SEATTLE, WA – A local man’s attempt to ease his workplace anxiety took an unexpected turn when his emotional support clown, Mr. Giggles, became a much bigger distraction than intended.

Mark Reynolds, 34, had been dreading an important client presentation at his marketing firm. After reading online that “emotional support companions” can help with stress, he decided to hire a professional clown to sit with him during the meeting.

“It made sense at the time,” Reynolds explained. “I figured, you know, service dogs are great, but I’m allergic. So… why not a clown?”

Unfortunately, a lot of reasons.

According to witnesses, Mr. Giggles showed up in full clown attire—giant shoes, rainbow wig, and a polka-dotted suit that squeaked with every step. He also refused to break character.

“At first, I tried to act normal,” said coworker Lisa Carter. “But then Mr. Giggles started making balloon animals during the presentation.”

Tension grew when the client, visibly confused, asked why there was a clown in the room. Instead of answering, Mr. Giggles honked his red nose and performed a somersault.

“I wanted to disappear,” Reynolds admitted. “But Mr. Giggles assured me he had ‘never lost a client yet.’”

Things quickly spiraled.

During a discussion about quarterly earnings, Mr. Giggles accidentally popped a balloon poodle—loudly—causing the CEO to drop his coffee and shout an expletive.

“He tried to lighten the mood by pulling an endless string of scarves out of his pocket,” Carter recalled. “It just… kept going. For four minutes.”

The final straw came when Mr. Giggles attempted to provide stress relief by offering free face paintings mid-meeting.

“That’s when the boss asked Mark to ‘escort the clown out,’” Carter said. “I have never seen a man look so defeated.”

Outside the office, things got even worse.

“I tried to have a serious talk with him about professionalism,” Reynolds said. “But he just started juggling and asked if I wanted a ‘honk of encouragement.’”

The next day, Reynolds received an email from HR titled “Re: Clown Policy”—which, until that moment, had never needed to exist.

His company has now banned emotional support clowns in the workplace.

As for Mr. Giggles? He remains available for “high-stakes business meetings, corporate crises, and awkward breakups.”