Booted from flight, comedian accuses racism

[Midnight Mike]

New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com
Booted from flight, comedian accuses
BY CHRISENA COLEMAN, DANIELLE WARD and NANCY DILLON
DAILY NEWS WRITERS
Tuesday, July 25th, 2006

TV star Mo'Nique got kicked off a United Airlines flight Sunday after getting into a spat with a flight attendant, and this time the comedian isn't laughing - she's crying racism.
"I felt like I was being treated like an animal," said the 38-year-old celebrity, whose seldom-used full name is Mo'Nique Imes-Hicks. "This happens to black people all the time, and they don't have a voice. I have a voice."

The "Phat Girlz" actress, rumored to be in line to replace Star Jones on "The View," told the Daily News the incident started when her hair stylist stashed a hair dryer in a first-class bin. While Mo'Nique was flying in the front of the cabin, her aide was in coach.

The "Showtime at the Apollo" host said she tried to keep her cool when a flight attendant first questioned the stylist's actions. But things escalated when another flight attendant allegedly refused to believe the beauty tool belonged to Mo'Nique.

"Tell your people that the next time they have an attitude, they are being thrown off. ... Since 9/11, we don't play around," one flight attendant allegedly told Mo'Nique.

"Are you equating my hair dryer with 9/11?" Mo'Nique said she retorted.

The exchange ended in Mo'Nique being escorted back to Chicago's O'Hare Airport, where, according to the star, a supervisor called local police to complain of a "disgruntled and belligerent passenger." "It was humiliating," Mo'Nique said.

Chicago police declined to comment yesterday, but Mo'Nique said one of the responding officers was black - and eventually sided with her.

"You can't do this to her," the officer told the United supervisor, according to the actress.

Desperate to get to New York, where she taped two episodes of "The View" yesterday as a guest host, the actress and her entourage took their case to a sympathetic United agent at another counter, who booked them on the next flight.

"We regret that Ms. Imes felt in any way that she was not treated with courtesy and respect," United spokeswoman Jean Medina said. "There was a confrontation involving a customer that caused the flight to be delayed. When a situation occurs on a flight that causes a delay, or disruption, we must act in the best interest of all of our customers."

Still, Mo'Nique hopes to unite other customers in a boycott of United.

"I won't [fly United again], and I hope no other black person will fly them either," she told the Daily News after venting her frustration on WBLS' "The Steve Harvey Morning Show."cco

[PhilDernerJr]

I fail to see where the racism came into play. Just saying ANYTHING to her is racist because she's black?

[T-Bird76]

Yeah I see Black people getting kicked off planes all the time :roll: What a stupid bitch! Although she sounds like the perfect person to replace that freak Star Jones on the Veiw.

[Mellyrose]

Drama queen!

[Midnight Mike]

I guess she believes that this is racism:

"Tell your people that the next time they have an attitude, they are being thrown off. ... Since 9/11, we don't play around," one flight attendant allegedly told Mo'Nique.

Why did she feel like an animal, unless they asked her to eat off of the floor?

[hiss srq]

Ego's, poweplays, and drama try flying fruits like this around. Jerry Springer ((shudders)) they all act invinceable to these things. Good on United for doint this. I hope that she learned her lesson from this. Airlines have rules too.

[Midnight Mike]

Speaking of animal, not very nice to be sitting in 1st class & then having your personal assistant sitting in coach, talk about treating your staff like an animal or, if your personal assistant was white, would that be racism?

Just a thought?

[RDU-JFK]

You have to be careful these days...people unnecessarily play the race card way too often, especially something as proposterous as this.

[Matt Molnar]

Pot calling the kettle black. Her now-cancelled sitcom, The Parkers, was was one of the most racist shows in recent history, essentially the female version of The Wayans Brothers, which itself was a modern version of Amos 'n' Andy.

[PhilDernerJr]

Just sainyg "your people" is not racist, of course. She made a jump of assumption to think that the F/A was referring to her skin color, and she has no argument to back that up. She only took offense either out of opportunism or because of an inferiority complex.

[Midnight Mike]

Oh yeah, she claimed that she would never fly on United again & called for a boycott, yet, was rebooked on United. I guess she was happy to fly on a racist airline.

I won't [fly United again], and I hope no other black person will fly them either," she told the Daily News after venting her frustration on WBLS' "The Steve Harvey Morning Show."

Desperate to get to New York, where she taped two episodes of "The View" yesterday as a guest host, the actress and her entourage took their case to a sympathetic United agent at another counter, who booked them on the next flight.

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