Azealia Banks Loses It on Flight

Hurls homophobic slur at flight attendant, among other things
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 22, 2015 2:48 PM CDT
Azealia Banks Loses It on Flight
Azealia Banks performs at the 2015 Coachella Music and Arts Festival on Friday, April 10, 2015, in Indio, Calif.   (Photo by Rich Fury/Invision/AP)

Azealia Banks lost it on a NY-to-LA flight last night, a passenger sitting next to her on the Delta plane tells TMZ. The passenger says just after the flight landed in the wee hours of this morning, the rapper tried to exit the plane but was blocked by a couple in a row ahead of hers as they took their luggage down from the overhead bin. As Banks tried to push past them, the witness says, the man put his hand out to stop her ... and all hell broke loose. Banks allegedly spit on the guy, punched him in the face, and tore at his shirt. After a flight attendant told Banks to calm down and grabbed her bag, Banks lost her balance, fell, stood back up, and then started fighting with the flight attendant over the bag. TMZ has (NSFW) video of the incident starting at this point, during which Banks ultimately throws a homophobic slur at the flight attendant, calling him a "f---ing [f-word]."

The co-pilot came on the scene at that point and said cops had been called; Banks left the plane so quickly she dropped her cell phone; and police found her at baggage claim. The couple, however, decided not to press charges because it would be too much trouble during their vacation. Banks says the man hit her in the face and "I don't tolerate men putting their hands on me," but TMZ's source says that's not true, all he did was put his hand up. Delta says, "We are aware of the situation and are looking into it." Banks has discussed the incident on Twitter, including an apparent justification for her use of the f-word: "I am bisexual. my brother is trans. My employees are all gay men. . Nothing else to say." She added later: "Cause yall KNOW, that they would've politely handed a white woman her bags and a spritzer. #whatever." (More celebrity stories.)

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