Swedish influencer Matilda Djerf is facing serious allegations after her employees claim she treated them, forced them to clean toilets, and spoke disparagingly about plus-size models.

The 27-year-old fashion “guru” and entrepreneur founded the clothing brand Djerf Avenue with her partner, Rasmus Johansson, in 2019, promoting inclusion and sustainability as its core principles.

The company’s value skyrocketed to $35 million in just four years, and it made a splash on TikTok, especially among Gen Z women who wanted to emulate the “clean girl” aesthetic and the young woman’s flawless – seemingly – lifestyle.

The brand, according to its website, promotes a world “full of kindness, inspiration, respect, and the perfect clothes”. The true mindset of its founder, however, may not reflect these ideas.

Djerf, who in 2023 was featured on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list of prominent businesswomen under 30, was accused of “regularly making employees cry” with her behavior, either by yelling or belittling them.

Yesterday, Tuesday, the young woman responded via Instagram to the outcry that erupted on social media following allegations of a toxic work environment at her company, Djerf Avenue.

The 27-year-old told her three million followers that she was “sincerely sorry” and gave her own explanation for what had been said about her.

“When I started Djerf Avenue, I never expected the company to become what it is today, with so many employees and so much responsibility. I wasn’t ready.” “I had never led a team before, I had never built my own company before,” the young woman continued, admitting that she “failed to become the leader and colleague she wanted to be” because of the intense stress and pressure she felt, but also because of her naivety.

Djerf added that she has already made significant changes to improve the work culture at her company. These include hiring an experienced team to run the company and conducting “anonymous surveys” every month to allow its employees to freely voice any grievances.

However, as Daily Mail points out, the influencer in her post avoided directly responding to many of the allegations made by officials. For example, she did not address at all the allegations of “psychological terrorism” that caused employees to have panic attacks, intense anxiety, and even trouble sleeping.

Former employees had also accused the woman of speaking disparagingly about the plus-size models who worked for her brand. “When she saw pictures of a girl, she said we had to redo them because she looked so fat in those clothes,” one former employee complained.

Another complaint said the influencer had a separate toilet for her “favourite” colleagues and that those who went there without her permission were forced to clean it as punishment.

Matilda’s apology did not convince many of her followers, as was evident from the comments section below her post. “The only reason she’s apologizing is because everything was revealed,” one wrote. “There is no excuse for the bathroom situation,” another added.

Some even suggested she should slash the prices of her products as a practical apology.

There is, however, a section of Djerf’s fans who still support her, calling what was reported “lies” and “exaggerations”.