Influencer Facing Jail in Dubai 'in Panic Mode and Afraid,' Mom Says

The mom of an influencer potentially facing jail time in Dubai after becoming embroiled a public argument says her daughter is "in panic mode and afraid."

Houston woman Tierra Allen, a driver who runs the popular Sassy Trucker account across various social media platforms, has been stranded in Dubai for two and half months after her passport was confiscated while she was there on vacation. The 29-year-old remains stuck in an Airbnb while police investigate allegations against her. Her family says she was told she was arrested for raising her voice to a male employee at a car rental company following a dispute. But Dubai Police subsequently said she was not arrested "merely for 'yelling'" but for "slandering and defaming" the man.

Her mom, Tina Baxter, spoke with Newsweek exclusively and shared that she has never seen her daughter brought so low, and fears that she is buckling under the stress.

Laws in Dubai, a city in the predominantly Muslim United Arab Emirates (UAE), may come as a shock to some Western visitors. The U.S. Department of State has warned Americans planning to travel there that: "Public decency and morality laws throughout the U.A.E are much stricter than in the United States." Illegal activities include public displays of affection, homosexual relationships, dressing immodestly, and screaming, swearing or arguing in public.

Nevertheless, Dubai has grown in popularity as a vacation destination for Americans, attracted by the country's weather, high-end shopping, and architecture which includes the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.

But Allen's dream trip, which was due to last from March until May while she visited friends who live there, turned into a "nightmare," her mom told Newsweek.

The influencer had rented a car with a male friend when they were involved in a "very minor fender bender" at the end of May, the day before Allen was due to return home, Baxter said. Although there was reportedly minimal damage to either of the cars, and the rental had been fully insured, Allen's friend, who had been driving, was detained by police.

He was held for a week before being released. But Allen's brush with the law was only just beginning.

The influencer, who documents her truck driving journeys and boasts more than 182,000 followers on TikTok and 61,000 on Facebook, told her mom that the car rental company—a small local firm in Dubai—had invited her to collect her belongings that were in the vehicle when it was seized. But when she arrived, she was allegedly told that she would need to pay the firm a large sum of money in order to have her ID and purse returned to her.

Baxter declined to reveal the amount she claims was demanded, fearing that sharing details with the press could land her daughter in more trouble. Allen was aware she should not have to pay and pointed out that she was unable to do so anyway because the firm had her bank and credit cards.

"Find a way," the male employee allegedly told her. As Allen argued with the man, she claims he became aggressive and started shouting at her, chasing her out of the building.

She allegedly admitted to her mom that she yelled back at him because "she was scared; she was afraid. And she was just lost at that point. She was very panicked. When she left, she used whatever money she had to take a bus back to her hotel. She didn't really know where she was. She was in panic mode and afraid," Baxter said.

It was at that point the employee raised a case against Allen with the Dubai police, "even though he initiated the screaming, even though he was trying to extort her out of money," Baxter said.

"She called me crying," her mom said.

Baxter said that the pair decided the only way out of the nightmare was to pay the man the money he had allegedly demanded. But when Allen returned to the company to offer to pay up, he allegedly told her that the original price had now doubled. Once again, Allen tried to raise the cash, but when she returned once more to offer payment she was told that the price had been raised again.

Baxter was unsure of the name of the car rental company, so Newsweek has been unable to contact the firm involved.

Newsweek reached out to Dubai Police via email on Monday, July 17, requesting further information and comment on Allen's case.

Newsweek received the following reply from the police just over a week later on Tuesday, July 25: "The Dubai Police General Command firmly denies allegations made in some stories circulating in the media that an American woman was arrested merely for 'yelling' in public. The reports present a completely distorted picture of the case.

"Dubai police received a complaint from a car rental office, accusing her of slandering and defaming an employee amidst a dispute over car rental fees.

"The individual was questioned as per legal procedures and subsequently released pending the resolution of ongoing legal proceedings between her and the car rental office."

It is not possible for Newsweek to contact Allen directly. But Baxter said her daughter is struggling under the pressure.

"I have never seen her so stressed," Baxter said, admitting she hasn't been sleeping since her daughter has been stranded in Dubai. "She's such a sweet person. She's a very soft-spoken, sweet young lady. And a very strong, very positive young lady. She's tried to hide her stress from me. But I was on a video call with her and I could see the pain in her face.

"I told her, 'It's ok to cry, allow your emotions to be released, don't hold it all in.' And she was like, 'Now I see why people get depressed and why they kill themselves.' And that's when I lost it. She just wants to return safely home to the U.S. and return back to work."

She added: "She's a hard worker who earns her money just like every other regular citizen."

Baxter reached out to a legal advice organization called Detained in Dubai, which is now supporting her daughter's fight for justice.

Detained in Dubai CEO Radha Stirling told Newsweek on Monday that she has called on Allen's political representatives, including Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Senator Ted Cruz, "to liaise with the U.S. Consulate in the U.A.E....before she (Allen) ends up in a desert prison."

For now, Allen is still stuck in her Airbnb, waiting to learn her fate.

Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in the U.A.E, but a spokesperson said: "Due to the privacy act, we do not comment on Consular cases."

Update 07/19/23, 8:10 a.m. ET: This article was updated with further comment from Baxter.

Update 7/25/23, 10:55 a.m. ET: This article was updated with a comment from Dubai Police.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "988" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741, or go to 988lifeline.org.