Olivia Culpo says she was told to 'cover up' before getting onto American Airlines flight: 'So f***ed up'
Olivia Culpo's recent trip to paradise was allegedly jeopardized over her plane attire.
The former Miss USA was preparing to board an American Airlines flight to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico on Thursday, with her boyfriend and sister, Aurora Culpo. But once the group got to the gate, Olivia alleges she was made to "cover up" in order to be let on the plane.
Aurora caught footage of the affair and posted it on her Instagram stories where she called out the airline and showed off Olivia's outfit.
"Olivia and I are going to Cabo. Look at her outfit. She looks cute, she looks appropriate, no?" Aurora narrated the video, which showed the 29-year-old Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model in a pair of biker shorts with a sports bra and a long cardigan. "They call her up to the desk and tell her that she needs to put a blouse on, otherwise she can’t get on the plane. Tell me is that not so f***ed up."
Aurora went on to show another passenger wearing a similar set with a bra top and cardigan to match. "She looks beautiful and they don’t care," Aurora said of the passenger's look, before showing Olivia again. "But she has to cover up."
She then posted links to Olivia's outfit with the caption "Get kicked off @americanair starter kit," poking fun at the situation. When a follower responded to Aurora's video to say they too had been told to change their outfit when boarding an international American Airlines flight a few years ago, Aurora wrote, "Who is making the dress code @americanair? Am I being punked?? This is triggering some serious trauma from my days at catholic school."
American Airlines did not respond to Yahoo Life's request for comment. The airline's "Conditions of carriage" available online simply read, "Dress appropriately; bare feet or offensive clothing aren’t allowed."
While the wording of the supposed dress code is vague, a 2019 piece in The Washington Post points out that those of most airlines are, effectively leaving "an exorbitant amount of discretion to the airline employees," according to Adam Anolik, a San Francisco-based attorney who specializes in travel law.
The lack of specificity, however, leads passengers who do get dress coded feeling targeted.
Here is what i was wearing when @AmericanAir asked me to deplane for a talk. At which point I was asked to “cover up”. When defending my outfit I was threatened with not getting back on the flight unless I walked down the aisle wrapped in a blanket. #notsofriendlyskies pic.twitter.com/AYQNNriLcq
— Tisha Rowe MD, MBA (@tisharowemd) July 1, 2019
Y’all I was KICKED OFF my @SouthwestAir flight because my boobs are “lewd, obscene and offensive.” I was told that passengers may look at me in my attire and be offended. The attire in question: https://t.co/tOAxZsFDU5 pic.twitter.com/S9W9gFXpg6
— Kayla Eubanks (@UziSuzy) October 6, 2020
Olivia similarly questioned why her outfit seemingly stood out as she reposted her sister's Instagram story onto her own, writing, "Oh no I'm confused lol. Is this inappropriate/offensive?"
Ultimately, the problem was solved, according to Aurora's post, when Olivia put on boyfriend Christian McCaffrey’s sweatshirt before boarding the plane.
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