning and do 10 more stores! So this is not a joke to me!'

The clip, which was posted in August but recently reposted on social media, showed a streamer approaching Walt and asking him for the time before pretending to take money from him while on the job

'And now I'm probably gonna get kicked out of the store because of you,' he then said before the person recording replied: 'Okay, I'm sorry.'

'No, you're not sorry because you've got a smug look on your face,' Walt said. 'You're probably making money off this! I can't even pay my goddamn mortgage, and I got four kids at home!'

The moment sparked a huge uproar online and saw an army of supporters gather around Walt and call the man behind the prank a 'wannabe influencer' and a 'punk.'

One viewer named Luke Oakenshield was so moved by it that he created the fundraiser so that all donations go directly to Walt.

And in announcing the pause to the page, Walt said that he and Luke have since become friends and he is grateful for him.

Thousands of people donated to support him, including Vivek Ramaswamy, who lost the governor's race in Ohio on Tuesday.

He and his wife, Apoorva, donated a whopping $38,000 to the GoFundMe, and Vivek posted a video on X about him standing with Walt.

'Hey Walt, I just want to tell you, we got your back. You're brave and you speak for millions of Americans across this country, including in my home state of Ohio.

After announcing the pause to the GoFundMe page, Walt's support only grew

'In your honor, we've got Red Barron pizza on our bus tour today. This one's for you Walt, we got your back,' the politician said as he held up frozen pizzas.

A spokesperson for Red Baron's parent company, CJ Schwan's, told the New York Post: 'We are aware of the video circulating on social media involving one of our Direct Store Delivery employees during an incident that occurred in August.

'Following the incident, we connected directly with our team member to check on his well-being, and we continue to offer our support. We are pleased to share that he is doing well and remains a valued member of our team.'

After announcing the pause to the GoFundMe page, Walt's support only grew.

'Well this final GoFundMe update from The Red Baron Worker has assured me that we could not have supported a better man,' an online user posted.

'That’s very refreshing. Not looking to capitalize on his fame but to focus on his family. I love it,' said another.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are to visit Brussels next week as they resume public appearances in the wake of child sexual abuse image allegations facing Meghan's father.

Prince Harry and Meghan will deliver a joint keynote address at the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial in the European Parliament on Tuesday.

It is expected to be the first time the pair will have been seen in public since Thomas Markle Sr was reported to police in the Philippines and the FBI over a haul of suspected child abuse images.

The brief trip abroad will see Harry and Meghan listen to addresses by European Parliament president Roberta Metsola and MEP Antonio Lopez-Isturiz, the first vice-chairman of the Child Rights Intergroup, before delivering their own speech.

The Sussexes will have between 15 and 20 minutes for their rare dual-address, which they will use to speak about the importance of children's digital safety.

Harry and Meghan will also be shown the memorial exhibition, which remembers children who have lost their lives as a result of the harm they suffered on social media.

The Duke will later join a panel discussion called Beyond Promises: Building A Digital Future That Works For Children to discuss how to protect children online.

Prince Harry and Mehgan arrive for a visit to Himmah Hub in Nottingham on October 15

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has said videos of alleged child sexual abuse and exploitation were among files found in four storage boxes that allegedly belonged to Mr Markle Sr, after he was reported by his son Thomas Markle Jr last month.

Major General Wilson Asueta of the PNP said it had yet to be confirmed who owned the devices, which included nine mobile phones, three memory cards, five hard drives and a camera.

The 82-year-old was reported to police in the Philippines and the FBI last month by Mr Markle Jr, who handed over a haul of alleged child abuse images he said he found in his father's belongings in Cebu City.

A second hoard was discovered last Friday in a storage unit Thomas Markle Sr is said to have rented near his former home in Rosarito, Mexico, during a raid by Mexican police.

Reports have since claimed Mr Markle Sr was moved into a care home for dementia patients in Florida, described as a specialist 'memory care' facility.

It has raised concerns the FBI may never be able to interview Meghan's estranged father because of the legal barriers over interrogating suspects with cognitive issues in care homes.

Meghan was left 'deeply distressed' at the allegations and revealed she was sent a letter via the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection seven years ago which made 'troubling and disturbing allegations' about her father, but that she was given assurances these were being investigated.

Harry and Meghan are set to be seen in public for the first time since her father Thomas Markle was reported to police over a haul of alleged child sexual abuse images

The Metropolitan Police has admitted it never shared the details with other law enforcement agencies, with the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, now investigating the force's conduct.

The Duchess had wanted to 'speak out' immediately after reading the letter but police advised her against this, sources said.

Meghan has been estranged from her father since the run-up to her 2018 wedding when he was caught staging paparazzi photographs and then had a heart attack, meaning the King, then-the Prince of Wales, stepped in to walk Meghan down the aisle.

When former TV lighting director Mr Markle Sr had his leg amputated in the Philippines last year, he made pleas for the duchess to contact him, saying he did not want to die while they were still estranged.

A spokesperson for the duchess confirmed at the time she had 'reached out to her father'.

Last week, it emerged Meghan wrote in this final letter that she knew he was an abuser and that he would never see his grandchildren Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Mr Markle Sr, who returned to the US in May, has admitted to paying for sex in the Philippines but denied ever possessing child abuse imagery.

Blake Lively looked as if she had some new pep in her step when she was spotted out in New York City on Tuesday night in a stunning little black dress.

