Notorious Air Travel Incidents Involving Celebrities
Flying can be an unpredictable experience, especially when celebrities are involved. Below are some notable incidents that have garnered attention for less-than-stellar behavior aboard flights.
1. Liam Gallagher’s Taunting on Cathay Pacific
In 1998, Cathay Pacific banned Oasis croaker Liam Gallagher for life, after the hard-to-please front man allegedly kicked up a fuss over a scone. Passengers complained that Oasis band members refused to stop smoking, threw objects at people, and swore at flight attendants.
2. Kate Moss’ Disruption
According to reports in the UK media, police escorted supermodel Kate Moss off an easyJet flight from Turkey arriving at an airport in Bedfordshire near London. The supermodel was reportedly being disruptive. Officers attended and escorted the passenger from the plane. No formal complaints were made against her and she was not arrested, according to an airline statement.
3. Conrad Hilton’s Airline Antics
Conrad Hilton, younger brother of Paris Hilton, allegedly threatened and intimidated flight attendants on a British Airways flight, using profanity, smoking in the bathroom, and calling passengers “peasants.”
4. Alec Baldwin’s In-Flight Confrontation
Alec Baldwin swept up the points for P.U.B.L.I.C.I.T.Y. on Words With Friends, after refusing to turn off his electronic device on a December 2011 American Airlines flight. The app’s maker Zynga reacted by launching the #letAlecPlay Twitter campaign.
5. Dolores O’Riordan’s Incident
Cranberries singer Dolores O’Riordan found herself lingering inside a jail cell after she was arrested for an alleged air rage incident in January 2014.
6. Kevin Smith’s Weight Controversy
In 2010, director Kevin Smith boarded a Southwest Airlines flight in Oakland, California, when he was asked to get off the plane because his weight and size were a “safety concern.” Smith went on a Twitter tirade and released 24 video statements about it on YouTube.
7. Billie Joe Armstrong’s Wardrobe Violation
Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong was kicked off a plane in 2011 for wearing pants that hung too low on his hips.
8. Leisha Hailey’s Removal
Leisha Hailey was booted off a Southwest flight for allegedly kissing and groping her girlfriend in September 2011, and called for a boycott of the airline by gay people.
9. Gerard Depardieu’s Flight Mishap
In August 2011, Gerard Depardieu was stuck on a delayed flight from Paris to Dublin when nature called. With bathrooms locked, he tried to relieve himself into a bottle but misfired, soaking the cabin floor. He offered to clean it up himself; the crew offered to escort him off the plane.
