In a recent incident at Sea-Tac International Airport, TikTok influencer Jae’lynn Chaney found herself embroiled in controversy after accusing an airport worker of mistreatment due to her size. Chaney, who identifies as “plus-size,” recounted an experience where she was allegedly denied wheelchair assistance, leading to physical distress upon disembarking from the plane, as reported by the New York Post.
Plus Size Influencer has MELTDOWN after airport worker refused to push her in a wheelchair out of the plane due to her size.
Jae’lynn Chaney who uses She/Her pronouns in her bio, and regularly posts TikTok videos complaining about the size of seats on planes, claimed she was… pic.twitter.com/OMyNBvfzaf
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) May 20, 2024
Chaney’s narrative, shared with her substantial TikTok following, depicted a scenario where she felt disregarded and humiliated by the airport employee’s actions. Despite requesting assistance, Chaney claimed the worker abandoned her at the jet bridge, forcing her to navigate the lengthy walk unaided and resulting in near-fainting.
“I’m a plus-size wheelchair user and on a recent flight to the Sea-Tac airport, I requested wheelchair assistance, as I always do,” the narration said on Chaney’s post. “When it came time for me to deplane, I saw the employee who would be assisting me with my wheelchair waiting for me in the entry of the jet bridge.”
“As I approached her and she realized she’d be assisting me and not one of the smaller passengers she started to walk away with the wheelchair while making comments about my size,” she claimed.
“By the time she let me reach the wheelchair and sit down my lips were white, my oxygen levels had dropped, and I almost fainted,” the morbidly obese woman added.
However, skepticism surrounding Chaney’s account has emerged, with critics questioning her entitlement and the portrayal of her experiences on social media. Some argue that Chaney’s insistence on additional seating due to her size, coupled with her publicized struggles, promote obesity and place undue pressure on airline staff.
Furthermore, Chaney’s past controversies, such as soliciting passengers to cover fees for her extra seat, have raised doubts about the authenticity of her claims and the underlying motives behind her social media presence.
While Chaney framed the incident as an act of discrimination and called for solidarity among marginalized individuals, detractors caution against conflating genuine instances of discrimination with perceived entitlement and self-promotion.
As the controversy unfolds, the airport and airline authorities have yet to issue a response, leaving room for ongoing scrutiny and debate surrounding Chaney’s narrative and the responsibilities of social media influencers in shaping public discourse on sensitive issues.
