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'Wicked' Star Marissa Bode Speaks Out After She's Turned Away From Boarding Flight Due To Her Wheelchair
Bode quipped:
"As long as airlines are s**ty, I'm going to continue to talk about it."
In this particular instance, her agent called ahead to book the flight, and had to go through Southern Airways, as it was the only airline with a flight into the town where Bode was booked for a speaking engagement in Pennsylvania. Her agent explained at the time of booking that Bode had a wheelchair, and the person booking the flights said that would not be an issue.
But when Bode got off of one flight and approached the Southern Airways gate for her connecting flight, she was stopped by the two gate-check flight attendants, who asked if she'd be able to stand and walk from her wheelchair.
When she said no, they refused to allow her to board the plane, because the passage to the plane only included stairs, not a ramp, and they were allegedly unprepared to accommodate her wheelchair.
You can watch the video here:
Fellow TikTokers side-eyed Southern, referencing this magical invention called a "ramp."
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Others applauded Bode for speaking up and reassured her that this was about her life, not "convenience."
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In a follow-up video, Bode further clarified that her agent did call ahead to book the flight and asked at that time if a wheelchair could be accommodated, and the person booking the flight assured him would not be an issue.
Further, Bode brought this up to the two flight attendants at the gate and even got her agent on the phone, who spoke to them about the arrangement, while both doubled down and called it "poor communication."
The gate agents also attempted to blame Bode's wheelchair for the situation, claiming that it would be too heavy, even though it's lighter than most suitcases, and too large, even though it folds to a compact size.
Fortunately, Bode did hear from the Director of Southern Airways, who was shocked by how the situation was handled. Still, apologies and financial compensation will not correct what happened; only improved accessibility will.
You can watch the follow-up video here:
Fellow TikTokers applauded Bode for using her platform to speak up about accessibility.
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There are still some spaces in the world that are more easily accessed by stairs, but in 2026, there is no excuse not to accommodate people however they need to travel. A temporary ramp would be an easy solution for Southern Airways, and people who use wheelchairs, strollers, and walkers, and even people who simply prefer a ramp to stairs, would all benefit from it.
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Karoline Leavitt Made An Awkwardly Prescient Joke About The Correspondents' Dinner Before The Shooting
Before entering this year's event, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stopped to talk to Fox News on the red carpet.
Fox News host Jimmy Failla said:
"This man [President Trump who was scheduled to speak] is ready to rumble, is he not?"
Leavitt replied:
"He is ready to rumble. I will tell you this speech tonight will be classic Donald J. Trump."
"It will be funny. It will be entertaining. There will be some shots fired tonight in the room."
"Everyone should tune in, it’s gonna be really great. I’m looking forward to hearing it."
You can see her comments here:
When asked if she helped Trump prepare for the WHCD, Leavitt replied:
"I can't take credit. In true Donald Trump fashion, the man puts his pen to the paper himself. So it's a lot of his own work."
After the incident, Leavitt's quip blew up on all major social media platforms and across the globe.
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On X, people roasted Leavitt over the comment and raised questions about the timing of the incident.
@OhMaybeNo/X
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On Sunday, Leavitt took to X to heap praise upon Trump, writing:
"What was supposed to be a fun night at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner with President Trump delivering jokes and celebrating free speech was hijacked by a depraved crazy person who sought to assassinate the President and kill as many top Trump administration officials as possible."
@PressSec/X
Leavitt's last act as White House press secretary was supposed to be the WHCD, but she announced Monday morning that she'd hold a press briefing at 1 pm, postponing her maternity leave for an undisclosed period of time.
Conspiracy theories began to spread quickly after the news of the shooting became public. Fuel was added to the fire by a press briefing given by Trump shortly after the incident where he focused on the shooting being proof his golden ballroom vanity project being a necessity.
On April 16, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ordered a halt to aboveground construction on Trump's $400 million ballroom in a case brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.