Julie Tremmel — a popular TV reporter with NBC affiliate WJAR in Rhode Island — was recently fired among speculation that it was in response to a handdstand she performed during an America’s Got Talent audition.

Fans on social media have defended her through an online petition, a Facebook page demanding Tremmel’s return, and a plethora of tweets on her behalf.

The reasons for her dismissal are unclear at this point. She told GoLocal Prov, “I was terminated without cause from WJAR and my Union and I are fighting it through the grievance and arbitration process in our Contract with the Station.”

Bring Julie Tremmel Back to NBC 10 http://t.co/3Ts8mXQcYn via @ipetitions

— Elia Santiago (@truerichesx) February 26, 2014

Disagree @KatherineHyp. Julie Tremmel was an asset and a treasure. She will be missed in Lil Rhody. http://t.co/xEezD8s4Uw

— Andy MacMannis (@AndyMacMannis) February 13, 2014

So I shot a video of Julie Tremmel doing her handstand bc I'm a huge news dork. Now it has 400K hits & Fox News is going to use it. Famous.

— Eric Rueb (@EricRueb) February 26, 2014

This isn’t the first time a video featuring Tremmel has gone viral. Last year, her report on what to do if you come across a bear received thousands of hits on YouTube.

Following the bear video, Jim Taricani — a former colleague of Tremmel’s and an investigative reporter for WJAR — posted a comment to Facebook that seemed to be directed at her, blogger Jim Romensko reported.

Romensko wrote:

“Veteran WJAR investigative reporter Jim Taricani complained on Facebook that Tremmel’s antic was ‘a smudge on our station’s reputation,’ and said that ‘some TV reporters like to draw attention to themselves… [which is] an insult to most of us trying to be professional.'”

Tremmel says she is consulting with a lawyer but declined to reveal the identity at this point.

Image via Facebook, Julie Tremmel