Jason Derulo vs. American Airlines: Discrimination or Just a Misunderstanding?

February 9, 2017 ABC News Radio

Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for TinderJason Derulo calls it racial discrimination, while the airline calls it a misunderstanding. Regardless of who’s right, Jason and his crew got off of an American Airlines flight from Miami to Los Angeles Wednesday night, and were met by police in the terminal.

“I spent millions on your airline throughout the past ten years between myself and my entire staff but have still experienced racial discrimination today at miami airport!!!” Jason posted to his Instagram. “Called 15 police officers on me as if I’m a criminal! It’s not ok that when you find out who I am the gears change! F*** that!! I want answers,” Jason wrote.

So what happened? Piecing things together from his post, a video he made that’s since been taken down from social media but preserved by TMZ, and the ABC News Miami affiliate, it appears it all began when Jason and an unspecified number of traveling companions showed up 45 minutes early for the 5:00 p.m. ET flight, wanting to board the plane. They also “all smelled of marijuana and were starting to get aggressive,” according to the police report.

Things escalated when Derulo and his crew tried to board the plane with 19 checked bags. One guy stayed behind to handle the bags while Jason and his crew boarded the plane. Then, says Jason, the guy they left behind called and told him the airline wanted $6,000 to check all 19 bags, though American Airlines says it was $4,000.

In the video, Jason says he’s an American Airlines Concierge Key member, which allows him to bring unlimited bags onto the plane, but American says Concierge Key members get three free bags each, tops.

Jason then reportedly stood up and demanded the plane return to the gate. According to the incident report, police also were called to the gate because “the captain of the plane needed several passengers removed from the plane.”

After first allegedly refusing to stop and talk to the waiting officers, Jason and his crew eventually showed ID, and the incident ended.

American Airlines’ official statement? “American Airlines flight 275 returned to the gate prior to departure. A passenger elected to deplane in order to travel with their checked bags. The passenger has been rebooked with his checked bags on a later flight this evening.”

There’s no word on whether Jason and his party boarded that flight.