FLORIDA—On November 27, free agent and NFL wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was escorted off his flight at Miami-Dade International Airport. An American Airlines flight attendant was preparing for take-off en route to Los Angeles, California. Beckham was unresponsive when the flight attendant attempted to wake him to fasten his seat belt.
The flight attendant called 911 as it was suspected Beckham was having a medical emergency. First responders were able to awake him, but he refused to get off the plane.
Everyone on the plane had to de-board until police arrived.
“Never in my life have I experienced what just happened to me…I’ve seen it all…,” Beckham tweeted getting 42,000 likes.
One commenter, @MrBrightside053 suggested Beckham ought to own up to what he did, “Way to take responsibility for your actions. Let’s blame everyone else for how you acted.”
“American Airlines flight 1228, with service from Miami (MIA) to Los Angeles (LAX), returned to the gate before takeoff due to a customer failing to follow crew member instructions and refusing to fasten their seatbelt. The customer was removed and the flight re-departed at 10:45 a.m. local time,” said American Airlines in a statement.
According to the NFL website, Beckham’s attorney, Daniel Davilier, said in a statement on Sunday that his client was asleep due to a flight delay, and “at no time was Mr. Beckham disruptive or combative.”
“Mr. Beckham fell asleep with his blanket over his head, which is his normal practice for long flights,” Devillier said. “He was awakened and told that the plane was back at the gate and that he needed to get off the plane because he did not put his seatbelt on when asked. He responded that he was asleep and that he would put his seatbelt on at that time. He was informed that it was too late and that either he would have to get off the plane or everyone would have to deplane.”
Beckham played for the LSU Tigers in (2011) before being drafted into the NFL by the New York Giants in 2014. He also played for the Cleveland Browns and in November 2021 signed with the Los Angeles Rams. According to reports, he visited multiple teams as a free agent including the Dallas Cowboys and NY Giants.
