A stand-up comedian and actress in the US has drawn flak on social media after she boasted online about getting four Sikh men in turbans kicked off an airplane as she was apparently 'threatened' by them.
In the video posted by Instagram comedienne Jess Hilarious on her handle, the woman first mocked the men in turban who appear to be on the same flight as her and implied that she was uncomfortable by their presence.
Four innocent Sikhs were kicked off a plane today because this woman was scared of how they looked.
— Simran Jeet Singh (@SikhProf) March 17, 2019
Please watch and share this video to understand how hate hurts us all.
(see thread below for more info on the Sikh religion and identity)
pic.twitter.com/xg8vSfgsYm
After she was criticized for her racist post, the comedienne hit back saying "F**k y'all, I feel how I feel. I felt threatened and that was it." She went on to post further videos in which she announced that after she put out the video, the plane was evacuated.
"...I'm never racist, but I spotted something and I put it out earlier. And we just got evacuated from our plane," she said, adding that the airline gave no reason for the said evacuation. In yet another video she posted after this, she claimed that she was back on the plane and that the four men did not re-board. "So how ironic is it that we boarded the same plane and don't see those people," she said.
The comedian has seen been receiving severe backlash for her racist Instagram posts that have since been deleted. A compilation of the videos was posted on Twitter by activist Simran Jeet Singh on Sunday and has since been viewed over 2.5 million times.
Hey @jess_hilarious ... Come & spend a few days on an aid mission with @Khalsa_Aid & learn about Sikhs ! Our Turbans are symbols of humanity and not terror as stated by you.
— ravinder singh (@RaviSinghKA) March 18, 2019
We will even pay for your travel to join us on the aid mission. Come on, let’s change your perception!
Hi @jess_hilarious, becoming alarmed by a Sikh man in a turban on a plane & viewing him as a threat is being complicit w/ white supremacy. Do you know that the Sikh turban stands for fighting injustice & oppression? Our communities must stand together, not tear each other down. https://t.co/3sBPJp3uhc
— Jo Kaur (@SikhFeminist) March 17, 2019
A tearful Jess Hilarious later took to Instagram to post a video in which she apologizes for saying she felt "threatened" after seeing four Sikh men board an airplane she was also getting on.
"I'm not sure if these particular individuals that were on the plane are aware of my actions by now. Either way, I would love to apologize personally to them first, for my insensitive and ignorant behavior," the comedian said. "Sadly, I had no knowledge of the tragedy in New Zealand and so after my video, which doesn't in any way excuse my behavior.
I already know that. Ain't nothing excuses it. But it opened up my eyes to a matter of ignorance as a habit that usually invokes hate. I refuse to teach spread or be an advocate for hatred. I just want to make people laugh. Bear with me. I'm still learning. And when I say, I'm still learning, I was unaware of Sikhs, as well. A lot of them reached out to me, educated me on who they are and what they stand for and how they help the world in different ways. I didn't know that. I'm ignorant to a lot of shit."
The comedian also said she will be donating $15,000 to the victims of the New Zealand tragedy.
View this post on InstagramPlease don’t believe everything you see and hear, this is what it really is.
A post shared by Jess Moore (@jesshilarious_official) on Mar 18, 2019 at 7:27pm PDT
People en masse shared instances of the Sikh community being lauded for their humanitarian efforts
Who is this Jess Hilarious who got 4 Sikh men kicked off an airplane because she is afraid of Muslims? One day after 50 Muslims were slaughtered while praying? I mean...I know people aren’t embarrassed to be hateful in public anymore...but is nobody embarrassed to be stupid?
— Lexi Alexander (@Lexialex) March 17, 2019
My community, the Sikh community, has been under attack since 9/11. I am so proud that we have not responded by trying to differentiate ourselves from Muslims but by standing in solidarity with them. I am thankful to organizers who have helped us embrace this frame.
— Aditi Juneja (@AditiJuneja3) March 17, 2019
I thought I'd reshare this after @jess_hilarious managed to get 4 Sikhs off of a plane because she confused them with Muslims.
— Kat Blaque (@kat_blaque) March 17, 2019
I think it's disgusting that she would not only do this, but share that she did this and then think it was something we'd find funny after recent events. https://t.co/2VChRhI7BB
This isn't about siding with every other BIPOC. This is about "Jess Hilarious" being an ignorant coward and Islamophobe. It's 2019, too late not to know Sikhs from Muslims -- and what if they *were* Muslims? Just let people live! Goddamn it, black people *should* know better. https://t.co/KEYh8zGEeY
— N. K. Jemisin (@nkjemisin) March 17, 2019
Just a word of thanks to everybody calling out Jess Hilarious on her awful, islamophobic actions & her endangering of innocent Sikhs. Means the world to see folks stepping up & speaking up.
— Anil Dash 🥭 (@anildash) March 17, 2019
Hi @jess_hilarious,
— Simran Jeet Singh (@SikhProf) March 18, 2019
I hear that you're fearful of people who look like me. Let me know if you ever want to chat. I'm happy to show you we're normal(ish) people and that you have nothing to fear.
peace,
a sikh https://t.co/RTmwziDeO5
Jess Hilarious got some Sikh men kicked off the plane bc she was scared of them bc of their turbans they had on? A black woman has the audacity to stereotype brown men with turbans all while wearing a headscarf herself? So can we stop acting like she’s funny & cancel her already pic.twitter.com/IJfPVRF3Xd
— ✌🏽 (@DopealiciousJ) March 17, 2019
So this ignorant fool @jess_hilarious got scared of a Sikh man on a plane. He said nothing to her. Was no where near her but with her whole chest she upped levels of stupidity and prejudice to a dangerous hight. . .Not so hilarious after all. . . pic.twitter.com/OkZUIUa4YL
— Genesis Elijah (@GenesisElijah) March 17, 2019