Miya Ponsetto [SoHo Karen] Age, Real Identity, Jail, Racist, Now

Miya Taylor Ponsetto, known as SoHo Karen, gained notoriety in 2020 after a viral incident at a hotel in California.

The video, posted by Emmy-winning musician Keyon Harrold, showed an anonymous girl physically assaulting Harrold’s son and accusing him of theft.

The incident sparked a racial feud as the girl was white and Harrold Jr. was African-American. Dubbed “SoHo Karen,” she faced public backlash and legal troubles, including charges of driving under the influence, false imprisonment, hate crimes, and assault.

Despite her denial of the allegations, Ponsetto pleaded guilty to unlawful imprisonment as a hate crime.

The incident also resulted in a lawsuit against a hotel employee and the hotel itself, alleging racial discrimination.

Miya Ponsetto Quick Facts

Birthday: May 27, 1998

Birthplace: Simi Valley, California, USA

Age: 26 years old

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Height: 5 feet 6 inches

Relationship Status: Unknown

Boyfriend: Unknown

Children: None                               

Weight: 65 kg                       

Net Worth: Unknown

Miya Ponsetto Age, Background

Miya Taylor Ponsetto, now best known as SoHo Karen, was born on May 27, 1998, in California, USA.

She turned 26 years old.

Ponsetto comes of Italian, Puerto Rican, and Vietnamese descent.

Likewise, her mother’s name is Nicole Claudine Ponsetto, whereas her father’s name remains unknown.

Nicole and Miya were once arrested for public intoxication in 2020 in Los Angeles.

The case took a new turn when Nicole kicked and pushed the officer on duty while the officers tried to arrest them.

Miya Ponsetto's Mother Nicole
Miya Ponsetto’s Mother Nicole. (Instagram)

Furthermore, the 26-year-old graduated from Simi Valley, California.

No more information is available about her other family members.

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Who Is SoHo Karen?

Back in 2020, a viral trend called SoHo Karen stormed every major social media platform.

Now, who is SoHo Karen?

In December of 2020, the Emmy-winning African-American Jazz musician Keyon Harrold uploaded an incident in Arlo SOHO hotel in California.

Many Instagram users might already know what we are talking about; if not, let me explain you it in detail.

In the video uploaded by the musician, an anonymous girl was physically abusing Harrold’s 15-year-old son Keyon Harrold Jr blaming him for theft of her cell phone.

This went viral over the social media platform.

Furthermore, people took this case as a racial feud as the lady was white and Keyon was African-American.

Miya Ponsetto during dispute
Miya Ponsetto during dispute. (Instagram)

Many famous Instagram users were falsely recognized as the women in the video.

This assumption of identity went on until the woman’s identity came forth. However, the general public had already named her “SoHo Karen” by that point.

To everyone confused, Karen in slang is a word used to address a white woman abusing or dominating black people or any inferior/”dumb” act they do towards others in general.

So, she was dubbed SoHo Karen for her pitiful behavior.

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The (Infamous) Fame Began

Later, SoHo Karen’s real identity came forward as a 26-year-old Miya Ponsetto.

Upon investigation, authorities found Miya guilty of numerous things.

She earned the name SoHo Karen after the incident, which made her go viral over her act.

Further update on the incident, her phone was returned to her by the Uber driver inside whose car she took a ride from.

On the other hand, the musician wasn’t the one to hold back; he sued so-called SoHo Karen for her unacceptable behavior shown towards his 15-year-old son.

Harrold Jr reportedly took the incident hard and remained disturbed for some time.

This doesn’t end here; she has faced numerous legal troubles.

Back in 2020, she was charged for driving under the influence, false imprisonment, Hate-crime charges, along with two charges of assault.

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Where is Miya Ponsetto Today?

That one video made her viral overall on social media platforms which subjected her to criticisms.

Miya Ponsetto during interview
Miya Ponsetto during interview. (ET)

Since then, she has had one major opportunity to prove her innocence in the case.

In January 2021, Gayle king from CBS interviewed her, where she is seen defending herself and blatantly denying all the allegations against her instead, she blames the musician.

Furthermore, she also clears out that she isn’t a racist; instead, she is a nice person.

This interview went viral. However, authorities found her guilty and charged her for her notorious acts anyway.

Ponsetto Pled Guilty

In 2022, Miya Ponsetto pleaded guilty to unlawful imprisonment in the second degree as a hate crime.

As part of her plea deal, Ponsetto will not serve jail time. However, there are terms and conditions she needs to fulfill for the plea arrangements to remain intact.

As a part of the plea arrangement, Ponsetto has to complete her probation in a separate case related to driving while intoxicated in California.

In addition, the court requires Miya to continue counseling and avoid any encounters with the criminal justice system for the next two years.

The incident that took place at a SoHo hotel has also dragged a hotel employee into the lawsuit filed in the Manhattan Supreme Court.

The suit, along with Ponsetto, also accused a hotel worker named Chad Nathan of assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and false imprisonment.

The lawsuit also holds the hotel accountable, alleging negligence and negligent hiring.

According to the court documents, the hotel worker, Nathan, stopped the plaintiffs while assisting Ponsetto, who was agitated and aggressive.

Furthermore, as per the lawsuit, Nathan also baselessly accused the black teenager, Keyon Harrold Jr., of stealing her cellphone.

The lawsuit claims that the plaintiffs were falsely accused because of their race, and Nathan unjustly assumed their guilt.

It also states that the hotel treated the plaintiffs differently based on their race, in violation of their rights as guests in a public accommodation.

Miya Ponsetto is 26 years old as of today. She was born on May 27, 1998, in California, USA.

Miya Ponsetto pleaded guilty to unlawful imprisonment as a hate crime. She won’t serve jail time but has conditions to fulfill, including probation and counseling.

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