Whole Foods Thinks a Gay Pastor Added a Homophobic Slur to His Own Cake

Read: Gay Men Tell Us Why They Wouldn't Choose to Be Straight

Earlier this week, an openly gay pastor named Jordan Brown released a video claiming that a Whole Foods in Austin, Texas, sold him a personalized cake with the word "Fag" written on it in frosting. Brown's story quickly stirred up homophobic rage on the internet, and on Monday, his attorneys filed a lawsuit seeking emotional damages against the grocery giant.

But the story has since morphed from apparently rogue act of homophobia to a bizarre legal fight playing out in some of the more toxic corners of the internet.

On Tuesday, Whole Foods uploaded security footage allegedly showing inconsistencies in the cake's packaging and suggesting Brown might have added the slur himself. The company went on to file a countersuit against the man, as the Austin Statesman reports.

"After a deeper investigation of Mr. Brown's claim, we believe his accusations are fraudulent and we intend to take legal action against both Mr. Brown and his attorney," Whole Foods said in a statement, adding that it's seeking up to $100,000 in damages

When Brown first went public, internet commenters pointed out potential discrepancies in the cake's frosting, and wondered how the man could have possibly walked out of the store without reading it. But so far, no one has offered a coherent explanation for why a prominent pastor would go to the trouble of etching "Love Wins Fag" on his own cake in order to sue a grocery corporation.

Meanwhile, the company is standing its ground, insisting it "stand[s] behind the bakery team member" behind the desert, and claiming that employee is part of the LGBT community to boot.

The cake from Whole Foods that Jordan Brown purchased.