CNN
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Pop star Bebe Rexha said she was “threatened” by a Lufthansa employee because she is Albanian. The airline says it is currently investigating the incident.
In tearful posts on her Instagram story, the singer, who was born in the United States to Albanian parents, wrote on Saturday: “Lufthansa, I was threatened because I thought the security guard was Albanian. I spoke to him in Albanian and asked where I could get my ticket and now he is banning me from flying.”
“I believe this is a hate crime because I am Albanian,” she added.
She said he “continued to abuse her psychologically” and “not a single woman at Lufthansa intervened or said anything.”
The singer-songwriter wrote that she had “never been so emotionally drained,” adding that the German airline had messaged her directly but had asked them to conduct a “full investigation.”
In a statement to CNN on Sunday, a Lufthansa spokesman said said: “We contacted Bebe Rexha directly yesterday to understand the situation and are conducting an internal investigation into the matter.”
“As an international airline, we connect people and countries around the globe,” the spokesman continued, adding: “We do not tolerate any discriminatory behavior.”
According to the airline, Rexha boarded her flight normally and on time.
After rising to fame in 2017 with the country-pop hit “Meant to Be,” Rexha is now known for songs such as “Me, Myself & I,” “In the Name of Love,” and the official UK singles chart-topper of 2022, “I’m Good (Blue).”
