Actor Marlon Wayans is up in arms after getting booted from a United Airlines flight on June 9 over a baggage dispute. The Scary Movie star has fired back against the airline with several posts on Instagram, claiming he was “targeted,” that he’s “tired of the mistreatment,” and that United never apologized to him, instead choosing to defend their employee's actions.
“Most agents are always love but every now and then you come across BAD PEOPLE,” Wayans wrote in the caption of a post. “Bro claimed i had too many bags so i complied and consolidated them he was like ‘oh now you have to check that bag’.”
A United Airlines spokesperson issued a statement to USA Today related to the incident: "A customer who had been told he would have to gate-check his bag instead pushed past a United employee at the jet bridge and attempted to board the aircraft." The publication also confirmed with the Denver Police Department’s communications technician Jay Casillas that authorities cited Wayans for “disturbing the peace” and that he must travel back to Denver to appear in court.
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“I’ve flown over 15,000,000 miles in my lifetime and I rarely have had problems,” Wayans wrote in the caption of another post, adding that he’s a “mild-mannered dude” and that the gate agent specifically targeted him.
Wayans told TMZ that he had a backpack and two bags that he intended to carry on so he could make his show on time; when the gate agent said he could not board because he had three bags, he claims he put his backpack into one of the bags, bringing his carry-on allotment to the required number.
“Then said now i have to check the bag because now since i consolidated it into one bag it was too big,” he continued in an Instagram post caption. “At that point i said ‘see now you’re just $#%in’ with me.’ So i grabbed my ticket off the counter got on the plane.”
Wayans said that the gate agent “got a text that there was no more room on the plane” which is why he was asked to gate-check his bags before boarding. Wayans posted a follow-up image of “Some white dude…with 3 bags” who boarded the plane without issue.
“This was harassment,” Wayans wrote in the caption of another post. “Black people all kinds of racism and classism…Over a bag?”
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In a subsequent Instagram post, Wayans said he received “one measly phone call from someone in corporate” from United Airlines, who reiterated the company’s baggage policies and why he could not board the flight. The actor claims the company defended their gate agent and never issued an apology.
Another post from Wayans alludes to video footage that United may have used to process its case against him. This footage has not been released to the public, but Wayans wrote: “I’m willing to play that video back, put the sound on. This man was wrong…I was targeted.”
The comedian claimed the incident caused him to miss a gig he was traveling to in Kansas City, and that United should compensate him and his fans for the time wasted. He also threatened to “make enough noise” about the ordeal to convince friends, family, and otherwise to avoid flying United at all costs.
“After you compensate me you should give all the fans affected by my no show vouchers for free trips,” he wrote. “I’m tired of the mistreatment.
