Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams was caught on camera telling a woman to "go f*** yourself" during a heated confrontation at Dallas airport, just days after a cryptocurrency he launched faced intense scrutiny from investors.
Airport Altercation Goes Viral
The incident, footage of which was first shared on Reddit, occurred as Adams disembarked a flight from New York City to Dallas, Texas. In the video, a masked woman appears to attempt to antagonise the former mayor, telling him: "I would love it if you punched me in the face."
Adams shot back: "I'm not mayor anymore, you can go f*** yourself." The woman responded: "Okay, you can get f***ed too. Yeah, f*** you!"
As Adams walked past her on the bridge back into the terminal, he added: "I'm not mayor anymore, those days are over." He then turned to the woman and said: "You're gonna see the Brooklyn in me." She retorted: "Yeah, good, thank God, damn... Now I don't have to see your ugly a** face everywhere, damn." Adams concluded with "That's nice" as he walked away.
Spokesperson Claims Harassment and Selective Editing
Following the confrontation, Adams' spokesperson, Todd Shapiro, told the New York Post that Adams is now a "private citizen and was harassed." Shapiro argued the widely circulated clip was "selectively edited" and lacked "critical context."
Cryptocurrency Launch Mired in Controversy
The public reappearance comes amid significant controversy surrounding Adams' new venture into cryptocurrency. On Monday, he launched the 'NYC Token', a cryptocurrency he marketed as "built to fight the rapid spread of antisemitism and anti-Americanism." The token has no official affiliation with the New York City government.
After Adams promoted the launch in Times Square and on social media platform X, urging people to back his venture, the coin's value initially surged to around $580 million. However, it then rapidly plummeted to less than $100 million.
This dramatic crash led to allegations from investors that Adams and his partners had executed a 'rug pull' – a deceptive tactic where creators boost a coin's value only to sell their holdings at the peak, leaving other investors with worthless assets.
The company behind NYC Token denied any wrongdoing in a statement. It claimed the liquidity adjustments were due to "overwhelming support and demand" and stated, "We're in it for the long haul!" Representatives told Bloomberg the activity was to ensure the token was "running smoothly" and that the team had not sold tokens or withdrawn money.
Adams' specific role in the company remains unclear, and he has not publicly commented on the fraud allegations. The Daily Mail has contacted his representatives for further comment.
