Odell Beckham Jr. Escorted Off Flight

Lawyer blames incident on 'overzealous' crew member
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 28, 2022 12:48 AM CST
Odell Beckham Jr. Escorted Off Flight
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. walks on the sideline during a NFL divisional playoff football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Jan. 23, 2022, in Tampa, Fla.   (AP Photo/Alex Menendez, File)

Odell Beckham Jr. was removed from an American Airlines flight Sunday morning as it prepared to depart from Miami en route to Los Angeles. Per a police report cited by CBS Sports and ESPN, the flight crew tried to wake the NFL wide receiver to ask him to fasten his seatbelt, but Beckham "appeared to be coming in and out of consciousness." Concerned that he was sick and that it could be dangerous for him to take a 5-hour flight, crew members contacted authorities, who responded and asked Beckham multiple times to exit the plane. He refused, police say.

"The aircraft was deplaned, at which time Mr. Beckham was asked by the officers to exit the plane, and did so without incident," the report continues. "Mr. Beckham was escorted to the non-secure area of the terminal by the officers where he made other arrangements." He was not detained or cited, though some passengers complained on social media about the nearly two-hour delay the incident caused. Beckham is days away from the beginning of his in-season free agency tour, with a visit to the Cowboys, believed to be the frontrunner team to sign him, planned first. He hasn't played since he tore his ACL in last season's Super Bowl, when he was playing for the Los Angeles Rams.

Beckham appeared to address the incident in a series of tweets Sunday reading:

  • "Never in my life have I experienced what just happened to me… I’ve seen it alll.."
  • "Never. In. My . Life"
  • "I COULD NEVER MAKE THIS UP."
  • And finally, a laughing emoji followed with, "comedy hr."
His attorney also released a statement noting Beckham had simply been asleep and missed the request to fasten his seatbelt, and said that an "overzealous" crew member should have simply let him fasten it when he later woke up and offered to. He adds that Beckham's luggage was sent on to LA without him. (More American Airlines stories.)

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