Tamar Braxton is publicly speaking out for the first time since being lectured by a Delta Air Lines pilot late last month. And she says she doesn’t blame the airline but does believe she was targeted.
“It’s not even the company,” she explains to TMZ at LAX Monday, Aug. 6. “Sometimes … you just gotta get rid of the bad people. It doesn’t mean the company is bad.”
As for if she feels she would have been treated differently if she were white, Braxton says the way people see her on TV could be to blame for the way things were handled.
Credit: TMZ
“I think that because of what people perceived on television is why I was targeted in the first place,” she said. “And that wasn’t really fair because I did nothing wrong. I did nothing but sit in my seat, put my seatbelt on and try to get home to my son.”
Braxton added she tries her best to be respectful to everyone and called the situation “unfortunate.”
“Sometimes you hire people who make bad decisions,” she concluded.
The star’s sister, Towanda Braxton, uploaded the clip on her Instagram page July 26 showing a pilot talking down to the singer.
“Here’s how this works, my flight attendants work for me. They give orders that come from me, OK? And so if you get an instruction from a flight attendant, I need to know that you are willing and able to do what you are told to do,” the pilot told Tamar. “Are you willing and able to do what you’re told to do by a flight attendant? Don’t ask me any questions. Answer yes or no.”
When Tamar answered “yes,” the pilot stormed off.
Delta later issued a statement to Fox News saying it was investigating accusations of discrimination.
“It’s crucial for the safety of every flight for customers to be willing and able to follow crew instructions,” the airline said. “When these customers exhibited some unusual behavior and refused to acknowledge our flight attendant’s instructions, the captain addressed them directly to ensure the safety and security of the entire flight.”
