Tess Holliday Accuses United Flight Attendant of Fat-Shaming Her
Tess Holliday has brought attention to a troubling incident involving a United Airlines flight attendant, accusing them of fat-shaming her during a flight. The body-positive activist shared her experience of being confronted over her weight while flying first class with her nine-year-old son, Bowie.
Tess Holliday’s United Airlines Incident
The incident occurred on a United flight departing from Tampa. Holliday accidentally triggered the call button in the airplane restroom. When she exited, instead of offering assistance, the flight attendant launched into an unsolicited 10-minute lecture about her body and health.
Details of the Confrontation
- The flight attendant noted Holliday was traveling with her child.
- He suggested that losing weight would benefit her health.
- To emphasize his point, the attendant compared Holliday to his “very, very large” sister.
- He stated that his sister also “needed to lose weight,” highlighting concerns about the long-term health effects.
Holliday described her reaction as one of shock and fear of creating a scene in front of her son. She recalled, “This went on for about 10 minutes, and I think I was just frozen.”
Aftermath and United Airlines’ Response
United Airlines eventually issued an apology for the incident. However, Holliday made it clear that she did not want the flight attendant to lose his job. Instead, she advocated for sensitivity training within the airline.
She expressed her hopes that this incident could inspire broader educational efforts to combat fat-shaming, particularly in the aviation industry. Holliday suggested that United Airlines connect with the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAFA) as part of these changes.
Background and Advocacy
Ironically, Holliday was returning from a speaking engagement where she had addressed 500 middle and high school students. The focus of her talk included how to handle bullying related to body size.
Despite her distressing encounter, Holliday utilized social media to further share her experience and advocate for change. A representative for United Airlines has not commented on the matter since the incident.
