‘Are You Kidding Me?!’: Flight Attendant Forced Pregnant Mom to Clean up Floor after Toddler’s Spill

A five-month-pregnant mother boarded a flight with her two children, hoping they would settle in quickly. She was sitting in her seat while her kids were having their in-flight meal when a flight attendant approached her with a serious expression. Little did the pregnant woman know she would be forced to do something that would leave her feeling humiliated.

During the initial minutes after the airplane took off, no one could tell that a severe conflict was about to happen. It was a regular United Airlines flight where the passengers sat in their seats peacefully while the pilot flew them through the clouds.

Among the passengers was a pregnant woman, Sydney Rae Bass, dealing with a high-risk pregnancy. Accompanying her were her daughters Brooklyn, 5, and Blaire, 2, who witnessed what happened on the flight.

The Beginning of the Conflict

Sydney was traveling peacefully with her children until Blaire accidentally spilled popcorn in the aisle. A few moments later, a flight attendant reportedly appeared before the soon-to-be mom of three “with a trash bag and a wet wipe.”

According to Sydney’s pop singer sister, Jessie James Decker, the flight attendant said the pilot wanted Sydney to clean the mess created by Blaire. Decker took to Instagram to voice her concerns after learning how her sister was treated and explained what happened next:

“My poor sister is on her hands and knees, crying in the aisle, completely humiliated and exhausted, with her children while everyone else watched.”

Her Sister and Husband Were Angry

While Decker protested against United Airlines on Instagram, Toronto Blue Jays’ Pitcher Anthony Bass, expressed his anger on Twitter after learning what happened with his wife, Sydney.

The details of the incident divided netizens into two groups: those who sided with Sydney and those who said the flight attendant was right.

In his tweet from April 16, 2023, Anthony complained that a flight attendant made his “22-week-pregnant wife” clean the aisle. “Are you kidding me?!?!” the furious husband questioned the airline.

Jessie James Decker voiced her concerns on her since-disappeared Instagram story | Source: instagram.com/jessiejamesdecker

She Wanted to Know Where the Popcorn Came From

Decker posted a photo with her niece on Instagram to support her sister, calling Blaire “the popcorn hazard” and explaining:

“Yes, that’s what the flight attendant told my sister, that popcorn in the aisle is a safety hazard.”

In another post, Decker asked her sister where Blaire got the popcorn, making it clear that the kids received it as an in-flight snack. Then, the 35-year-old American singer asked why the airline served popcorn when it was a “safety hazard,” stirring up a debate between netizens.

Jessie James Decker with Blaire | Source: instagram.com/jessiejamesdecker

The Online Reaction

The details of the incident divided netizens into two groups: those who sided with Sydney and those who said the flight attendant was right. The second group believed it was not the airline staff’s duty to clean the mess created by a child.

User comment on Daily Mail’s Facebook post | Source: facebook.com/Daily Mail

One netizen said, “If my child made a mess like that, I wouldn’t need to be asked to clean it up. That’s just plain common sense and decency. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t seem to have that these days.”

Another stated, “HER kid! HERS, not the airlines. I’ve never expected anyone to clean up after my child, especially just because I’m pregnant with another.”

User comment on Daily Mail’s Facebook post | Source: facebook.com/Daily Mail

The Airline Responded

While some people felt outraged after learning about the incident, United Airlines quickly responded to Anthony’s tweet, saying they would investigate the case. They asked him to send Sydney’s flight details and “any additional details regarding her interaction with this crew member.”

On April 17, 2023, Decker interacted with her followers through an Instagram live session where she revealed that United Airlines had contacted Sydney. However, she chose not to disclose the details of her sister’s conversation with the airline, stating that Sydney would reveal it herself.

On the same day, Sydney posted a photo of Blaire smiling while holding a big bag of popcorn. The 31-year-old mother did not write anything about the airline’s response. Instead, she captioned the photo, “She so cute,” while maintaining her silence. Meanwhile, Decker commented, “The popcorn hazard.”

Click here to read another story about a disabled woman who had to drag herself to the airplane toilet after a flight attendant refused to help.