A Burger King worker who went viral for single-handedly running a restaurant for 12 hours has been fired, sparking outrage online.

Last month, 25-year-old mom-of-three Nykia Hamilton was praised after customers filmed her managing “the fries, the burger, the chicken sandwiches… everything by herself” when no colleagues showed up in Columbia, South Carolina.

Despite the praise, Nykia revealed: “Burger King fired me because I’ve been late because of my kids. My kids come first. Y’all don’t pay for no babysitter, or nothing.” She had been juggling two jobs to support her children before being let go.

Many online believe the firing was less about tardiness and more about the company avoiding embarrassment. One Reddit user wrote, “She’s clearly embarrassing the company, so corporate had to fire her before she again reveals they underpay and understaff.” Another added, “So she got fired for putting BK in a bad light which they created themselves.”

Others pointed out she admitted being late, saying, “She doesn’t dispute it, she just says how hard it is to work and raise kids.”

A GoFundMe has been launched to support Nykia. “I really do everything for my kids,” she wrote. Burger King has not commented.