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Rapper Juvenile storms off American Airlines plane after flight attendants boot him from first class: ‘I’m a celebrity!’
By Eileen Reslen,
7 hours ago
Back that plane up.
Rapper Juvenile got into a heated exchange with American Airlines flight attendants Wednesday after they attempted to downgrade him from first class to coach.
“Y’all hear this?” the “Back That Azz Up” rapper, 49, told his followers during an Instagram Live he initiated while the incident was taking place.
“Man, they trying to kick me off the plane. They trying to take me off of first class.”
Juvenile, seen here via Instagram Live, got into a dispute with American Airlines flight attendants Wednesday. juviethegreat/Instagram He was upset that he was being downgraded from first class to coach on a flight from New Orleans to Dallas on Wednesday. juviethegreat/Instagram
Juvenile — whose real name is Terius Gray — and his wife, Shadonna Jones, were already on board a flight from New Orleans to Dallas, when the flight attendants informed them of the seat change.
Jones, who was not asked to switch sweats, could be heard in the livestream saying in defense of her husband, “I’m his wife, so how can you downgrade him and I could still stay?”
Juvenile was visibly upset over the situation, and emphatically said, “You ain’t going to put me in no coach. This ain’t never happened to me in my life.”
The “Slow Motion” rapper told the American Airlines staffers that they would regret choosing him because of his notoriety.
The flight attendants booted him from first class due to a change in aircraft with fewer first class seats, we’re told. juviethegreat/Instagram Juvenile, seen here via Instagram Live, was flying with his wife at the time. juviethegreat/Instagram
“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. You ain’t going to disrespect me.”
Juvenile decided to deplane the flight — along with his wife — rather than switch sweats and said on his way out, “Out of all the people on the plane, y’all done picked a celebrity.”
Juvenile decided to get off the plane after the heated dispute. juviethegreat/Instagram “Out of all the people on the plane, y’all done picked a celebrity,” he could be heard telling flight attendants in the livestream. juviethegreat/Instagram
Page Six has since learned that the “Set It Off” rapper was not intentionally targeted but was simply chosen out of all the other passengers via an automated process.
Juvenile did not appear pleased with any explanations, though, as he then posted a second clip on Instagram , in which he showed how he frequently travels via American Airlines in first class.
Still fuming over the ordeal, he said, “F–k American Airlines. All the money I spent with you bitches.
“They gon’ try to put me in coach, motherf–ker? I ain’t never flew coach. I feel played.”
Juvenile added in his caption, “I feel played @americanair yall gonna bump me to coach after im already in my seat??”
Juvenile later showed that he often flies on American Airlines in first class. juviethegreat/Instagram Juvenile ended up getting to his destination on a different airline. juviethegreat/Instagram
He then shared how he planned to make it to Texas for his upcoming concert, writing, “Don’t worry Fort Worth I’m boarding another plane right now on a better airline THE SHOW MUST GO ON.”
A rep for American Airlines tells Page Six that the issue stemmed from an “unplanned change in aircraft” that resulted in fewer first class seats than the ones on the plane Juvenile was originally supposed to take.
“American Airlines strives to provide a positive experience to every traveler and we apologize for Mr. Gray’s recent experience with us,” the spokesperson says.
“An unplanned change in aircraft type affected his seat assignment, and we regret he wasn’t notified prior to boarding. A member of our team has spoken with Mr. Gray personally to resolve the situation.”
The airline did not provide details on how exactly Juvenile’s situation was resolved and whether he was financially compensated for this inconvenience.
Juvenile was headed to Texas for a show in which he was scheduled to perform. Getty Images The rapper rose to fame in the late ’90s and early 2000s with hits like “Back That Azz Up.” WireImage
Juvenile’s rep exclusively tells Page Six, however, “No one at American has talked to Juvenile personally.”
Meanwhile, a separate source tells us the rapper and his wife were contacted Wednesday after 4 p.m. CT and other airline staffers have spoken to members of Juvenile’s management team as well.
American Airlines declined to comment on whether an investigation has been opened into the incident, but Page Six has learned the ordeal was an error as it went against the company’s protocol.
The airline’s standard practice is to inform customers of changes in seating situations ahead of time — prior to boarding.
For more celebrity and entertainment news, visit pagesix.com.
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