TikToker Receives Backlash for Air Frying Live Crabs and Filming Their Death

*Writer’s Note: The following story depicts disturbing content. As we do not want to give this content creator more views (and likely money through TikTok’s Creator Rewards Program), we will not be linking to the video, and we urge our followers not to search for it.

By now, you may have seen the disturbing viral TikTok video of a woman placing live Maryland blue crabs into a glass air fryer—seasoned, visibly moving, then cooking them alive. If you haven’t, consider yourself lucky.

But this isn't just about a viral video. It's about how far removed we are from the living, feeling beings behind our meals—and how social media shock content is making cruelty palatable for clicks.

The creator, who goes by Content with Cee, posted the video on TikTok showing the crustaceans scrambling inside the transparent fryer. As the heat turned up, the crabs stopped moving. While the backlash was immediate and widespread, the problem didn’t start with the air fryer. It started the moment those crabs were yanked from their ocean homes and treated like side dishes instead of sentient beings.

The reality is crabs are sentient animals. They feel pain, stress, and fear. Research has shown that crabs can learn from experience, remember negative stimuli, and change their behavior to avoid harm. They have complex nervous systems, use tools in the wild, and even show signs of social learning.

One study published in the journal Animal Behaviour found that shore crabs actively avoid locations where they’ve previously been shocked—clear evidence of pain perception and memory. These aren’t unfeeling objects. They are animals who deserve the same compassion we give to others.

Laura Porter, another TikToker—this time who went viral for caring for a pet crab named Howie— put it best: crabs can recognize faces, understand basic sign language, and absolutely do not belong in air fryers or boiling pots. Period.

This isn’t just about one TikTok—it’s about a culture that normalizes cruelty. What this video did—unintentionally or not—was lift the lid on a form of animal suffering that’s been hiding in plain sight.

At this time, TikTok users are continuing to report the video for animal cruelty, with the platform saying “no violations are found.” World Animal Protection US is calling on TikTok to remove this video, especially since the creator is likely profiting from animal cruelty through their Creator Rewards Program, and to remove similar “copycat” videos.

And if you were unfortunate enough to see the video and the sight of a crab twitching in an air fryer makes you uncomfortable, good. That discomfort is compassion knocking. Open the door.

If this video made you want to remove crabs from your plate, we can help! Join World Animal Protection’s FREE online community, Plant-Powered Changemakers, where you can find crabless recipes, tips, and tricks to adapting a more compassionate lifestyle.