Alleged Tao 'poop-tosser' Ariel Roman confronts server at Brooklyn restaurant; owner says business hurt

Ariel Roman — a former hostess arrested in 2024 after allegedly throwing feces into Tao’s koi pond and later sued by the restaurant — posted a TikTok on Jan. 18 showing her confronting a man at Williamsburg spot The Sparrow, captioning the clip: “Serving my… ex with a six-figure lawsuit at his job.” In the video the alleged “ex” can be seen fleeing to a restroom while The Sparrow’s owner, Dawn Eldridge, tries to escort Roman out.

Eldridge told Page Six the server was left “terrified, shaking and panicking.” Roman then attacked Eldridge online, accusing her of “manhandling” her and asking, bizarrely, “Do you support… men who strangle cats?” The clip drew more than a million likes and, Eldridge said, prompted a wave of one-star reviews and abusive comments claiming her restaurant harms animals.

Eldridge said the social-media fallout is already damaging business: cancellations have risen, some staff have quit, and the restaurant “had to close for two days to regroup because we didn’t have enough staff.” She also said the employee who was confronted has since gone MIA. A judge previously awarded damages to Tao in the earlier poop incident; Roman was arrested in 2024 on charges including aggravated harassment and assault.

Roman told Page Six people have “taken it too far” and denied wrongdoing, describing herself as a #MeToo whistleblower who has tried to serve her alleged ex for years.

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