A Turkish bodybuilder claims she was kicked off an American Airlines flight because her outfit would “disturb other families”.
Deniz Saypinar, a 26-year-old bodybuilder and social media celebrity who moved to the US to avoid the conservative beliefs of her home country, posted to her platform of 1.1 million people detailing the incident.
She said she was flying from Dallas Fort Worth to Miami when staff said her outfit was “inappropriate”, according to an Instagram story seen by The Daily Mail.
The outfit in question, according to her post, was a brown crop top and a pair of denim shorts with a white shirt wrapped around her waist.
Saypinar, who was the first woman to be internationally recognised as a bodybuilder in Turkey, told her followers that American Airlines staff had called her “naked” and said she had “disturbed other families” before stoping her from boarding.
“I like to wear feminine clothes that reveal my femininity, but I never dress in a way that will offend anyone,” she said.
“I’m mature and civilised enough to know what I can and cannot wear.
“I don’t deserve to be treated like the worst person in the world for wearing denim shorts.
“What separates us from animals if humans can’t control even their most primitive impulses.
“I feel insulted. They wouldn’t let me on the plane because I wore these shorts in the United States.”
Saypinar has referenced the incident in several other Instagram posts, explaining that she just wanted to do whatever makes her feel “fully woman”.
“I’m an athlete and as long as I see my shape is good, it always gets me motivated? Why would I hide it?” she said in one post.
“Jean shorts are the best always!” she said in another.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CRRrHQbI_Hn/
According to American Airlines’ conditions of carriage, passengers are required to “dress appropriately” and “bare feet or offensive clothing aren’t allowed”.
A spokesperson for the airline told Travel Weekly that passengers must dress “appropriately”.
“The customer was advised of our policy and was rebooked on a subsequent flight. The customer has since arrived in Miami,” the spokesperson said.
Featured image source: Instagram/dnzsypnr
