As intense as it gets, Donald vs. Kamala does not hold a candle to the entrenched worldwide chasm of public opinion that has opened up the issue of Eddie vs. Vanessa.

It is, of course, the sort of personality-defining issue that could only spring fully to life in the social media age, where someone is always recording and sharing.

As noted by the U.K.’s Daily Mail, it all began a year ago.

Eddie Orellano was told a woman grabbed his Apple phone charger when passengers exited a JetBlue plane in one of the endless delays endemic to modern air travel.

With visions of a viral video dancing in his head, he prepared.

“So I said, ‘I’m gonna put her on video,'” he told “Inside Edition” last week, admitting that making a viral video was in the back of his mind.

This man child is a big baby. She took the charger because nobody else was on the plane and he didn’t go back for it. He should be thanking her for being so thoughtful instead of freaking out at everyone over something that costs $20. pic.twitter.com/12aAszVrkd

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) September 25, 2024

And then he pounced.

“Excuse me, did you take my charger?” Orellano said at the start of a barrage of questions as the woman, laden with a cat and backpack, trudged down the aisle. After admitting she had the charger, Orellano scolded and scolded, saying it was not nice to take things.

A male passenger just wishing for something air travel does not offer — peace and quiet — finally got in a word, according to the Mail.

“You’re being ridiculous. She said she was gonna give it back,” the man said.

But in a demonstration of how it is possible to be mounted on a high horse while in an airplane, Orellano responded by saying, “No, you’re being ridiculous. She stole something without asking.”

The charger was returned, and that was that.

NEW: Man goes off after he catches a woman stealing his phone charger on a flight to Miami, Florida.

The man says the plane was stuck on the tarmac and the pilot told the passengers they could get off to stretch their legs.

When the man got back, his phone charger that was… pic.twitter.com/VPEampk7Of

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 25, 2024

Until Orellano shared the video on TikTok. Thousands upon thousands weighed in to denounce one participant in the drama or the other as the jury of thumbs clicked out passionate condemnations.

Vanessa Clover posted her rebuttal on TikTok.

She told the Mail she received death threats over the incident.

She explained that she found the charger lying on the floor when the plane was emptied and that the crew would not take it, so she kept it, knowing it belonged to someone.

“So many of you are quick to believe I’m some sort of evil villain over a phone charger on the ground of an empty flight that I did attempt to hand to crew. This man is yelling in my face the second I came on board. Of course, I didn’t greet him with a smile,” she said.

All passengers knew they were coming back to the plane. If she really intended to give the charger back, she could’ve just handed it to him when they were outside of the plane.

She stole it. The end.

— Jana likes Data (@Jana_Leiiin) September 29, 2024

“He didn’t give anyone a chance to even say anything,” she said, the Mail noted. “He just kept coming at me being like, ‘You stole it. Why did you steal it? You stole my charger.'”

Orellano said he is not the villain of the piece.

“She wasn’t trying to do a good deed for those of you who think she was,” he said in a follow-up post on TikTok.

Contributor, News

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