Plus-sized model confronts plane passenger who sent ‘mean’ texts about her weight
A plus-sized model has filmed the moment she confronted an American Airlines passengers after he "fat-shamed" her in text messages to his friends.
Natalie Hage, from Texas, was travelling to Los Angeles for a photoshoot on Thursday when she noticed the man seated next to her began "loudly huffing and sighing."
The 30-year-old said she had paid $91 for extra leg room, but found herself in a centre seat, which did not help her flying anxiety.
"As soon as I sat down, the gentleman on my left began loudly huffing, sighing, and readjusting himself in his seat," Ms Hage wrote to Instagram with a photo of the man's phone.
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"I see him furiously texting and then purposefully turning the phone away from me. so, naturally next time he texts, I take a look".
The model said the "mean and ugly" texts referenced what she had eaten and marks he had been left with from being pushed against the window.
"If you can't read the texts, it says 'hopefully she didn't have any mexican food' and his response is 'I think she ate a mexican'," Ms Hage wrote.
"Then he proceeds to say he's leaving a 'neck mark on the window' because he's so smashed against the wall."
Just before the passengers got off the flight, Ms Hage decided to confront the passenger.
He initially denies sending the messages, before the model tells him she has photographic evidence and he apologises.
The man then asks Ms Hage if she was "fit" enough to be seated in an exit row and whether she could assist people in an emergency.
"I work out about five times a week, I'm here for a shoot, I'm a model," Ms Hage responded.
"My body is none of your business so you have no idea what I can and can't do with it."
After the exchange, Ms Hage uploaded a picture of the man's phone, his lap and footage of their conversation to her social media accounts.
The video has been viewed more than 1.2 million times.
