American track and field star Sha’Carri Richardson claims she was removed from an American Airlines plane after getting into an argument with a flight attendant.
In a series of posts and stories on her official Instagram, the 22-year-old he says a flight attendant asked him to end a phone call, which he did before telling him he didn’t like his tone.
«After that, as he was standing in front of me going through security protocols, he continued to lean over to look at my phone,» Richardson said in an Instagram Story tagging American Airlines. «He asked me to see if my phones were in airplane mode right now. He demanded that I show him. Which I did in front of him.»
in a video Richardson says it was taken after the interaction with the flight attendant, she can be seen taking a video of herself.
«I’m not working today,» she says. «Vacation time.»
It is unclear where Richardson was flying to.
Richardson then focuses the phone’s camera on a flight attendant near her, who is then seen backing up.
«I’m filming myself, but you jumped on my video, so I caught you, because you jumped on my video,» Richardson says.
«You can’t record,» the stewardess is heard saying.
«You’re harassing me right now, so I think you should stop, I think you should stop,» Richardson replies.
NBC News does not know what happened before Richardson began recording.
The commotion of other passengers is then heard, some of whom ask Richardson to stop.
“Everyone sees it, right? Do you see it well?” Richardson asks them. “Tell him to stop. If you don’t know what’s going on, don’t yell at me.»
«You can stop recording,» says the flight attendant.
«No, I’m not going to stop recording because he was making a video of me,» Richardson replies.
Richardson posted another video to his Instagram showing the moments before he was asked to leave the flight.
«I definitely would have listened to the instructions, but the way he was talking to me was very unprofessional and then he put his hands on my face,» Richardson can be heard saying in the video, which has more than 47,000 likes.
A fellow traveler is then heard thanking Richardson, blaming her for missing her connecting flight.
“Oh, so you’re worried about a hookup while being disrespected by a grown man?” she replies.
«I don’t give a ***,» the passenger says before calling Richardson selfish.
Someone then approaches Richardson and tells him that he is being asked to leave the plane. When she asks why, the person replies, «The captain wants you to get off the plane.»
«Does the captain know the situation that happened before taking me out?» she says. «So you know that this man’s hands are on my face and he was very disrespectful and I felt threatened?»
Richardson asks to speak to the captain and also if the flight attendant he argued with will also be removed from the plane.
«So they won’t get him out after being unprofessional and having his hand in my face?» she responds after learning that the flight attendant will not be asked to leave the flight. «So they’re going to take me off the plane without even explaining why?»
The runway star then asks what the flight attendant’s name is, to which he again tells her that he can’t record.
«No but you jumped on my video that’s what started this whole thing and the video shows you jumped on my video and invaded my privacy you know that right?» she tells him «So there’s a chance you’ll lose your job because I have proof.»
The commotion of the other passengers is heard again. Richardson begins to collect his things to prepare to exit the plane.
“You all see it on social media, because you have no idea who I am,” he says as he steps off the plane.
Applause breaks out as Richardson moves to get off the plane.
NBC News has contacted Richardson’s team for comment. American Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Richardson, who rose to fame when she qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, was later suspended for a month after testing positive for THC, the chemical in cannabis. according to the United States Anti-Doping Agency.
Richardson sat down for an exclusive interview on NBC’s «TODAY» show after failing a drug test.
«Right now I’m putting all my energy into dealing with what I need to heal,» Richardson said at the time.
Richardson said during the interview that he turned to marijuana to cope after a reporter told him that his biological mother had died.
“I want to take responsibility for my actions,” he added. «I’m not looking for an excuse.»
“I would like to say to my fans, my family and my sponsorship, also to the haters, I apologize,” he said. «As much as I’m disappointed, I know when I step on that track, I’m not representing myself, I’m representing a community that has shown me great support, great love.»