Man Says He Was Refused Service in a Cafe Because of Facial Disfigurement
Amit Ghose is now writing a children’s book and has amassed nearly 200,000 followers on TikTok
A man with a prosthetic eye claims he was recently denied service at his local cafe due to his appearance.
Amit Ghose, 35, told BBC News that he was visiting an independent coffee shop in London when he was refused service by a female employee.
Ghose was born with Neurofibromatosis type 1, described by the Mayo Clinic as “a genetic condition that causes changes in skin pigment and tumors on nerve tissue.”
It can also cause facial disfigurement, as experienced by Ghose, who was 11 years old when he had surgery to remove his left eye.
Ghose claimed that, while at the coffee shop, the female employee looked at him and said, “Oh, we’re not serving anymore” before she “turned around and walked off.”
According to the Birmingham man, however, it was clear that the shop was still serving.
He also said “everyone” at the coffee shop was staring at him, adding, “It was like they’d almost seen a ghost.”
Ghose also told BBC News that he experienced more abuse during a recent trip to a local park. He initially thought the people he was speaking to “were just being curious.”
But they then started laughing before saying, “Oh my God, if I had a face like you, I wouldn’t even come out my house.”
Afterward, Ghose said he was inspired to write a children’s book called Born Different after the encounter at the park made him “really upset.”
“I thought to myself, ‘I need to do something about this. I need to get this book out. Now is the right time,’ ” he recalled.
He even started a TikTok account in 2023, which has garnered nearly 200,000 followers since then.
“Me helping people on social media by sharing my story has helped me become more accepting of myself,” he told BBC News. “Now I say to the world, this is me, take it or leave it.”
As for what helps him, Ghose said he leans on his love for cricket during tough times. The sport, he explained, “helped me become Amit, that boy who plays cricket, from Amit, the boy who has a funny face.”
Taylor Swift Surprises Fans by Debuting ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ Rerecording in The Handmaid’s Tale: Listen!
Swifties finally had the chance to hear a ‘Reputation (Taylor’s Version)’ track in full in episode nine of the Hulu series
Taylor Swift premiered “Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor’s Version)” in full in the latest episode of Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale
The track comes from her upcoming rerecorded album, Reputation (Taylor’s Version)
“I’ve been wanting to use a Taylor song for many years on the show and we finally found the perfect spot for a track from her,” star Elizabeth Moss told Billboard of using the record
Swifties have finally had the chance to hear a Reputation (Taylor’s Version) track in full!
Thanks to The Handmaid’s Tale, Taylor Swift fans got to listen to the rerecording of “Look What You Made Me Do” (Taylor’s Version) in the latest episode of the Hulu series.
The song debuts at the beginning of episode nine, which sees the handmaids walking in formation to stage an uprising led by June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss) against the Commanders, according to Billboard.
In a statement to the outlet, star of the show — and executive producer — Moss, 42, explained how using one of Swift’s tracks in the dystopian drama was something she had had her heart set on for a long time,
“I’ve been wanting to use a Taylor song for many years on the show and we finally found the perfect spot for a track from her, and I’m so glad we waited because there could not be a more perfect song for a more perfect moment,” Moss said. “Taylor has been such an inspiration to me personally. As a Swiftie myself, and I think I can speak for [co-star] Yvonne [Strahovski] and our entire cast as well, who are all Swifties, it’s such an honor to be able to use her music in the final episodes of our show.”
The actress was in full Swiftie mode last year when she attended Swift’s Eras Tour stop in Toronto last year alongside her Handmaid’s Tale costar Bradley Whitford, with his wife Amy Landecker sharing a snap of the trio posing with Mariska Hargitay at the show.
Swift. 35, has previously teased her Reputation (Taylor’s Version) era with previews of “Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor’s Version)” in a number of series.
A snippet of the track featured in Apple TV+ docuseries The Dynasty: New England Patriots last year, while it was also previously heard in the summer of 2023 in the teaser for Amazon Original Wilderness.
It marks the first taste of Swift’s upcoming re-recorded take on her 2017 album Reputation. She’s already released newly recorded versions of her records 1989, Red, Speak Now and her second studio album, Fearless.
Swifties have been excitedly waiting for the pop superstar to drop Reputation (Taylor’s Version). Fans thought Swift — who is known for her use of “Easter eggs” — hinted at the re-recorded album during an Eras Tour stop in London last summer, while earlier this year it was thought Swift made a subtle nod to Reputation (Taylor’s Version) with her necklace at the Kansas City Chiefs’ AFC Championship Game in January.
Swift attended the game in support of her boyfriend Travis Kelce, with his team the Chiefs beating the Buffalo Bills to land their spot at the 2025 Super Bowl, which they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles.