Jason Derulo Says Celebrity Status Saved Him From American Airlines Discrimination
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Singer Jason Derulo says his celebrity status is the only thing that kept him out of cuffs after being discriminated against by American Airlines employees.
Derulo took to Instagram over Wednesday's incident at Miami International Airport, writing, "I spent millions on your airline throughout the past ten years between myself and my entire staff but have still experienced racial discrimination today at Miami airport!!! Called 15 police officers on me as if I'm a criminal!"
It all stems from a baggage check-in mix-up.
In a video obtained by TMZ, Derulo said that he is a Concierge Key member of American Airlines, which allows him to bring unlimited bags onto a plane.
Derulo and his crew tried checking in nearly 20 bags, but apparently it was too late to do so.
"The passenger arrived at the airport at baggage cutoff – 45 minutes prior to departure – and the bags were unable to be checked in time for flight 275," American Airlines said in a statement.
The singer continued to board the plane, leaving one person behind to check the bags on a later flight.
However, Derulo said he received a call that his team member would have to pay $6,000 to check the luggage.
Outraged that he's a Concierge Key member and shouldn't have to pay to check in the cases, Derulo demanded the plane be turned around so he could get off.
American Airlines confirmed the R&B star tried checking in an exorbitant amount of bags.
"Our most elite customers receive three checked bags, free of charge. A representative of the passenger attempted to check 19 bags," the statement read.
According to Miami-Dade police, officers were called to Gate D-30 in "reference a dispute on American Airlines flight 275 to Los Angeles that was returning to the gate."
The police report stated the captain of the plane got into a heated argument with Derulo.
In the TMZ video, Derulo said the captain repeatedly cursed at him as if was a child.
Derulo went on to say that if he wasn't a world-renowned superstar, he would have been arrested on the spot.
"Soon as they find out who I am, the whole gear changes. It's all relaxed and it's all cool," he said. "If I was not who I was, if I wasn't Jason Derulo, I wouldn't be here right now, I'd be in (expletive) cuffs. It's 100 percent racial because the initial thought in people's minds is 'these hoodlums are causing problems.'"
American Airlines said Derulo rebooked with his checked bags on a later flight this evening.
