Marlon Wayans is in a war of words with United Airlines over a bag-check incident that led to him missing a flight to Kansas City and a scheduled show. And he's accusing the airline of harassment, racism and classism.
The "Air" and "Scary Movie" star chronicled much of the weekend debacle on Twitter and Instagram in real time, alleging that a gate agent in Denver stopped him from boarding a flight because he had more bags than he was allowed to bring onto the aircraft. Wayans was traveling with a carry-on, a knapsack and a suit bag, his spokeswoman Leslie Sloane said, and peacefully followed the gate agent's requests.
"Maaaaaan the b— I'm experiencing at @united is unprecedented B— People taking advantage of their 'power,'" the comedian wrote Friday on Instagram, repeatedly apologizing to his fans in Kansas City for not showing up on time for his stand-up appearance. "Bro claimed i had too many bags so i complied and consolidated them he was like 'oh now you have to check that bag'. Bye. I'm in seat 2 A come holla. Most agents are always love but every now and then you come across BAD PEOPLE. This was one of them. @united this type of employee should never work at your company. I'm writing a lettter to [United CEO] DEAR MR. @scottkirby."
According to the airline, Wayans "pushed past" the airline employee to get on the plane.
"In Denver on Friday, 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," a spokesperson for United Airlines said Monday in a statement to the L.A. Times. "The customer did not fly on United to his destination."
"Marlon feels disrespected, bullied and mistreated," Sloane told the L.A. Times on Monday. "He was asked to consolidate his knapsack. He put his knapsack into his [carried] suit bag because that is what the gate agent told him to do and he abided. And the gate agent turned around and told him to check it. So he did feel targeted. It doesn't matter if you're flying in first class or in coach, you shouldn't be treated any differently and should be treated with respect.
"The guy's a real pro. He performs even when he's sick. He never misses shows and he's really upset about [it]," she added.
Shortly after the incident, the "God Loves Me" and "Woke-ish" comedian posted a photo of himself in a window seat on an American Airlines flight.
"Fly where you're respected, protected and loved. @americanair concierge key!!! No more @united for me," he wrote. He said United "treated a first class brother real disrespectful" and that he wanted answers, alleging that the airline owed him money for missing his performance in Kansas City.
"This won't stop until i get some apologies and there are changes," he wrote. (On Monday, he also posted about the warm welcome he received from Delta employees ahead of his flight back from Kansas City.)
The Denver Police Department also got involved, ticketing Wayans at the airport for disturbing the peace.
Officers responded to the gate for "a disturbance involving a passenger and a staff member for United," a spokesperson for the department said Monday in a statement to the L.A. Times. When officers arrived, they contacted the involved individuals, including Wayans.
The citation issued to Wayans says he must appear in court in Denver on July 11, the Associated Press reported.
More details have emerged in the days since, with Wayans, 50, sounding the alarm on his "mistreatment" and insisting that the airline compensate him and his fans for his missed show with airline vouchers. Wayans was slated to perform several shows during a three-night stint at the Kansas City Improv and followed through with the remaining performances after taking two additional flights to get to the Missouri venue, Sloane said.
The comedian posted a screenshot of TMZ's post about the incident on his Instagram account, with added commentary. He also accused the United gate agent of lying. Witnesses reportedly told the outlet that Wayans allegedly slammed his ticket on the counter and proceeded to board the plane. A gate agent reportedly tried to stop Wayans but couldn't, so the employee called security. Wayans then was asked to deplane and was escorted away, according to footage of Wayans leaving the gate.
"Dude tried to lie and say i assaulted him. The video clearly shows i never touched him. He was desperate to try to have some authority," Wayans wrote. "I've flown over 15,000,000 miles in my lifetime and I rarely have had problems. Anyone knows who knows me knows I'm a mild mannered dude. This agent was clearly picking on me."
Wayans also posted a photo of another passenger's luggage, alleging that the passenger boarded the flight with three bags. Wayans claimed that passenger was white.
"At that point i said 'see now you're just f— with me'. So i grabbed my ticket off the counter got on the plane. This was harassment and I will make enough noise to be sure all my friends and family and peoples stop flying @united this will be a corporate matter," he wrote. "Black people all kinds of racism and classism. I won't allow this. Over a bag? Y'all owe me money for my shows i missed, y'all owe me for my troubles, y'all owe my fans a damn apology. This was the highest level of disrespect. And should've been avoided. Next call is to my lawyers. And yes i am gonna DM THE BOSS!!!"
The actor alleged that when he took his ticket, the gate agent grabbed him from the back but he just kept walking, Sloane said.
It is unclear if Wayans will pursue any legal action regarding the incident.
Quoting his 2004 hit comedy "White Chicks," Wayans said, "I'm soooo freakin' pissed!" The actor continued to fire off on Instagram about his treatment.
"He was rude and wrong. I know so many people feel like this on a daily basis. What happened to genuine kindness. @united you owe me for my inconvenience, for my missed shows and most of all you owe my disappointed fans. After you compensate me you should give all the fans affected by my no show vouchers for free trips. I'm tired of the mistreatment. This s— has to stop. And i will make noise! If it happens to me i know it happens to many others. It's not cool. I hope the agent that made me miss my flight feels content knowing you f—up a lot of people's Friday night in KANSAS CITY. You messed with the wrong n— i mean white chick today buddy."
In a separate video, Wayans urged United to "do better." He shared his disappointment with the airline after receiving a call from the corporate office in which representatives allegedly defended the employee and reiterated the airline's two-bag policy. United also told him it would reimburse him for the ticket, but it's unclear whether it will reimburse his fans.
"Your customers are always right," he said in the clip, adding, "This man was wrong. I was targeted. Period."
On Monday, after praising the Delta employees on social media for being "so accommodating," Wayans quipped about using the ordeal as fodder for his next comedy special.
"My next comedy special will be F. U. F*@! United," he wrote on Instagram. "Thank you for writing me more jokes and more episodes and sketches. Creativity combats all mistreatment. We gonna troll until this is remedied. I dm'd ceo and am sending letters. Any other airline immediately reaches out to make things right. Unfortunately, that's not the case here. But man we gonna have fun trolling."
