Comedian Guy Branum has detailed a contentious incident on a Delta Air Lines flight, where he alleges that a fellow passenger elbowed him and called him ‘too fat to fly,’ leaving him with visible bruises. The event unfolded on September 14, 2024, during a flight where Branum was traveling in a Comfort Plus seat, which, according to Delta’s website, offers the same width as standard economy seats but with additional legroom. Branum, a 49-year-old actor known for his work in television and film, shared a video on Instagram, labeling it ‘Flying While Fat,’ to recount the experience.
In the video, Branum recounted that he was seated in the middle seat when a man sat down next to him and expressed frustration over the lack of space. The man, according to Branum, initially complained about a woman who had placed an item in the overhead compartment near his seat. After the man sat down, Branum alleged the man immediately became agitated and asked if Branum could move over, to which Branum replied, ‘No, I can’t.’ The man then elbowed him as hard as he could, according to Branum’s account. The incident left Branum with bruises on his side, which he displayed in the video.
Branum’s video also included a brief confrontation with the man, in which the two exchanged words and argued about the available space. The man suggested that Branum should lose weight, to which Branum responded by questioning the man’s own weight and lifestyle choices, noting that the man was a member of WeightWatchers. Branum also pointed out that the man’s behavior was not justified, as he had the right to an armrest as well and that the man had used the armrest by elbosing Branum to get out of the seat. Branum continued to engage the man, asking if he expected Branum to lose weight within the next 20 minutes, leading to a back-and-forth exchange.
When the flight attendant arrived, Branum reported the incident, but the man allegedly complained that Branum was ‘too fat’ to sit next to him. Multiple Delta Airlines staff, including a senior crew member, were subsequently involved in the situation, during which they were allegedly asked to determine if Branum was indeed too fat to remain seated. The senior crew member reportedly informed the man that Branum would not be removed from his seat, and the man eventually switched seats with a woman across the aisle, for which Delta offered her frequent flyer miles as compensation. Branum also requested similar compensation for the inconvenience he experienced.
Branum has since indicated that the incident had a significant impact on him, as he had previously experienced similar situations in the past, where people had shown distress over his size. He also mentioned that a Delta Airlines staff member had approached him to ask him to delete the video, to which he refused. Branum further stated that other passengers on the flight had backed him up, noting that the man had been difficult with others on the flight. The comedian concluded by expressing his belief that fat people should not have to wait for a future moment when they would be deemed worthy of traveling and living their lives.
In addition to the verbal and physical altercation, Branum has now stated that he plans to file a police report and a civil lawsuit against the man, asserting that it is unacceptable for someone to hit another person because of their weight. Fox News Digital has reached out to Delta Air Lines for comment, and Branum’s representatives have also been contacted for further clarification.