LOS ANGELES: Marissa Bode, known for her role in Wicked: Part I, has spoken out after being denied boarding on a flight due to her wheelchair, describing the experience as “blatant segregation”.
The 25-year-old disabled actor shared a video on her TikTok account on Thursday, as reported by Variety, recounting the incident. Bode explained that her manager had contacted the airline in advance and was assured that appropriate arrangements would be in place.
However, upon arriving at the gate, Bode said airline staff questioned whether she could stand and walk up the aircraft stairs. When she replied that she could not, she was refused boarding.
“So I got to the gate and asked for help locating my boarding pass,” she said. “The two staff members looked at me and asked, ‘Can you stand?’ I said, ‘No.’ They replied, ‘I’m sorry, but because of that, we’re going to have to deny you boarding.’”
She added that staff informed her all aircraft operated by the airline required passengers to climb stairs to board — something she said she had never encountered before.
Bode criticised the situation, saying, “Disabled people are not an afterthought. Why, knowing that disabled people exist — which you all clearly often forget — do you choose not to update your planes? This is blatant segregation.”
The airline in question, Southern Airways Express, maintains a policy requiring passengers to be able to ascend and descend several steps when boarding its small aircraft, which seat 28 passengers or fewer.
Bode reiterated that her manager had confirmed her travel arrangements with the airline beforehand and had been assured she would be accommodated.
The actor made her screen debut in Wicked: Part I, portraying Nessarose Thropp alongside Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. She later reprised her role in Wicked: Part Two.
(With inputs from PTI)