Airport horror stories are becoming increasingly common, and today, Salt-N-Pepa’s Pepa, real name Sandra Denton, experienced one herself. As reported in news, the rapper was on a Southwest Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Nashville for a meeting when she was removed and deemed a safety risk.
Rapper and reality star Sandra “Pepa” Denton alleges she was wrongfully removed from a Southwest Airlines flight before takeoff. Denton claims she was accused of filming the crew and passengers, which made them feel unsafe, but she insists this did not happen.
On July 15, Denton posted a video on Instagram showing her waiting for assistance after being removed from the plane. She explained to her fans that she was removed after the flight attendants erroneously claimed she was recording them. Denton clarified that she was actually on a FaceTime call with her assistant, expressing her dissatisfaction with her treatment.
The “Push It” chart-topper shared that she had purchased two seats to accommodate her knee injury from a 2018 car crash. Despite having boarding passes marked “disabled,” she received pushback from the crew. “These people took me off the plane, brought another man on the plane, and took me off. I’m not trying to make it about race, but you know I’m not trying to do that,” she said.
Denton mentioned that a flight attendant initially told her she couldn’t use both seats because she didn’t have a cast or boot. After showing her knee brace, the attendant apologized and allowed her to sit with access to both seats. However, Denton was later removed from the plane, and another passenger took her seats.
Southwest Airlines has an open seating policy where passengers choose their seats once on board. The airline’s website encourages customers needing extra room to purchase additional seats, which Denton did. A fellow passenger asked to sit in Denton’s extra seat, claiming he was on his way to a funeral. Denton explained she needed the second seat, but the man insisted and caused a commotion. Denton reached out to her assistant on Face Time, which was mistaken for her recording the incident.
As a result, Denton was removed from the flight. Southwest staff stated that she was removed for allegedly recording people on the plane and being disruptive. The male flight attendant claimed the crew didn’t feel safe with her on the plane.
One fan on Pepa’s social media asked, “Filming in the world of social media is unsafe?” Another commented, “She boarded as a woman of color with a disability and was treated discriminatorily on many levels. To be escorted by the police from the gate? Her treatment was unjustified.”
Denton was removed for not complying with crew instructions and was reimbursed $2,500 for her two seats. “I never thought I would be part of the Southwest crowd of getting kicked off the plane,” she told her fans live. “It’s Pepa. I can’t believe it.”
Her 399K followers expressed their disbelief and support. One person wrote, “Call your lawyer.” Another asked, “What about your comfort and your knee? You bought a second ticket; it shouldn’t be a discussion.”
“You handled this with grace and class,” another follower commented. “I pray that whatever meeting you missed, you reschedule and it brings you everything you are praying for.”
According to Pepa, other passengers who witnessed the incident agreed to write letters complaining about her being wrongfully removed from the plane.
