Matthew Lush, a vlogger with over 500,000 subscribers on YouTube, said that he was banned by JetBlue airlines after a series of tweets he posted last week.
Lush started cracking jokes on Twitter about a JetBlue customer service representative named Regina.
Don't fly @JetBlue! Their customer service is horrible! Especially Regina 87346. She is ruining my Thanksgiving vacation <img src="https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v1/72x72/1f494.png"><img src="https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v1/72x72/1f62d.png">
He and his followers started comparing her to Regina George from Mean Girls.
@Nickalaws @MatthewLush I heard she once made out with a hotdog #ByeRegina87346
#ByeRegina87346 @JetBlue
Evil takes human form in Regina87346 #ByeRegina87346 @MatthewLush
Raise your hand if you've been personally victimized by Regina 87346 #byeregina87346 @MatthewLush
On Wednesdays they wear blue. Don't fly @JetBlue ! ✈️ #ByeRegina87346
When people try to tell me how much they like Regina 87346 #byeregina87346 @MatthewLush
He tweeted Mean Girls photos and Photoshops.
Can I get you guys anything? Some snacks? A condom? Let me know! #ByeRegina87346
@MatthewLush @JetBlue #ByeRegina87346
Then a few days later when Lush arrived for his flight, he alerted his followers on Twitter that JetBlue was removing him from the terminal.
Holy fuck @JetBlue is kicking me out of their terminals!!! Saying I'm a security threat!!!! WHAT THE FUCK
Are you kidding me? I now have to find a new flight last minute because @JetBlue is banning me from their flights cause Im a security threat
Lush said that a JetBlue representative told him at the gate that his tweets led the company to believe he was a physical threat.
Could you imagine showing up for your flight and having employees escort you out because you're a "safety threat"?!? Wow @JetBlue 😡😡😡😡😡
I've been seriously mistreated by @JetBlue, is this how they treat their customers? Or only their LGBTQA+ customers?
"They say I'm a security threat and that I'm not allowed to fly with them ever again," Lush said in a YouTube video about the whole ordeal. "I have never in a million years thought this day would come."
I've been seriously mistreated by @JetBlue, is this how they treat their customers? Or only their LGBTQA+ customers?
If anyone needs me, I'll be crying in a corner.
Lush ended up taking a Virgin America flight instead.
Thank you @VirginAmerica for saving me tonight. ✈️🌴☀️
You can listen to Lush's whole video about the incident here.
View this video on YouTube
The hashtag #BoycottJetBlue has been trending amongst Lush's fans, many furious that the YouTube star was banned from the airline.
The only way @MatthewLush can be a security threat is when you compare how insecure JetBlue is about their customer service #BoycottJetBlue
Why is @JetBlue ignoring the fact that what they did was wrong? They need to start answering, they abused their power #BoycottJetBlue
Never flying with @JetBlue again. Censoring and banning people doesn't fly with me #BoycottJetBlue
A JetBlue spokesperson released a statement saying that removing Lush was a careful and informed decision:
The decision to remove any customer from a flight is made after careful and informed decision by local airport officials and flight crew. It's based on an individual's actions and our assessment whether further actions during the flight would lead to further disruption or non-compliance with crew member instructions which could lead to diversion and delays for all customers.
A JetBlue spokesperson in a statement to BuzzFeed News clarified that Lush was not banned for life, but from that specific flight. Lush was not allowed to board the flight due to the fact that he identified the customer service representative by name and then incited his followers to tweet threatening things at her.