The 39-year-old Gossip Girl star was spotted out in Manhattan's Upper East Side for an event celebrating the launch of jeweler Brent Neale's new holiday collection, according to E! News.

Although Lively was reportedly joined by friends, her husband Ryan Reynolds, 50, didn't appear by her side.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Lively's representative for comment but hasn't yet heard back.

Lively – who recently revealed her over-the-top beauty regimen – channeled classic glamour in her skimpy black dress, which was decorated with glittering sequins.

The off-the-shoulder minidress featured a playful black bow that covered her cleavage for a touch of modesty.

Blake Lively looked as if she had some new pep in her step when she was spotted out in New York City on Tuesday night in a stunning little black dress

The 39-year-old Gossip Girl star was spotted out in Manhattan's Upper West Side for an event celebrating the launch of jeweler Brent Neale's new holiday collection, according to E! News

Lively – who recently revealed her over-the-top beauty regimen – channeled classic glamour in her skimpy black dress, which was decorated with glittering sequins

Lively's short skirt showcased her toned legs, which culminated in clear Louboutins that strapped around her ankles and featured black-tipped toes.

The It Ends with Us star, who is stepping out in the wake of her bruising legal drama with her former costar and director Justin Baldoni, wore her long blond hair in dramatic waves cascading down her shoulders.

She completed her glamorous ensemble with a simple black leather hobo handbag, and she added some extra sparkle with dangling earrings and multiple enormous sparkling rings.

Lively looked as if she was on top of the world as she beamed for photographers outside the shindig.

The outing comes after Lively revealed the secrets of the beauty regimen she uses to look as if she's in the 'first trimester of life' last week.

The actress took to her Instagram Story to share a candid clip of the nighttime routine she uses to maintain her 'natural beauty.'

She appeared to be wearing headgear with red-light therapy over her hair, in addition to a sheet mask with extra pieces she had pasted to her bare face.

The Gossip Girl alumna was also bundled up in a brown fleece hoodie while seemingly winding down for the night with her beauty routine.

The off-the-shoulder minidress featured a playful black bow that covered her cleavage for a touch of modesty

Lively's short skirt showcased her toned legs, which culminated in clear Louboutins that strapped around her ankles and featured black-tipped toes

The It Ends with Us star wore her long blond hair in dramatic waves cascading down her shoulders

She completed her glamorous ensemble with a simple black leather hobo handbag

Lively added some extra sparkle with dangling earrings and multiple enormous sparkling rings

Lively looked as if she was on top of the world as she beamed for photographers outside the shindig

The outing comes after Lively revealed the secrets of her beauty regimen last week

She joked that her go-to products make her look as if she's in the 'first trimester of life'

The actress took to her Instagram Story to share a candid clip of the nighttime routine she uses to maintain her 'natural beauty'

Lively gave a glimpse into her cozy wind-down routine shortly after the drama involving her film It Ends With Us and her director and costar Justin Baldoni.

'Natural beauty is effortless,' she quipped at the bottom of her post, which pictured her taking a deep breath while the mask covered her face.

Lively also drew thought bubbles around her face, and in one, she wrote: 'If I don't look like I'm in the first trimester of life after this much effort I quit.'

She continued: 'I miss the 2000s when we just used that handsoap with fish characters on it on our face & called it a day.'

The Gossip Girl star also noted the lights in the background of her room in another thought bubble: 'My kids' star projector that I stole is a vibe tho.'

She set her candid post to the tune of Fergie and Ludacris' 2006 smash hit Glamorous.

The mother of four – who shares James, 11; Inez, ten; Betty, seven; and Olin, three, with her husband Ryan Reynolds – often shares snippets of her hair and beauty routines on social media.

In August, she shared a video of herself getting ready in her bathroom before rushing out the door as a busy mother and businesswoman.

The mother of four – who shares James, 11; Inez, ten; Betty, seven; and Olin, three, with her husband Ryan Reynolds – often shares snippets of her hair and beauty routines on social media; above with Reynolds in April 2025 in NYC

In August, she shared a video of herself getting ready in her bathroom before rushing out the door as a busy mother and businesswoman

Her post comes after she was in a legal battle with Baldoni, and the former costars settled right before their trial was set to begin. Baldoni was ultimately ordered to pay $400,000 of Lively's legal fees earlier this year; pictured together in It Ends With Us

'The look: no time but need to look cute while ALSO raising children,' the movie star, who was seen using products from her Blake Brown haircare brand, wrote over the clip.

'Moment of truth: bun out after running around the city,' she continued, before almost running out the door with her pants unbuttoned.

Her post comes after she was in a legal battle with Baldoni, and the former costars settled right before their trial was set to begin.

Baldoni was ultimately ordered to pay $400,000 of Lively's legal fees.

Lively previously sued Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer in December 2024.

Right before their trial was set to begin earlier this year, Lively was awarded just over $400,000 of the $8 million she sought in legal fees from their dispute due to his countersuit.

In her lawsuit, Lively asserted that she was subjected to sexual harassment as well as retaliation, alleging he orchestrated a smear campaign to harm her reputation after she brought up complaints about his behavior on set.

In response, Baldoni denied harassment and claimed Lively made complaints to seize creative control of the movie.

In June 2025, the countersuit was thrown out. In May of this year, just two weeks before the scheduled trial date, the former costars reached their settlement.

They also released a joint statement, writing that they 'remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments.'