Plus-size model confronts plane passenger she claims fat-shamed her on flight
A PLUS-SIZE model filmed herself confronting a plane passenger who “fat-shamed” her by sending “mean and ugly” texts about her to his pals.
A PLUS-SIZED model confronted a plane passenger who “fat-shamed” her by sending “mean and ugly” texts about her weight to his pals.
Natalie Hage claims the stranger began “huffing and sighing” when she sat next to him on an American Airlines flight to Los Angeles on Thursday, reports The Sun.
The model is an “anxious” flyer and paid $70 (£53) for extra legroom — but was placed in a middle seat as there were no others available.
She claims: “As soon as I sat down, the gentleman on my left began loudly huffing, sighing, and readjusting himself in his seat.
“I see him furiously texting and then purposefully turning the phone away from me. So, naturally next time he texts, I take a look.”
Natalie says she is “almost positive” the stranger took photos of her and sent “really mean and ugly” to his friend “Linda”.
She shared a photo of the man’s phone on Instagram, which shows the cruel texts he was sending.
“If you can’t read the texts, it says ‘hopefully she didn’t have any Mexican food’,” Natalie explains. “His response is ‘I think she ate a Mexican’.”
The man went on to claim he was “leaving a neck mark on the window because he was so smashed against the wall”.
Natalie fumed: “From the photos, you can see I’m not in his space.”
“He’s taken over both arm rests on purpose, coming to my space and digging his elbows into my side … which is in my seat.”
The bully sent a stream of cruel messages after — including: “If the news reports a DFW airbus a321 leaving the runway without rotating, that would be my flight.”
Despite explaining what the cruel stranger had said, the passenger to her right refused to swap places and laughed.
Natalie later uploaded a video of her confronting the man, in which he initially denies sending the texts.
He then claims to have been drinking before getting defensive and suggesting he was “nice” to Natalie by offering a corner of his tray table.
Shockingly the man then suggests Natalie is unfit to sit in the exit row as she would not be able to help anyone in an emergency due to her size.
Natalie then “shuts the man down” by explaining she was on the flight to attend a photo shoot and explains the damage his words can have.
The model says she was “just so upset” by the vile abuse and described it as “a fat person’s daily reality”.
She said: “This is on a bus, standing in line at the grocery store, at a concert, on the internet.
“You can be completely in your own space, not bothering one and people will still f*** with you and try to hurt you.”
Natalie added: “All you can do is know you haven’t done anything wrong just by existing and to move on.”