Sandra “Pepa” Denton of the legendary hip-hop group Salt-N-Pepa was recently embroiled in a controversy on board a Southwest Airlines flight. According to TMZ, as a result of her still lingering injuries from a 2018 car crash, the rapper had ordered two seats.
The incident only heightening when one of the flight attendants told Pepa that she could only have one seat because there was no cast present, despite being on a knee brace. Following a little discussion between her and the crew, Pepa was allowed to have both seats initially.
The row took a different turn when another male passenger grabbed the extra seat and loudly claimed that he was on his way to a funeral. After more bargaining, the said seat was finally given to the man.
Feeling frustrated, Pepa then called her assistant, who advised her to document the encounter. This turned out rather opportune, as only minutes later, the rapper was asked to leave the flight. Southwest Airlines claimed that they did not feel safe flying with her after she recorded what happened.
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Pepa took to Instagram and posted a video of the conversation regarding what transpired between her and the Southwest Airlines employees, putting the situation in the public eye.
The airline refunded Denton $2,500 for the seats after the fact. She had also paid $300 for a greeter for wheelchair assistance and another $500 for car service that she didn’t get the opportunity to use since she was being ejected.
The Kingston, Jamaica native says she will sue the airline over the incident due to possible violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The incident once again raised in the public eye travails people with disabilities often face while traveling by air and threw questions at airline policies and passenger rights.