“Wicked” actress Marissa Bode claims she was denied boarding on Southern Airlines because she uses a wheelchair, and insisted she was not held back after calling the airline.
The 25-year-old, who has been confined to a wheelchair since a car accident at the age of 11, claimed on TikTok on Thursday that he was “denied entry to a flight because of my disability,” describing the experience as “terrible.”
Bode said the exchange occurred on a connecting flight while en route to a speaking engagement in Pennsylvania.
She said her first flight with United Airlines went well, but as she approached the gate for her connecting flight with Southern Airlines, which only serves eight U.S. states, things took a turn.
“I got to the gate and thought, ‘Hey, can you help me find my boarding pass?'” she said.
“And the two guys at the gate looked at me and were like, ‘Can you stand?’” And I said, “No.” They said, “We’re sorry, but for this reason, we will not allow you to board.” ”
Bode said she was stunned when she heard the explanation that followed.
“They kept saying that every plane on this airline has stairs to get on the plane. Wild. I’ve never heard of that before…Are you trying to tell me that no one who has ever flown on your plane is disabled?”
She went on to call the situation “blatant racism,” adding that staff also expressed concerns about her 35-pound wheelchair.
The actress said her team had already coordinated with the airline before the trip.
“My manager had spoken to them beforehand and they gave me full assurance that I would be on time for the flight,” she said, suggesting she was refused despite prior arrangements.
“There’s always something when you’re flying,” she said. “It’s very rare that I’m on a plane and I don’t have a problem with my seat or I don’t get bad comments.”
She added that the situation was more than just a mix-up.
“It’s not just bad communication,” she said. “This is not just a mistake. This is our life. This is our whole existence you are talking about. My wheelchair is my freedom.”
Bode also talked about how she reacted in that moment.
“And of course when I’m crying in frustration and talking firmly to people at the gate, I look like a crazy person,” she continued. “I look like the wrong person.”
In the end, she had no choice but to travel by car.
“I had to drive for three and a half hours to get to my destination,” she said, directly calling the airline “shame on you.”
“And overall airline performance improved again,” she added.
Under the Airline Access Act, airlines are prohibited from discriminating against passengers with disabilities and are required to provide assistance, including assistance with boarding and connections.
However, Southern Airlines’ terms of carriage stipulate that passengers “must be able to ascend and descend several flights of stairs” due to the design of the small aircraft, which typically carries fewer than 30 passengers.
Airlines say that while ramps may be available in some cases, federal law does not require them to provide mechanical lifts in such cases.
The incident comes as Bode continues to rise to fame for her role as Nessarose in Wicked.
After the original film was released in 2024, she faced backlash online related to the character, with some viewers criticizing Nessarose as Elphaba’s “bad sister.” That comment spread to hateful comments about her disability.
“Nessa’s offensive comments and jokes about her disability itself are deeply offensive, because her disability is not fictional,” Bode said at the time.
