Model Speaks Out After United Airlines Flight Attendant Body-Shamed Her Mid-Flight

Three things are true: many people take flights every day in the U.S., many Americans are overweight, and people often make a habit of offering completely unsolicited advice to larger individuals in completely the wrong way and in utterly inappropriate circumstances.

Supermodel Tess Holliday was unfortunately the victim of all of these elements converging during a recent flight with her child on United Airlines.

According to Holliday, who rose to fame as a plus-sized supermodel in the mid-2010s, she had booked into first class with her son, who was very excited to be in first class for the first time. She got up to use the bathroom, which even in first class is not the largest of spaces, and accidentally turned on the "call flight attendant" button with her hip while in the bathroom.

After assuring the flight attendant who came over that it was an accident, she thought that where the conversation would stop, but unfortunately the flight attendant continued talking.

At first, Holliday recounted, it seemed like she had someone on her side in the form of the flight attendant, who commiserated with her issues navigating the miniscule bathroom with a story about his sister, also a woman of larger size.

But then he started in on how his sister—and Holliday herself—should think about losing weight, devolving into alleged concern for Holliday's general health.

Then, Holliday said, it got even worse: he brought up her son and the example she was setting for him.

All this for an accidentally pressed button? Holliday excused herself from the conversation and went back to her seat, thinking that the whole unpleasant episode was over, but there was one last sting. The same flight attendant came around a few minutes later and offered her child some gummies "so that [he] wouldn't be tempted."

Holliday escalated her complaint with the airline and asked that that employee not be terminated, but that he did receive some targeted training.

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People in the comments shared their nightmare stories about flying in a larger body.

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Some people, like Holliday, often try to fly only first class in hopes of not having to navigate the tiny seats in economy that seem to shrink every year. However, as Holliday proved, you can only buy yourself out of so many problems in a larger body.

People will still give unsolicited feedback under the guise of advice and concern for your health—even in first class.

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Many people pointed out that the flight attendant probably had some internal issues that they were projecting.

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But unsolicited advice, given in an inappropriate way in an impolite place to a complete stranger, is just plain rude.

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She should be commended for keeping her cool.

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Holliday's recent book publication of Take Up Space, Y'All came out a couple months ago and is selling well at bookstores.