Virginia Worthington, 22, moved to New York City in summer 2025 for an internship and rented a lofted apartment with three friends. A small crack above an overhead light slowly widened and began to bubble; tenants emailed management with the subject "URGENT!". That same day, while two roommates were present, the ceiling collapsed — a heavy section of plaster and brick fell onto the bed. Worthington posted the collapse to TikTok (about 2.4M views) and alleges maintenance repeatedly plastered the crack until accumulated weight caused the failure; the rental company covered a hotel stay during repairs.
Small Ceiling Crack Escalates to Danger: NYC Intern's Ceiling Collapses After 'Chilling' Grumble
Virginia Worthington (2)Crack in the ceiling of Virginia Worthington's apartment.
Virginia Worthington, 22, moved to New York City in the summer of 2025 for a summer internship and rented a fully furnished, lofted two-bedroom apartment with three college friends. What began as a hairline crack above an overhead light turned into a frightening collapse that could have had far worse consequences.
What She Noticed
About a month after moving in, Worthington and a roommate, Merrin, spotted a small crack radiating from the overhead fixture in their first-floor bedroom. "It very slowly, progressively grew longer and longer as the days went on," she told PEOPLE, likening the gradual change to "watching a toddler grow." The crack later developed a pronounced bulge; Worthington says the ceiling did not look wet but instead appeared "as if something from above was weighing it down."
Virginia WorthingtonCrack in the ceiling
Urgent Warning — And A Collapse
The roommates photographed the damage and emailed building management with the subject line "URGENT!". That same day they received a reply promising maintenance would come to make repairs. Confident the problem would be fixed, the residents left for work — and returned to a much more dangerous scene.
"We arrived home from work to a ceiling that was beginning to crumble into our bed," Worthington recalls. "Just as we were about to begin removing the furniture from the room, Merrin and I heard a chilling grumble from the ceiling and ran out of the doorway just in time for a total collapse."
A heavy section of plaster and brick fell onto the bed exactly where their heads would have been. The roommates filmed the event; Worthington later posted the clip to TikTok, where it attracted roughly 2.4 million views.
Virginia WorthingtonAfter the ceiling fell
Allegations About Maintenance
Worthington says the problem had been ongoing and that maintenance repeatedly covered the cracks with plaster rather than addressing the underlying structural issue. According to her account, the layers of plaster built up "over and over" until the added weight — not water damage — caused the ceiling to give way.
She also describes troubling interactions with building staff. When the superintendent retrieved a bag of jewelry left in the room, Worthington says he returned with the bag filled with dirt, plaster and filth and laughed at her distress.
Virginia WorthingtonWorthington's room while under construction.
Aftermath
The company that rented the apartment covered the roommates' hotel stay while repairs were made. After the ceiling was fixed, the women moved back in for the remainder of their sublease but kept watch on the repaired area. Worthington says the experience has left her shaken and questioning the building's maintenance practices.
Key facts: The incident occurred in summer 2025, involved a 22-year-old intern and three roommates, and was captured on video that went viral online. Tenants allege repeated cosmetic fixes by maintenance led to a dangerous accumulation of plaster and eventual collapse; the rental company provided temporary lodging during repairs.
