Heavy "DWTS" alum Jessie James Decker slammed United Airlines, saying her sister was "humiliated" on one of their flights.
Country singer Jessie James Decker, who competed on season 31 of “Dancing With the Stars,” slammed United Airlines. She claimed her 22-week pregnant sister, Sydney Rae Bass, was “humiliated” while traveling with her daughters, Blaire, 2, and Brooklyn Rae, 5.
“My sister @sydneyraebass just texted me from her flight on @united. As you know, she is five months pregnant, high-risk, and also traveling alone with her two small children,” Decker, 34, wrote via Instagram, per People. “Blaire accidentally spilled some popcorn in the aisle, and the flight attendant came up to Sydney with a trash bag and a wet wipe, telling her the captain wants Syd to clean up every drop.”
“My poor sister is on her hands and knees, crying in the aisle, completely humiliated and exhausted, with her children while everyone else watched,” the “DWTS” alum continued, according to People. “Way to go, United.”
According to Decker, Bass was told to clean up the popcorn because it was a “safety hazard.” Decker — who has three children of her own — was confused why United would provide their travelers with popcorn if they considered it as a potential danger.
Bass, 31, didn’t issue a statement of her own, but she did post a picture of Blaire holding a bag of SkinnyPop. She smiled in the picture. “She so cute 😍,” Bass wrote via Instagram on April 17.
The Association of Flight Attendants, the union that represents the United crew, told NBC News in a statement on April 18 that flight attendants and travelers share the responsibility of keeping an aircraft cabin clean.
“We want this space to serve the needs of everyone on the plane and that takes strict safety rules and a recognition that we’re sharing the aircraft cabin to do something we can’t do alone,” the rep told NBC News, though not directly addressing Bass’ situation.
“It wouldn’t be a day in aviation without a raging debate on Twitter over an event in the air, even if we don’t have all of the facts,” the union continued, per NBC News. “Our experience tells us that commenting on this specific incident without all of the information likely won’t help.”
However, Jacqueline Whitmore, an expert in etiquette and former flight attendant, told Today that it was not professional for a United Airlines employee to ask a traveler to get on her hands and knees to clean up the cabin.
“It’s the flight attendant’s job to come around occasionally to pick up trash and other debris,” Whitmore — who founded The Protocol School of Palm Beach — told the publication. “Anything that falls on the floor generally stays there until the plane has landed and the clean-up crew comes on board.”
Bass’ Husband Called Out United Too
Bass’ husband, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Bass, also criticized United.
“The flight attendant @united just made my 22 week pregnant wife traveling with a 5 year old and 2 year old get on her hands and knees to pick up the popcorn mess by my youngest daughter. Are you kidding me?!?!” he tweeted on April 16.
Anthony Bass posted a photo of Blaire sitting in an aisle seat while she played on an iPad. Popcorn kernels are noticeably strewn about under the seat.
Although United didn’t provide a public statement, the baseball player said the company was dealing with the matter privately.
“Thank you everyone for the support,” he tweeted on April 17. “United Airlines is taking care of matters with the flight attendant internally.”
The Popcorn Mess Sparked a Debate Online
The situation sparked a debate online. Some people said the mess could have been a teaching opportunity for Bass’ children, while others thought it was harsh to have a pregnant woman clean up the popcorn.
“She was flying alone. W two kids. Pregnant. Just stop. We all have jobs. Crews do this every day. It’s popcorn. Not puke. Vacuum’s work great,” one person wrote.
Others feared that Bass could get a United Airlines worker dismissed from their position because of his complaint.
“You’re going to get someone fired because your family can’t control your kids and is unwilling to clean up after them when they throw things on the ground. Congratulations, this is the person you’ve become,” they tweeted.
A similar debate went down on Instagram under Sydney Bass’ post of Blaire holding the SkinnyPop bag.
“Clean up after your own child 😵💫,” the most popular comment says.
“Accidents happen. I’m sure flight attendants have cleaning supplies. All these moms out here being crazy saying she should crawl on the floor immediately and cleanup,” another top comment says.