So you know that video that went viral that allegedly showed Delta kicking off a passenger for speaking Arabic? Well, apparently, Delta investigated the situation, and now says it’s not quite what it all seemed. In a statement obtained by LawNewz.com, the airline said that after collecting statements from “multiple passengers,” they have concluded that YouTube star Adam Saleh, and his travel mate, were actually trying to disrupt the plane with “provocative behavior,” and were shouting.
Adam Saleh, who has more than 1.6 million YouTube subscribers, posted a video on Twitter that claimed that passengers complained of feeling “uncomfortable” after he spoke to his mom in Arabic and he was subsequently escorted off the plane. “WTFFFFF,” he wrote on Twitter after getting kicked off the London-to-New York flight. He urged others to spread the word and #BoycottDelta. This video has been retweeted more than 600,000 times.
Well, a spokesperson from Delta Airlines just sent this statement to LawNewz.com.
Upon landing the crew was debriefed and multiple passenger statements collected. Based on the information collected to date, it appears the customers who were removed sought to disrupt the cabin with provocative behavior, including shouting. This type of conduct is not welcome on any Delta flight. While one, according to media reports, is a known prankster who was video recorded and encouraged by his traveling companion, what is paramount to Delta is the safety and comfort of our passengers and employees. It is clear these individuals sought to violate that priority.
This comes after reports earlier today from veteran journalist Soledad O’Brien, who said a lot of passengers were “disputing the call to mom.”
As Mediaite reported earlier, Saleh is known for producing fake Anti-muslim videos, and it would not be the first time that mainstream outlets “fell for them.” So far, Saleh has not released any additional comments on what happened. If we hear of anything more, we will update this post.