A Turkish bodybuilder and model, who had moved to the United States, was stopped form boarding a flight in Texas as the airline found her attire to be offensive. Influencer Deniz Saypinar, 26, who had moved to the United States to avoid the conservative surroundings of Turkey, said that the airline staff thought she was skimpily dressed and didn't allow her to fly.
Saypinar is a celebrity fitness model, entrepreneur and social media personality who was the first woman in Turkey to ever receive an International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB) status. She recently moved to Los Angeles to pursue her career and "experience freedom," according to the Daily Mail.
Too Hot to Handle
The incident happened when Saypinar was about to board an American Airlines flight from Texas to Miami when the flight's crew stopped her as they found she was skimpily dressed and would pose a problem for other passenger. Saypinar took to Instagram to share her experience on Thursday to her 1 million followers, saying: "You will never believe what happened to me at Texas Airport."
In the teary Instagram story, Saypinar criticized the American Airline staff and claimed they called her "naked" while displaying the outfit that caused the staff to disallow her onto the flight. "They literally didn't take me to the plane because they say 'you're naked and you offend other families'," said Saypinar, who is also the first non-American citizen to win the US National Bikini Fitness Competition in 2021. She also told that how the staff insulted her and told the fitness model that her style "disturbed other families" at the airport.
The fitness model also said explained that she moved to the United States to "be free as a woman" but was shocked and found it "ridiculous" to be stopped from boarding a plane for what she was wearing. Defending herself, Saypinar told her followers: "I am not naked."
Unnecessary Harassment
She later shared an Instagram post explaining her side and tagged American Airlines on Thursday. "I am an athlete, and now I have to wait here until the morning. I like to wear feminine clothes that reveal my femininity, but I never dress in a way that will offend anyone. I'm mature and civilized enough to know what I can and cannot wear," she wrote.
"I don't deserve to be treated like the worst person in the world for wearing denim shorts," Saypinar wrote. "What separates us from animals if humans can't control even their most primitive impulses."
Saypinar wrote that she felt "insulted" because she was treated inhumanly just because she wore those shorts in the United States.
Her fans showed support to her and said: "It is 2021, and there is still a dress code you have to follow to board a plane, of course, only if you are a woman. This is ridiculous."
"Teach society to respect women, rather than telling women what to wear or what to do," wrote another user.
A spokesperson for American Airlines said: "On July 8, American Airlines denied boarding for a customer travelling from Dallas-Fort Worth to Miami. As stated in the conditions of carriage, all customers must dress appropriately and offensive clothing isn't permitted onboard our flights. The customer was advised of our policy and was rebooked on a subsequent flight. The customer has since arrived in Miami."
