R&B icon Jason Derulo says he was under oath at by an American Airlines pilot and met by 15 police officers at the gate in a racially stirred incident after he asked to turn around a plane before takeoff so he could resolve an argument over bag charges.
In a video posted on TMZ, the singer-songwriter said he and his crew of eight were "running a little behind" when they arrived at Miami International Airport and tried to check 20 bags at no fee.
Team Derulo Is Entitled To Have Concierge Key As A Member
Fox News reports that as a member of the airline's invites program Concierge Key, Derulo can check three bags with no charge. Derulo claimed he come across an American Airlines employee who was "misrepresented about how many bags a Concierge Key member gets, so we tried to explain to him ... as we travel almost every day.
"He said the front liner left approximately 10 minutes and then came back and said it was too late to check the bags. "So, one of our guys was like, OK, listen ... I'll stay and I'll take all your bags," he said. Derulo and the rest of his crew continued to the gate and boarded the plane, when the guy who stayed behind called him.
"And he's like, 'Yo! It's going to be $6K to check-in all the bags'. "What do you mean it's going to be $6K to check-in our bags? "They turn the plane around. They're like, 'Is there anything we can do to keep you on the plane?' And we are like, don't charge the $6K! "So, the plane end up turning back."
As The Plane Return, Pilot Curses Derulo
That's when things degrading, the singer said. "When I get on the ground, there's 15 police officers waiting," Derulo said on the video. Then shockingly, "As we're getting off the plane, the pilot comes and tries to make a scene .... He curses. 'I want these guys off the f***ing plane right now!'
"I said, 'Listen to me, sir, don't talk to me like I'm your son. First, I'm not your son, and I'm not at a certain level with you. What I have right now is beyond your pay check ... and you're not going to talk down to me'.
"But if he were not a celebrity, Derulo said, "I know what the result would have been ... Once they found out who I am, it's all calm, cool and now we're chilling in the lounge at American Airlines, like all is good. But it's not good. if I wasn't Jason Derulo, I'd be in f***ing cuffs!"
It's 100 percent racial, because the primary thought in people's minds is, you know these hoods ... causing problems." Derulo later took his protest to Instagram. As deleted today, as directed at American Airlines, the singer said: "I spent a lot on your airline the whole year for the past 10 years between myself and my entire staff but have still experienced racial judgement now at miami airport!!!"In an account to People, American Airlines said Flight 275 "returned to the gate prior to leaving. A passenger elected to deplane to travel with their checked bags. The passenger has been rebooked with his checked bags on a later flight this evening."
