Body Positivity Influencers Ella Halikas and Alexa Jay Start Hashtag #NotTonight After Viral Incident at LA Nightclub

Two body positivity influencers are going viral on TikTok for speaking out against fatphobic discrimination at nightclubs after a bouncer turned them away from an LA establishment, seemingly because of the size of their bodies.

When Ella Halikas and her friends, including fellow model Alexa Jay, got to the front of the line outside The Highlight Room in LA, they said everyone was allowed in except the two of them. “So the promoter starts letting in the whole group of girls, and right when it gets to me at the front, the bouncer puts the rope in front, looks me up and down, and says, ‘Yeah, not tonight,” Jay said on TikTok.

This incident highlights the discrimination that plus size people often face when trying to enjoy a night out. Halikas told NowThis that women across the country experience body-shaming behavior like the bouncer's. “I think it just runs so deep with fatphobia and for women in general. And I can't even speak on being a minority like my friend Alexa, who's a Black curve model and her experience is far greater than what I can even imagine,” Halikas said. “But just living in a curvier body, it happens so often to us.”

The duo posted a recap of their experience on TikTok, where it quickly garnered more than 1.6 million views and has sparked a flurry of conversation via the hashtag #NotTonight. Since the video hit the web, Tao Group Hospitality, the club’s parent company, said in a statement that it is aware of the incident and is in contact with Halikas and Jay.