Maybe they shouldn’t feel too bad. The twin histories of celebrity and air travel have seen their share of famous folks experiencing flight-related troubles.
Read on for a list of high-profile problem flyers.
"Inspector Bellamy" star Gerard Depardieu proved to be quite the mile-high whiz kid last month after he unzipped and relieved his bladder during an Air France flight to Dublin. A pal of the actor’s told the press that a prostate problem was to blame, and not booze. Either way, Depardieu got a pretty amusing parody video out of the situation. And Anderson Cooper got a few hearty chuckles. What a pisser.
Green Day’s nasal-voiced growler Billie Joe Armstrong found one more reason to whine on Thursday, when he was removed from a Southwest Airlines flight from Oakland to Burbank. Armstrong’s offense? Excessively droopy drawers. Maybe his next flight should be to Hot Topic, to buy himself a belt?
"Transformers" star Josh Duhamel was tossed from a New York-to-Kentucky flight last year when he refused to turn off his BlackBerry, despite numerous requests. Maybe he was texting his wife Fergie to ask why he’s such a rude jackass?
"Clerks" director Kevin Smith was famously escorted from a flight last year for violating Southwest Airline’s charmingly named "customers of size" policy. (Translation: he was deemed too fat to fly.) Well, you can be pretty sure he didn’t get that way from the measly bags of peanuts they dole out on Southwest.
"The Tudors" star Jonathan Rhys Meyers was denied a flight from New York to Los Angeles last May, due to "belligerent" and "disorderly" behavior that was "getting out of control." (Meyers was reportedly "pounding drinks" in the first-class lounge prior to the early-morning flight.) The incident reportedly earned him a banishment from United Airlines flights. Sometimes it’s not so good to be the king.
Supermodel Naomi Campbell has made a fortune due to her good looks, but sometimes her behavior can be downright ugly. Case in point? A 2008 incident during which Campbell was handcuffed and removed from a flight at Heathrow Airport after allegedly abusing the plane staff and spitting on a police officer.
Christian Slater was arrested at New York’s JFK Airport in 1994 after trying to board a flight while packing a piece. The "Heathers" actor reached a plea deal the following year that required him to spend three days with homeless children, presumably teaching them the finer points of gun safety.
British Airways decided to hassle the Hoff in 2009, denying flight to "Baywatch" star David Hasselhoff because he was "unfit for travel." His spokesperson denied that Hasselhoff was drunk, blaming the incident on "strong antibiotics."
"Precious" star Mo’Nique was tossed off of a United Airlines flight after getting into an argument with an attendant — over a hair dryer. The actress subsequently blamed the incident on racism. Well, that really blows.
R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck caused a ruckus during a Seattle-to-Heathrow flight in 2001 when he reportedly knocked over a meal-serving tray and attempted to stash one of the knives from the upset trolley up his sleeve, then sprayed a yogurt container all over the place while struggling with an attendant. According to testimony, when the flight’s captain went to investigate the commotion, Buck told him, "you’re just a f—-cking captain and I’m R.E.M." Does that stand for Really Enormous Meathead?
