What happened at Perlman Clinic in San Diego? Kierra King 'King Kong' controversy explained amid online outrage
On March 31, 2025, a black woman named Kierra King took to her TikTok account, @kierraking616, and criticized a San Diego-based clinic, Perlman Clinic Modern Healthcare, for printing her name on a test kit as “King Kong.”
She tagged @Perlmanclinic and wrote in the caption:
“This is beyond unacceptable. My story is just one instance of blatant racism. Things like this are happening every single day.”
The now-viral video began with Kierra King bringing the “King Kong” name label to a staff’s attention at the clinic. She asked, "Can you tell me what's wrong with this sample?" as she handed over the kit. A female voice off-camera could be heard replying, “Oh my God, I’m sorry.”
This is when Kierra further asked:
"Can you understand as a Black woman why I would have a problem with that?"
The TikToker then went on to explain that her last name is “King,” before asking the staff how someone could mistype her first name “Kierra” as “Kong.”
Later, when the medical assistant who wrote “King Kong” was located, she defended herself by saying the typing error was unintentional while trying to blame it on Kierra King and later on the speed of her typing.
The incident has now garnered traction online, with users stirring outrage on social media platforms such as X.
“I don’t believe this was a mistake, at all. The ONLY argument there could be, is if something autocorrected. But I highly doubt it,” a netizen wrote.
“Imagine going for a checkup and leaving with emotional damage. It’s not even remotely funny,” another netizen wrote.
“There’s no autocorrect when entering a patient’s name, her name is Kierra and most of the letters are on the left side of the keyboard, so that was definitely done intentionally,” a person wrote.
“They thought that sh*t was funny but her negligent/ intentional infliction of emotional distress lawsuit will be hilarious,” wrote another.
Perlman Clinic Modern Healthcare has apologized for the incident in the face of backlash.
More about Kierra King 'King Kong' controversy
Kierra King, in the caption of her viral TikTok video against Perlman Clinic Modern Healthcare, said that the incident was “incomprehensibly bad,” and the kind of action that left “one without words.” Asking humans and the community to do “better,” she also mentioned:
“I am making the decision to use my personal social media as a platform to continue to bring awareness to the gravity of how out of control things have gotten in the United States and in the world.”
Meanwhile, the video revealed that Kierra King’s name was rightly written on the chart in the clinic’s computer system.
Initially, the staff informed her that she was unaware of who printed the “King Kong” label.
When Kierra asked, “How does that happen?” and called it “insane,” and “unacceptable,” the staff apologized on the clinic’s behalf and managed to “double-check” and find the medical assistant who printed the label.
Meanwhile, King also mentioned she couldn’t walk out of the clinic without raising her concern to higher authorities.
“I see I put the name incorrect on there. It wasn't my intention to do that,” the medical assistant claimed after arriving.
She also insisted that she showed the name on the label to Kierra King during the test, and she double-checked it. However, King denied the same. Subsequently, the lab assistant mentioned it was “totally fine” if Kierra wanted to “report” her, adding:
“I type really fast. I don't double-check when I'm typing fast.”
Towards the end of the clip, Kierra King called out the medical assistant for “fabricating” lies and asked for her name to report her. Elsewhere in the video, she also shared that she didn’t want to give out the identities of the assistant and staff.
Since the online outrage, Perlman Clinic issued a statement via TikTok on Monday, stating they were aware of the incident and were taking it “very seriously.”
They also mentioned sincerely regretting the “harm caused” and were “actively addressing it to ensure accountability and meaningful change.”
The clinic also mentioned being committed to providing the best, most trusted, and accessible medical service.