Rapper Juvenile found himself in some on-flight turbulence even before the aircraft took off.
The 49-year-old artist clashed with American Airlines flight attendants, who attempted to move him from first class to coach. And, in true hip-hop fashion, the Back That Azz Up artist didn’t take it quietly.
The Louisiana-born rapper, whose real name is Terius Gray, was traveling with this wife Shadonna Jones from New Orleans to Dallas, Texas, when the tense incident took place on Wednesday, August 21.
Highlights
- Rapper Juvenile clashed with American Airlines attendants over being downgraded from first class to coach.
- His wife, Shadonna Jones, questioned why she could stay in first class while her husband was downgraded.
- Juvenile asserted his celebrity status, warning there would be repercussions for the downgrade.
- The rapper filmed the argument on Instagram Live as he deplaned in protest.
Rapper Juvenile clashed with American Airlines crew over a surprise seat downgrade from first class to coach
Image credits: allhiphopcom / Juvenile via Intagram
The couple had already settled into their first-class seats when the flight attendants asked him to move to coach, according to Page Six. He began filming the argument in a Live Video, making it clear to the cabin crew that he was unwilling to budge.
Meanwhile, Shadonna was told she could stay in first class, which only fueled the frustration.
“I’m his wife, so how can you downgrade him and I could still stay?” she was heard questioning with disbelief.
Shadonna Jones, the rap artist's wife, questioned how she could stay in first class while her husband was being forced to move
Image credits: allhiphopcom / Juvenile via Intagram
The veteran rap icon voiced his frustrations and asserted that there was no way he was going to allow them to move him to coach.
“You ain’t going to put me in no coach,” he declared. “This ain’t never happened to me in my life.”
As the situation escalated, Juvenile warned the staff that their decision would have consequences due to his celebrity status.
The Back That Azz Up artist refused to back down when asked to change seats and documented the incident on Instagram Live
Image credits: allhiphopcom / Juvenile via Intagram
Image credits: allhiphopcom / Juvenile via Intagram
“I’m a celebrity,” he said. “There’s going to be repercussions for this because I’ma get off the plane. I’m not going to let y’all disrespect me like that.”
“I’m not going to let y’all choose me out of all the people on the plane and disrespect me, so I’m going to get off the plane,” he continued. “You ain’t going to disrespect me.”
True to his word, Juvenile filmed himself getting up from his seat and gathering his possessions to deplane.
The Louisiana-born rapper called out American Airlines for singling him out, saying, “Out of all the people on the plane, y’all done picked a celebrity”
Even as he was leaving, the Set It Off rapper continued to air his grievances about being singled out from everyone else carrying a first-class ticket.
“Out of all the people on the plane, y’all done picked a celebrity,” he said.
In a second clip he posted online, the hip-hop star told his audience that he frequently flies in first class with American Airlines and feels “played” by them.
The Louisiana-born artist warned the flight attendants that their actions would have repercussions because of his celebrity status
“F--- American Airlines. All the money I spent with you b----es,” he said. “They gon’ try to put me in coach, motherf---er? I ain’t never flew coach. I feel played.”
He reportedly boarded another flight with another airline to make it in time for his Wednesday evening performance in Fort Worth.
American Airlines acknowledged the incident and revealed that they did not intentionally target Juvenile. An automated process had picked his seat, they said.
The rap icon took another flight and made it in time for his performance in the city of Fort Worth
“American Airlines strives to provide a positive experience to every traveler and we apologize for [Juvenile]'s recent experience with us,” the airline said in a statement to TMZ.
“An unplanned change in aircraft type affected his seat assignment, and we regret he wasn't notified prior to boarding,” the statement continued. “A member of our team has spoken with [Juvenile] personally to resolve the situation.”