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'Wicked' Star Marissa Bode Denied Boarding Due to Wheelchair

Hollywood actress Marissa Bode, known for her role in 'Wicked', shared a TikTok video claiming she was denied boarding a Southern Airways flight due to her wheelchair. She said crew members asked if she could stand and refused her boarding when she said no. The airline's contract states passengers must be able to ascend steps for planes with 28 or fewer seats, exempting them from lift requirements. Bode called the incident "blatant segregation" and urged airlines to update their planes for disabled passengers.

Key Points: Marissa Bode Denied Flight Over Wheelchair

  • Marissa Bode posted a TikTok video about being denied boarding
  • She was told she couldn't board because of her wheelchair
  • Southern Airways requires passengers to climb stairs for small planes
  • Bode called the experience "blatant segregation"
2 min read

'Wicked' star Marissa Bode was 'denied boarding a flight'

'Wicked' actress Marissa Bode claims Southern Airways denied her boarding due to her wheelchair, calling it "blatant segregation."

"I was denied boarding a flight because I'm disabled. - Marissa Bode"

Los Angeles, April 26

Hollywood actress Marissa Bode, who is known for her work in 'Wicked', recently opened up on the discrimination that she faced as a differently abled person.

The actress posted a video on TikTok claiming she was recently barred from a Southern Airways flight because of her wheelchair, reports 'Variety'.

She said, "I was denied boarding a flight because I'm disabled. I wish that were clickbait. I wish that were false, but that is what happened".

As per 'Variety', she explained that she was having trouble locating her virtual ticket before boarding her flight to Pennsylvania. When she asked the crew for assistance, they informed her she was not allowed on the plane because of her wheelchair.

She continued, "So I got to the gate, and I was like, 'Hey, could you help me locate my boarding pass?'. And the two people at the gate look at me, and they are like, 'Can you stand?' And I said, 'No'. And they said, 'I'm sorry, but because of that, we're going to have to deny you boarding'. They proceeded to tell me all the planes within this airline have stairs to get on the plane. Wild. Never heard of that before".

She added, "I was like, disabled people are not an afterthought. Why, knowing that disabled people exist, which y'all clearly often forget, do you choose not to update your planes? And I was like, 'This is blatant segregation'".

Southern Airlines' contract of carriage states that "customers must be able to ascend and descend several steps to board the aircraft".

The contract also states that because the Southern Airlines' planes hold "28 or fewer passengers", it is exempt from providing mechanical lifts, a requirement set by the Air Carrier Access Act.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
It's 2025 and we're still hearing stories like this? 😡 The Air Carrier Access Act should be updated—no more exemptions for small planes. Disabled people deserve equal access, period. I'm glad Marissa spoke up; awareness is the first step toward change.
J
James A
While I sympathize with her ordeal, I also understand that small regional airlines have limited budgets and older planes. The real issue is systemic—governments should subsidize retrofitting or provide alternative transport options for differently abled passengers. But treating her like that at the gate was simply unacceptable.
V
Varun X
The staff asking "Can you stand?" as if that determines your worth as a passenger—wow, just wow. This is pure ableism. We travel to Pakistan often and even there, some smaller airlines assist wheelchair users carefully. It's about attitude, not just infrastructure. Southern Airways needs to retrain its entire team.
M
Michael C
I have a differently abled sister, and stories like these break my heart. Marissa handled this with such grace—her "segregation" comment hit hard. But let's also question why we expect disabled individuals to constantly fight for basic rights. The onus is on airlines and lawmakers, not passengers.
K
Kavya N
This is infuriating. Even in India, we have laws like the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, but enforcement is weak. Airlines here also often fail wheelchair users. Marissa's experience is a global wake-up call. Empathy should not be optional—it should be mandatory for everyone working in public service.

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