Yellowstone star Forrie J. Smith revealed he was kicked off an airplane after throwing a tantrum because he didn’t want to sit next to a passenger who was wearing a mask.
Smith’s antics are hardly surprising, considering he has frequently publicized his anti-vaccination stance. In 2022, he refused to attend the Screen Actors Guild Awards because the ceremony required attendees to provide proof of vaccination. After Yellowstone was nominated for Best TV Drama Ensemble, Smith made a now-deleted Instagram video explaining why he would not be attending. First, he apologizes for his absence before explaining the proof of vaccination requirement and going on a rant, stating, “I’m not vaccinated. I will not get vaccinated. I haven’t been vaccinated since I was a little kid. I don’t vaccinate my dogs; I don’t vaccinate my horses. I’ve never had a flu shot—I never will. I believe they compromise your immunities.”
His video raised eyebrows at the time, especially as he was tossing around misinformation, such as the idea that vaccines “compromise your immunities,” to feed into the growing and dangerous anti-vaccination movement sweeping across America. Smith also concluded his statement by saying, “I just don’t believe in that stuff,” making it unclear if he meant vaccines, COVID-19, or both. However, he isn’t the only celebrity to challenge or refuse to comply with COVID-19 protocols, and at least he simply skipped out on the event instead of trying to attend without vaccination. Unfortunately, he has now proven that he’s not just an anti-vaxxer but also an anti-masker.
Why was Forrie J. Smith kicked off a plane?
On March 24, Smith posted an Instagram story with the caption, “You need to hear this story.” He then proceeds to delve into the story of how he was kicked off an airplane. In the video, he appears intoxicated and disoriented, even expressing confusion about which city he is currently in. The video is filmed from the Houston, Texas, airport, where he claims, “I just got kicked off a plane … because I told them that I didn’t feel comfortable sitting next to somebody with a mask on.” Smith also revealed the staff cited his intoxication as the reason for kicking him off the plane. While he admitted he had “been drinking,” he insisted he wasn’t intoxicated.
He claimed the real reason he was kicked off was “because you people won’t stand up and tell everybody what bulls**t this is. I just told them I didn’t feel comfortable about sitting next to somebody that had to wear a mask, and I’m off the plane.” The incident may have gone unreported if Smith hadn’t posted it on social media. However, he seemed to think the video would garner sympathy or make some kind of point about vaccinations. Instead, it just made him look like a fool.
Anyone who watches the video will be skeptical of his claim that he wasn’t intoxicated, given his confusion, slurred speech, and that he literally has to ask at one point, “Where the hell am I?” Meanwhile, anyone familiar with airports knows that it is protocol for airline staff to remove someone from the plane who is visibly intoxicated, especially if they are displaying disruptive or unruly behavior. On top of that, it’s weird how a man who loves to emphasize he’s a big, rugged cowboy is admitting he was scared to sit next to someone with a mask. Even if he wasn’t intoxicated, there’s no way his removal could be called political whatsoever. It’s just basic logic: if he has a problem with someone wearing a mask, then he can get off the plane.
What did he expect to happen? It’s not as if the crew would accommodate discrimination and rush to find him another seat because the sight of a mask offends him. Unless the other passenger agreed to switch seats, there were few other options besides him leaving the plane. It’s laughable that he really thinks he’s the victim and that his bizarre video is going to inspire society to “stand up” and defend conservative tantrums in airports.
All the video proved is that he is among the most extreme COVID-19 deniers and anti-vaxxers who have convinced themselves that masks are a political statement. They are so enraged by the concept of masks that it’s not enough that they don’t personally have to wear one; they also want to force everyone else to go maskless, even people who suffer from immunodeficiency and wear masks to live rather than to scare conservatives. Meanwhile, anti-maskers have proven to be unhinged and dangerous, with some going so far as to harass or violently attack anyone they see wearing masks.
While Smith didn’t get physically violent, his actions and video contributed to the stigmatization and discrimination against individuals wearing masks. One should be able to wear a mask for whatever private reason without having to be assaulted, harassed, or have some celebrity whining that they can’t sit next to you. Fortunately, the airline refused to accommodate Smith’s discrimination, and the largely negative response to his video reiterates that no one is interested in catering to crybaby conservatives who are “uncomfortable” about seeing a mask.
(featured image: Paramount Network)
