An unabashed American Airlines passenger embroiled in a dispute with a flight attendant after being caught vaping during the flight, asserts he was actually the victim.
Peter ‘Kobe’ Nguyen stood by his stance following the confrontation on August 4, where he recorded himself chastising a flight attendant for interrupting him while he vaped in the airplane restroom.
The self-proclaimed Hollywood producer and pickleball coach took to Instagram once his outburst gained traction on social media, insisting he was victimized in the clash.
‘Something happened to me that I never imagined I’d have to go through — especially on a commercial airline,’ Nguyen said in his post.
‘While flying on American Airlines Flight 2860, my privacy and dignity were violated in ways that left me shaken, humiliated and hurt.’
Nguyen accused the crew member on the Phoenix to San Francisco flight of opening the bathroom door while he was inside after she saw smoke.
Nguyen deceitfully informed the flight attendant that he was a lawyer and threatened to expose her to his 20,000 Instagram followers.
Even though vaping on the airplane is against federal law, Nguyen retracted a previous apology and claims, ‘the incident has affected my mental health, my work, and my confidence in the very systems supposed to protect us’.
Peter ‘Kobe’ Nguyen, an American Airlines passenger who ignited a viral argument with a flight attendant for vaping during the flight, insists he is the victim.
The unruly passenger initially blamed his outburst on ‘nicotine withdrawal’.
However his latest post was far less remorseful and featured an image of an airline staffer with their arms crossed, captioned: ‘I can’t delete it, it’s already on the internet’, apparently in reference to the backlash.
He complained in the post that he ‘lost a very important friend through all of this – someone I cared for deeply and who was an important part of my life’, as a result of the viral altercation.
‘I’m not just a CEO and nonprofit founder – I’m also a Hollywood producer. The reputational harm from this incident has been devastating to my career,’ he said.
It is not clear what Hollywood movies Nguyen has produced nor what he is the CEO of. Daily Mail has contacted Nguyen for clarification.
He says on his social media that he is a pickleball coach and ‘AI expert’.
Nguyen signed off his post by saying that he has, ‘formally taken this matter to American Airlines’ legal department’.
‘My goal is not only accountability, but to make sure this never happens to anyone else,’ he wrote.
In his follow-up post this week, Nguyen cryptically showed an airline staffer with their arms crossed, captioned: ‘I can’t delete it, it’s already on the internet’
Nguyen, a pickleball coach and self-described ‘Hollywood producer’, took to Instagram after his outburst circulated social media and said he had his ‘privacy and dignity violated in ways that left me shaken, humiliated and hurt’
The unruly passenger faced calls to be added to the no-fly list, however he shared an Instagram story on Tuesday from inside a plane captioned ‘No flight ban’
‘I will fight for justice, privacy, and dignity for every passenger.’
The belligerent passenger faced calls to be added to the no-fly list, however he shared a defiant Instagram story on Tuesday from inside a plane captioned ‘No flight ban’.
Nguyen’s post marks a U-turn from his initial response to his viral conflict with the flight attendant, as he previously apologized for his behavior in an interview with Fox 10 Phoenix.
He told the outlet: ‘I’m sorry to all of the other passengers, there’s no excuse for what happened.’
He said that he vaped on the flight because he was struggling with nicotine withdrawals and couldn’t wait another 30 minutes until he landed.
‘I wish I never picked up a vape to begin with,’ he said.
‘It sucks knowing in order to be myself, I have to have nicotine. I feel so helpless.’
Daily Mail has contacted American Airlines for comment on Nguyen’s threat of legal action.
