A twerking flight attendant who went viral when she posted a video of herself dancing in uniform at the back of a Boeing 737 has set up a GoFundMe page after Alaska Airlines terminated her employment over the stunt.
Nelle Diala had only been employed by the Seattle-based airline for six months when she caught the world’s attention in December by posting a 15-second clip of herself posing and twerking on an airplane.
Wearing the distinctive Alaska Airlines uniform, along with knee-high boots and a YvesSaintLaurent handbag slung across her, Nelle’s video caused quite the commotion and a rapid internal investigation into her social media posts.
Nelle has now explained what happened after she posted the video, saying she was “wrongfully” fired by Alaska Airlines without being given a chance to defend herself.
“One day, during a layover, I posted a lighthearted video on my personal social media account. It was a harmless clip that was recorded at 6 am while waiting 2 hours for pilots,” Nelle says on her fundraising page.
“I was also celebrating the end of probation and making it out of a hard upbringing in San Francisco,” Nelle continued. “The video went viral overnight, but instead of love and support, it brought unexpected scrutiny. Although it was a poor decision on my behalf, I didn’t think it would cost me my dream job.”
A spokesperson for Alaska Airlines said the carrier does not comment on personnel issues.
Carriers like Alaska and Delta Air Lines generally ban crew members from posting anything on social media that could cast the airline in a bad light or have a negative impact on its brand image – the rule applies whether the crew member identifies themselves as an employee or not.
To avoid the potential for conflict, Persian Gulf carrier Qatar Airways long banned flight attendants from posting images or videos of themselves on personal social media accounts.
That ban was lifted nearly a year ago, although other international carriers, like Singapore Airlines, still impose similar restrictions.
Nelle says she was quickly hauled into a management meeting where Alaska Airlines accused her of violating its strict social media policy. “I explained that the video wasn’t intended to harm anyone or the company, but they didn’t want to listen,” Nelle says.
“Without warning, they terminated me. No discussion, no chance to defend myself—and no chance for a thorough and proper investigation.”
The loss of her job has been “devastating,” and Nelle says she is now finding it impossible to find another airline to hire her as a flight attendant – a role that she loved working in.
Of course, many flight attendants like to share photos and videos of themselves in uniform, but many airlines have very stringent social media policies that can be a treacherous tightrope to walk. Just one misjudged post can land crew members in a lot of hot water.
they know better.