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A jewellery label at the centre of a viral storm that saw multiple reality stars falsely accused of theft is now facing claims the entire saga was a publicity stunt. Luna Rae Jewellery sparked outrage earlier this month after sharing a TikTok video claiming an influencer had stolen from them and asking followers for advice on what to do. Brand owner Amy Bradley told viewers that an unnamed influencer had ordered the company's $360 Spirit Element Necklace earlier this year, only to later allege it was never delivered and issue a chargeback to recover the payment. The Sydney-based jeweller said she was stunned to later see the same influencer wearing what appeared to be the Spirit Element Necklace in social media posts, prompting accusations the refund had been fraudulently obtained. The video went viral, racking up more than three million views and sparked a social media guessing game, with users throwing out the names of high-profile reality stars including The Bachelor alumni Abbie Chatfield, as well as Married at First Sight's Vanessa Romito. The frenzy quickly spiralled out of control with stars bombarded with vile messages and forced to defend themselves against the unfounded accusations. Chatfield tearfully hit back at the rumours in her own video, saying: 'I've never committed a f***ing crime in my f***ing life. I am so not a criminal.' But now, the tables have turned. TikTok sleuths are accusing Luna Rae Jewellery of fabricating the story to generate attention ahead of its birthday sale, demanding the brand release proof to back up their claims. Commenters flooded the company's page, with one writing: 'So you created fake drama for clout?' and another adding: 'You owe the influencers an apology if this is just PR.' The brand has also been hit with one-star Google reviews, with users declaring they would no longer support the label because of the 'debacle.' Crisis PR expert Caroline Voaden said the company had only itself to blame. 'Luna Rae just showed us what happens when you try to hack your own PR,' she said in a video. 'They've destroyed their credibility. Yes, they're in the headlines, but for all the wrong reasons. 'It doesn't take a genius or a PR expert like me to think a few steps ahead about what might happen if you put that kind of content on your social media to try and grow your following. 'Now they are being accused of negligence at the very least and of a publicity stunt gone wrong at the more extreme end.' Luna Rae, who posted four public videos about the saga, has now requested privacy and urged followers to stop trying to identify the mystery influencer. 'We will not be sharing the name,' Ms Bradley said. 'This is a complex and private situation we are dealing with.' In a follow-up clip, Ms Bradley denied fabricating the story and pleaded for the online 'bullying' to stop. 'What is wrong with people, we never asked for this, I'm just a brand owner giving an opinion on something sh***y and everyone has taken it too far. 'For everyone saying we're doing a PR stunt and we should be ashamed of ourselves, It's our biggest sale day of the entire year this Thursday, it's our sixth birthday, a little brand made it to six. 'We don't need to promote it through TikTok… this was a fluke accident. 'We don't even have enough stock for all the TikTok people to buy things on Thursday for our sale. It's a three hour sale. We are just a little solid gold brand. 'We are clearing the names that's you asked for and also every other name that was dropped, it's not them. Stop looking.' But not everyone was convinced. 'May I suggest a social media manager,' commented one person. 'Count how many times she mentions sale,' another added.
