Actor Nathan Davis Jr Sues United Airlines For $10 Million Over Racial Profiling Accusations

BY Erika Marie 2.6K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Paras Griffin / Stringer / Getty Images
Nathan Davis Jr Lawsuit
Nathan Davis Jr. says that on while on a flight last December, a flight attendant accused him of having a gun and targeted him in a racially-motivated incident.

An experience with an airline company has prompted actor Nathan Davis Jr. to file a lawsuit. According to the Detroit and Runaways actor, he was on a United Airlines flight traveling from Houston to Nashville when a flight attendant, a woman, told him that he was playing his music in his headphones too loudly. She told Nathan he needed to turn his music down, so the actor did so. Other passengers were reportedly listening to music, as well, but the flight attendant only corrected Nathan.

Then, she returned a second and third time, accusing the actor of not complying with her requests. Passengers sitting next to him reportedly told Nathan that they couldn't hear his music at all. Nathan began recording the encounter, which included the attendant calling for security. “She’s literally calling the cops on me for listening to music. That’s crazy," he told Variety. The actor was told to collect his belongings before being escorted off of the plane, and while doing so, on his recording the flight attendant can be heard saying "he has a gun now" on the loudspeaker.

“The whole time I’m sitting there, thinking that there’s about to be all these cops that are about to point their guns at me, or they’re gonna see my phone and think it’s a gun and kill me,” he said. “I’m thinking there could have been an Air Marshal on the plane that could have attacked me. I just felt so alone. I’m just thinking to myself, ‘I’m gonna die. Nobody’s gonna know my story; all they’re going to know is there’s a Black kid in the hoodie and some sweats that just got gunned down by these cops because a flight attendant said he had a gun.’” 

Nathan Davis Jr. has reportedly "filed the racial discrimination lawsuit against United Airlines, ExpressJet Airlines — which operates as United Express, on behalf of United — and ManaAir." He's seeking $10 million in damages.

[via]


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.