U.S. Airways said crew members deny using racial slurs during an altercation with an actor who was removed from a flight for disruptive behavior.
Tropic Thunder star Brandon T. Jackson was escorted from a U.S. Airways flight Monday at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, after arguing with flight attendants, E! News reports.
Police determined no crime was committed and released Jackson. The 29-year-old sent 21 tweets throughout the incident, accusing a crew member of calling him “the N-word.”
The airline denied the actor’s allegations in a statement: “We’ve spoken with the crewmembers involved and they deny any use of the N word or racist slurs with Mr. Jackson. Customer was disruptive and our crew made the right decision to stop serving him alcohol…this is in line with federal regulations and our policies. US Airways fully supports the actions of the crew in this situation.”
U.S. Airways also emphasized its support of its attendants. “This is really a case of a customer creating a disruption onboard and our crew responding appropriately. End of story.”
Jackson’s representation, Creative Artists Agency and ML Management, were not immediately available for comment Wednesday, the Associated Press reports.
[E! News]