Overview

• Leanna Perry, a 32-year-old New York City artist, became visibly intoxicated and grabbed another passenger’s hair while hurling racist and derogatory insults.
• Video of the hair-pulling altercation went viral as passengers and flight attendants restrained Perry with zip ties until police arrived.
• Port Authority Police Department officers responded at LaGuardia’s Terminal B before takeoff and charged her with aggravated assault.
• After a brief hospital assessment, Southwest Airlines denied her further boarding and she was handed over to the New York City Department of Corrections.
• Perry’s work with brands like Maybelline, Adidas and MAC and the incident’s fallout have reignited scrutiny of in-flight safety protocols and crew response tactics.