Singer Bebe Rexha called her recent banning from a Lufthansa flight as a "hate crime" after she spoke to a male airport security agent in Albanian, assuming he also spoke the language.
The 34-year-old "I'm Good (Blue)" singer is a Brooklyn, New York native whose family is of Albanian and North Macedonian descent.
According to the New York Post, Rexha was at Munich International Airport in Germany headed for the U.S. on Saturday when the incident occurred.
The text overlay in a video she posted on her Instagram story read:
“Lufthansa, I’ve been threatened because I thought the security agent was Albanian. I spoke to him in Albanian asking where to get my ticket and now he is banning me from the flight."
Rexha, in tears, alleged in the video:
“The supervisor for this flight on Lufthansa is threatening me."
Here is another clip shared by Page Six.
- YouTubeyoutu.be
Rexha said the man failed to identify himself and continued abusing his position in charge, while none of the female agents intervened in an attempt to de-escalate the situation.
“Not one of the women at Lufthansa stepped in or said something,” recalled Rexha.
@beberexha/Instagram
She later discovered that the security agent worked for an aviation service company called ATSG.
“I just found out he works for ATSG a service company document control hired by Lufthansa," said Rexha.
In another video, Rexha declared:
“I believe this to be a hate crime because I am Albanian."
“He would not let me take his name. He continued to mentally abuse me to make me feel like he was more powerful than he was.”
Rexha has endured a series of hardships in recent years.
In a 2019 interview with Cosmopolitan, she opened up about being sexually harassed, including by an unnamed music producer who she said was "really famous."
In June 2023, Rexha was assaulted when a cell phone was thrown at her during a concert in New Jersey. The incident left her with a black eye and required stitches.
Her assailant was quickly identified and arrested for assault and battery. The man admitted to committing the act and thought it would be a funny prank.
In July, Rexha reached a boiling point with the music industry. Without going into specifics, she vented in a series of tweets saying she was "fed up" with being “undermined” and constantly silenced throughout her career.
She added she “could bring down a BIG chunk of this industry” with what she knows.
Fans rallied for the singer to be left alone.
Rexha's father, Flamur Rexha, was born in Debar, a city in the western region of North Macedonia, and her mother, Bukurije Rexha, was born in the U.S. to an Albanian family with roots in Gostivar, a city in North Macedonia.
The singer also shared videos that her mother posted on her Instagram story.
“Bebe was subjected to abusive conduct by an airport agent, which constituted a clear violation of my rights as a passenger," claimed the protective mother.
Bukurije Rexha also threatened to take legal action, saying:
“The agent’s behavior was not only unprofessional but also discriminatory and degrading, causing significant emotional distress."
“This incident may warrant legal action for harassment, emotional distress, and potential violations of applicable consumer protection and anti-discrimination laws.”
She added:
“Please investigate the male officer who threatened a woman for speaking Albanian, pull your cameras.”
The singer posted an update on Saturday and said Lufthansa representatives responded.
“I have never been so emotionally drained," she said, adding:
"Lufthansa has direct messaged me but I urge them to do a full investigation on finding out who this man who was abusing his power is."
"An ‘I’m sorry’ is not gonna cut it this time.”
u/Duskymoonlight/Reddit
u/Duskymoonlight/Reddit