Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am has started a Twitter war with Qantas after accusing the airline of being "racist".
In a series of tweets sent out by will.i.am, the artist has accused a flight attendant of acting differently towards "people of colour" while on a flight from Brisbane to Sydney.
The first tweet sent out read: "I’m sorry to say me and my group have experienced they worse service due to a overly aggressive flight attendant... I don’t want to believe she racist. But she has clearly aimed all her frustrations only at the people of colour."
I’m currently on a flight from Brisbane to Sydney.
I’m sorry to say me and my group have experienced they worse service due to a overly aggressive flight attendant...
I don’t want to believe she racist.
But she has clearly aimed all her frustrations only at the people of colour— will.i.am (@iamwill) November 16, 2019
The following tweet sent out by the performer shows a police officer waiting at the gate after his flight landed. After naming the Qantas flight attendant, he explains that the incident began because he failed to take off his noise-cancelling headphones.
This is how your greeted when you land from Brisbane to Sydney flying @qantas with a #RacistFlightattendant named Lorraine Marshall...She sent the police after me bacause I couldn’t hear the P.A while making beats on the plane wearing noise canceling headphones... pic.twitter.com/9xT7WqTUoO
— will.i.am (@iamwill) November 16, 2019
will.i.am then said that other passengers "testified that SHE was out of control".
.@Qantas Your #RacistFlightattendant was beyond rude & took it to the next level by calling the police on me. thank god the other passengers testified that SHE was out of Control ?? the police finally let me go. imagine if the police were as aggressive as Lorraine Marshall ?
— will.i.am (@iamwill) November 16, 2019
The hip-hop artist spoke to Australia's Daily Telegraph following the flight, and said that police will not be pursuing the matter.
Hip hop star https://t.co/9Q8Zakk56T has described his racist treatment on a Qantas flight as “like a police state” after the airline called police to greet him on arrival at Sydney airport. LISTEN TO OUR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE BLACK EYED PEAS FRONTMAN ??? pic.twitter.com/FRaHLiKA3t
— The Daily Telegraph (@dailytelegraph) November 16, 2019
will.i.am and his Black Eyed Peas bandmates Taboo and Apl.de.ap are currently on their 'Masters Of The Sun' tour and were on their way to perform at Giants Stadium in Sydney when the incident occurred.