Black Teen Goes Viral After Dress Shop Owner Gifts Her Free Prom Dress

Photo: Juicy Body Goddess's TikTok

A heartwarming TikTok is going viral after a dress shop owner gifted a Black teenager the prom dress of her dreams.

According to PEOPLE, 18-year-old Elyse Monroe drove six hours with her family to pick out a perfect dress for her upcoming. With a $400 budget, they arrived at Juicy Body Goddess, a plus-size clothing boutique in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Summer Lucille, who runs the store, posted a TikTok showing the excited teen trying on different dresses. One that really stole the show was a stunning purple dress, complete with a corset and crystals.

"I love that on you. It is so beautiful," Lucille remarked. One of the family members said Monroe looked like a "Disney princess."

When it came time to check out, the family learned the dress cost $700. Then, Lucille just says, "but it's free."

"What do you mean it’s free?" Monroe says.

"We’re giving it to you," Lucille affirmed.

 The sudden act of kindness left the family in tears.

"When she got into that purple dress, she lit up," Lucille told PEOPLE. "At that moment, I knew that was the universe telling me, just give her the dress."

The owner usually posts dress consultations with customers as fun TikToks. Throughout Monroe's consultation, the family kept worried about their budget as they found out the teenager's tastes were a little expensive.

"Don't worry about the budget, we'll figure it out," the boutique owner reportedly told the family, adding that she kept dodging their questions about the purple dress's price.

This viral TikTok racked up over 14 million views in less than a week, gaining huge traction on other social media sites like Twitter. It also elicited a generous response from people across the country.

"The response is out of this world," Lucille said. "People were in my comments, 'How can I donate? How can I give? How can I help the next girl?'"

The owner pointed viewers to Juicy Body Goddess' website to buy gift cards. The next thing she knows, people bought $12,000 worth of gift cards.

"That video did something because a lot of people, not just chubby girls, but a lot of people have really bad memories from prom, from high school," she said. "I think that's what moves people to want to give."

You can read more about this amazing story on PEOPLE's website.

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