An actress is suing WestJet, claiming the airline tried to silence her after she was 'harassed and discriminated' by a flight attendant, who 'threatened' to take her off the airplane.
Charlet Chung, 42, who is best known for voicing D. Va in the popular video game Overwatch, filed a complaint for $75,000 in California on December 2 following an incident where she was allegedly mistreated on a flight from Winnipeg, Canada, to Los Angeles, California.
Chung documented her poor experience with WestJet in November of 2024, where she claimed a white man told her to 'F*** off,' after kicking her seat, and sparked outrage online after it went viral on social media.
The actress returned to the internet more than a year later to release a statement and thank everyone who has supported her throughout her battle with the airline.
'As many of you know, I was harassed and berated by a white male passenger sitting behind on that flight,' Chung wrote.
'Instead of helping me, the WestJet flight attendant sided with the white male passenger without inquiry, assumed I was the instigator, and treated me with condescension and threats.'
Almost a year before Chung's latest legal move, WestJet addressed the allegations of harassment and discrimination in a January 18 statement.
'We conducted a thorough investigation into Ms. Charlet Chung's claims regarding her experience on her October flight, and while we acknowledge that Ms. Chung's experience onboard was not a positive one for her, based on the information provided to us, her allegations of harassment and discrimination against WestJet are unfounded,' wrote the airline.
Actress Charlet Chung, 42, is suing WestJet after she was allegedly 'harassed and discriminated' by a flight attendant
'Contrary to what's being implied in her recent public statements, WestJet has never instructed Ms. Chung to remain silent in any form or to refrain from discussing this matter online.'
'At the same time, we have followed her direction since November to communicate exclusively through her legal counsel.'
'We have been timely and respectful in our communications on this matter, and typically refrain from addressing allegations of this nature publicly. However, Ms. Chung's most recent comments online warrant this clarification.'
At the time, WestJet said it would no longer discuss the matter publicly and called it 'unfortunate that Ms. Chung continues to do so' despite its best efforts to resolve the incident amicably.
However, Chung's latest statement argues the opposite, claiming that she was branded a 'liar' and ultimately ghosted.
'I've made the difficult decision to file a lawsuit because, as I've said all along, I will not be bullied into silence,' Chung wrote.
She added that by speaking out, she hopes to shed light on WestJet's behaviour and prevent others from enduring the same treatment.
Chung (seen in Disney Channel's Shake It Up), took to social media to announce the complaint
The actress claimed a flight attendant blindly defended a white man without complete understanding of the incident
Chung said that she was 'mistreated' for the rest of the four-and-a-half hour flight, and was even 'threatened to be arrested upon her arrival on the grounds of 'verbal abuse'
Additionally, she noted that the white male passenger sent her a written apology: 'He expressed sincere regret for his inappropriate behavior and acknowledged how terribly the West Jet flight attendant treated me.'
'I wish him and his family no ill will.'
The Daily Mail has reached out to WestJet for comment.
Before Chung's apology, she expressed her anger online after she claimed a flight attendant chose sides with the white man without a complete understanding of the situation.
The star said that after boarding the plane, the man sitting behind her began 'kicking and pushing' her seat 'repeatedly' for over 20 minutes.
When she turned around to 'see what was happening,' she claimed that he told her to 'f**k off.'
Chung said she then tried to report the incident to a flight attendant, named Tricia, but the actress claimed that when she repeated what the man had said to her to the airline employee, she was the one who got in trouble.
She claimed that Tricia became furious when she cursed, despite her only using the explicit word to recap what the man had said, and told her she'd have to deboard the plane if she didn't move to a new row.
Chung said she was handed a paper detailing her 'potential arrest,' which is seen here
In a statement in January WestJet said,'her (Chung's) allegations of harassment and discrimination against WestJet are unfounded' (stock image)
In the TikTok, which has been viewed a whopping 10.3 million times, Chung shared a clip of Tricia speaking to her after she agreed to switch seats.
Chung said that she was 'mistreated' for the rest of the four-and-a-half-hour flight, and was even threatened to be arrested upon her arrival on the grounds of 'verbal abuse' and 'recordings.''
The actress also claimed that she was suffering from 'panic attacks' and was experiencing 'PTSD' from the ordeal.
'It was a four-and-a-half-hour flight of incessant abuse and harassment by the crew,' she concluded.
'The flight attendants' relentless bullying, as I was basically a prisoner of theirs in the air, was agonizing. I was trapped.
'I am still shaking and triggered from this flight and the abuse I endured at the hands of the entire crew - and will never forget it.'
