Woke author who boasted about shoplifting from Whole Foods flies into foul-mouthed RAGE when confronted outside her $2.2m Brooklyn brownstone

By WILL POTTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 23:45, 23 April 2026 | Updated: 23:45, 23 April 2026 An author who sparked fury by openly boasting about shoplifting from Whole Foods launched into a foul-mouthed tirade when questioned about her behavior outside her $2.2 million home. Jia Tolentino, 37, snapped: 'I can't believe you came to my f**king house!' when approached by a Daily Mail reporter outside the five-bedroom Brooklyn brownstone on Thursday afternoon. Tolentino is the author of two bestselling books and also works as a journalist at the New Yorker magazine, where she is known for asking tough questions. But she was exceptionally hostile to a reporter's polite enquiry about her criminal behavior and the backlash that her brazen admission has generated. The drama began after Tolentino, a married mother-of-two, appeared on a New York Times podcast interview published Wednesday titled 'The Rich Don't Play by the Rules. So Why Should I?' That saw Tolentino, who also hosts the official White Lotus podcast, laugh and smile while reminiscing about shoplifting lemons from Whole Foods.  Tolentino told podcast host Nadja Spiegelman and millionaire communist Hasan Piker that she targeted the Amazon-owned supermarket 'on several occasions', adding: 'I didn't feel bad about it at all'. She cheerfully justified her behavior by saying that Whole Foods is a huge chain which she claims 'disenfranchises' its workers. Writer Jia Tolentino angrily swore at a Daily Mail reporter when confronted about her shoplifting on Thursday afternoon Tolentino, 37, smiled and laughed while regaling the host of a New York Times podcast about her stealing, but there was little evidence of mirth and merriment on Thursday There was little sign of that mirth and merriment on Thursday though.  Tolentino, dressed a black tank top, flip flops and silk sweatpants, refused to comment further when politely asked about the widespread backlash to her shoplifting admission. She then rushed back into the opulent home she shares with architect husband Andrew Daley, 40, as well as the couple's two children.  Among those condemning Tolentino's stealing were Michael Powell, a former New York Times journalist who now works at The Atlantic. He said of the podcast and accompanying interview: 'This reads like privileged high school kids try to shock their parents.' Columnist Jill Filipovic wrote on X: 'This whole interview just makes me incredibly sad. Total breakdown of any moral code / sense of personal integrity / commitment to the public good.' Bestselling author Jonathan Turley wrote: 'When the New York Times is not featuring Hasan Piker on rationalizing the murder of business executives, it is featuring New Yorker writer Jia Tolentino defending shoplifting as a moral act.' Turley was referring to Piker's description of the killing of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson as 'social murder.' And popular podcaster Katie Herzog said: 'I used to shoplift a LOT and convinced myself that was a good and righteous thing to do but then I turned 15.' Tolentino bragged about stealing lemons from Whole Foods Market and said 'I didn't feel bad about it at all.' Despite her penchant for shoplifting, Tolentino lives in a stunning $2.2 million Brooklyn brownstone home in the highly desirable Clinton Hill neighborhood  Even liberal-leaning New York Times subscribers were horrified by Tolentino's blasé admission, with the top-rated comments on the story all slating her justification for shoplifting. Earlier on Thursday, Tolentino sent a snarky email to the Daily Mail complaining that our original story had highlighted her impressive property portfolio. It comprises the brownstone in trendy Clinton Hill, bought with a $1.5 million mortgage in 2023 and an upstate New York cabin bought with a $200,000 mortgage in 2018, according to public records.  'If you'd told me you were going to center the piece on the home that I live in I could have had least helped you get the mortgage facts right!' Tolentino wrote. She offered no further explanation as to what those 'facts' were.  Tolentino set the internet ablaze on Thursday after recalling how she had stolen from Whole Foods while involved with her neighborhood 'mutual aid' group that saw her go shopping for a friend called 'Miss Nancy.' Tolentino's appearance on a New York Times podcast and subsequent interview horrified many The Condé Nast writer said that when she would pick up food for her friend, she forgot items like lemons and decided to steal them rather than going through the hassle of standing in line to check out again. 'I forgot four lemons. And on several occasions, I was like, I’m just going to go back, grab those four lemons and get the hell out,' she said. Tolentino claimed that her conscience was further soothed by the apparent knowledge that Whole Foods loses as much stock to its own staff as it does to outsiders.  Earlier in the same podcast, Tolentino said she would 'cheer on' anyone stealing art from the Louvre. Explaining her philosophy on theft, she said: 'I think that stealing from a big box store is not a very significant moral wrong. 'However, nor is it significant in any way as protest or direct action.' The Daily Mail has contacted Whole Foods Market for comment.   No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. 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