EXCLUSIVE: Delta Airlines Responds To Gary Owen’s Allegation That His Wife Was Racially Profiled

EXCLUSIVE: Delta Responds To Comedian Gary Owen Allegation of Racial Profiling Incident Against His Wife

theJasmineBRAND exclusively reports, Delta Airlines is responding to its latest claims of alleged racial profiling. On Monday, stand-up comedian Gary Owen shared his wife’s, Kenya Duke, experience with a Delta Airlines agent during her layover in Cincinnati. As previously reported, Owen made claims in an Instagram video that his wife was racially profiled by the Delta agent while attempting to board her flight to San Francisco.

“So this morning, my wife and daughter were flying from Cincinnati, Ohio to San Francisco, California on Delta. 7:20AM, Gate B21. So they tell everybody to line up for first [class]. So my wife gets in line, and the guy working the gate at B21, Cincinnati Airport asks my wife, ‘Oh, are you in first?’ And my wife said, ‘Yeah, I am.’ And then my wife said, ‘Are you not gonna ask the guy behind me?’ And he goes, ‘No.’ My wife said, ‘Why?’ He said, ‘Cause I don’t feel like it.’”

 

Gary clearly stated the difference between his wife’s treatment and another fellow passenger:

“Now my wife’s a Black lady. The guy behind her’s a white dude, and the ticket agent was a white dude. But he asked the Black lady, ‘Are you in first?’ But not the white dude. So, Delta – I have almost 3 million miles with you. When you see this lady, that’s my wife. She flies first. Don’t ask.”

A Delta Airlines rep EXCLUSIVELY responds to these claims telling us they are currently reviewing the situation.

“Delta does not tolerate discrimination of any kind. We are reviewing the situation with our Cincinnati team and are in contact with the customer to better understand what transpired.”

Several celebrities rallied behind Owen, including fellow comedian Affion Crockett, super producer Bryan Michael Cox, and actress Jada Pinkett-Smith. Some noting that they’ve experienced the same profiling while trying to board flights with Delta Airlines.

Authored by: Gregory Molette