Is this workplace toxicity or am I overreacting? Need honest opinions.

Hi everyone, I need some honest opinions about something that happened to my friend in a fashion startup.

My friend joined a fashion brand as a designer. Before she joined, the founder seemed very sweet, supportive, and understanding. But after she started working there, things changed.

Some examples:

•	The founder would come to the office at 1 PM, while employees came at 9 AM which is okay because mostly owners do that but 

•	One day she asked the staff to delay their lunch because she wanted updates first — even though they had already been working since morning.

•	Over two months, my friend experienced constant controlling behavior and mental pressure.

•	In one instance, when my friend asked a work-related question, the founder told her, “shut up, you b\*\*\*\*.”

After two months, my friend resigned and informed them properly.

Now here’s the shocking part.

Recently, the founder posted an Instagram reel to promote a new collection — a collection that my friend had designed. In that reel, she:

•	Publicly mentioned my friend’s name.

•	Claimed the collection wasn’t made by her.

•	Framed herself as a struggling founder.

•	Indirectly humiliated my friend for marketing purposes.

There was no proof shown, just statements.

My questions:

1.	Is this normal startup culture or clear workplace toxicity?

2.	Is publicly calling out a former employee like this ethical?

3.	Should my friend take this as a lesson and move on, or take some action?

4.	Has anyone experienced something similar in the fashion industry?

Would genuinely appreciate perspective.