Racial Discrimination: Jason Derulo Cussed Out By American Airlines Staff
R&B singer, Jason Derulo has slammed American Airlines over an alleged racial discrimination while aboard a flight to Los Angeles.
The singer had an altercation with employees of the airline while on board the flight and was reportedly discriminated against because he was black.
Derulo claims he was cursed at by a number of American Airlines employees during a dispute over baggage fees.
Jason Derulo who is engaged to singer Jordin Sparks disclosed that the disposition of everyone one the flight towards him changed the moment they found out he was famous.
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People magazine reports that Derulo was flying from Miami to Los Angeles and checked in for his flight with his group and their luggage.
According to him, there was a dispute about the timing of their check-in.
As such an agreement was reached that one member of the group would stay behind and take the next flight in order to check all the luggage.
A source at the airline disclosed that the most elite passengers for American Airlines get three checked bags for free.
However, Derulo’s crew member attempted to check in 19 bags, which led to an extra charge.
While aboard the flight, Derulo got a call from his friend informing that American Airlines billed them $4,000 for their bags.
He said:
“We’d never paid for our bags because of our status—with all of our miles—so we’d never paid for bags.
So $4,000 is obviously a huge sum. We were like, ‘No, we’re not paying that. We’ve got to turn the plane around.’”
In a statement released to PEOPLE, American Airlines said:
“Flight 275 returned to the gate prior to departure. A passenger elected to deplane in order to travel with their checked bags.
The passenger has been rebooked with his checked bags on a later flight this evening.”
Derulo claims that as he and his friends were disembarking, the captain came out and began cursing at them and ordering them off the plane.
He said:
“And that was really upsetting to me because I felt like he was trying to make it seem like we were delinquents, and he was kicking us off the plane, when it was us that asked to get off the plane.
“I was like, ‘Listen, sir, you’re not going to talk down to me; I’m not your son. Don’t talk to me in that tone of voice.’”
Derulo further revealed that when he had alighted, he and his group were accosted by 15 police officers.
According to him, that was “super embarrassing.”
At that point, Derulo says, another employee of American Airlines began cursing at him which was when he decided to act.
Jason Derulo Accuses American Airlines of Racial Discrimination
Recounting his experience, the singer said:
“As you can imagine, I’m surrounded by 15 police officers.
“I’m not going to curse back because I know what’s going to happen.
“So I pick up my phone, and I go live on my Instagram.”
“So I go live, and I start to hear whispers happening, and as soon as they find out who I am, everything changes.”
Derulo alleges that at this point, “every single person becomes somebody else, and all of a sudden, we’re not in trouble anymore.”
The singer took to Instagram following the incident, where he described the ordeal as “racial discrimination.”
Derulo says he is taking up the matter as he “just wants everybody to be treated with respect.”
According to him:
“At the end of the day, you get what you pay for.
“I’m not asking for anything extra, I’m not asking to be taken care of.”
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Police report filed by the Miami-Dade Police Department seems to paint a very different picture.
According to the report, an airline employee told police that Derulo and his group “smelled of marijuana and were getting aggressive” when they were checking in.’
The report also claims that Derulo and his group refused to give their IDs to airline staff when they alighted from the plane and initially refused to do the same with police.
The case was closed and no charges were filed.
