Rapper will.i.am defiant after Qantas calls to retract posts

will.i.am is remaining defiant after Qantas for him to retract tweets calling a flight attendant racist.

US rapper will.i.am is remaining defiant in the face of calls by Qantas for him to retract his social media posts calling a flight attendant racist, saying people who serve the paying public should know there are devices that block noise.

His latest tweet follows an incident onboard a Qantas flight from Brisbane to Sydney on Saturday during which he was asked several times to stow his laptop for landing.

We live in 2019 & technology is advancing...they have WiFi is certain planes & noise canceling is becoming a standard...people who serve the paying public need to know that passengers have on devices that block out outside sound...sending the POLICE after them is a bit much 🤷🏿‍♂️ https://t.co/CZHJaMFLUE

— will.i.am (@iamwill) November 18, 2019

The Black Eyed Peas star said he was wearing noise cancelling headphones and did not hear the initial instruction.

The incident was reported to the flight captain who requested police attend the aeroplane when it landed in Sydney.

READ MORE: Qantas crew turns its attack on will.i.am | will.i.am met by police at Sydney airport

Crew and passengers were questioned without further action.

But the former judge of The Voice escalated matters by naming a flight attendant and accusing her of racism on his Twitter profile which has 12.8m followers.

The tweets resulted in a wave of abuse on social media directed at the crew member who was “simply doing her job” according to the Flight Attendants Association of Australia.

A Qantas note to staff said the airline fully supported cabin crew for ensuring the safety of passengers and called for will.i.am to retract his allegation of racism.

But in response to tweets urging him to comply, will.i.am was defiant, saying “we live in 2019 and technology is advancing”.

“People who serve the paying public need to know that passengers have on devices that block out outside sound ... sending the POLICE after them is a bit much,” he tweeted.

Qantas has now offered to support the flight attendant in question with legal action against will.i.am should he fail to retract his posts naming her.

Qantas has described the incident as a “misunderstanding” exacerbated by the fact will.i.am was wearing noise-cancelling headphones.

The Flight Attendants’ Association of Australia described will.i.am’s reaction to the incident as “disappointing” particularly his naming of the flight attendant on social media, and branding her a “racist”.

“She singled out every person of colour in the flight and gave them a hard time … and went to the extreme of calling the police on me when I did nothing wrong,” will.i.am tweeted to his 12.8m followers.

FAAA secretary Teri O’Toole said issuing safety directions and ensuring those directions were followed, were part of cabin crew’s job.

“This woman is being attacked for just doing her job. It’s completely unjust,” Ms O’Toole said.