The woman who went viral after a video of her shouting about a passenger she claimed was “not real” in an American Airlines flight has issued a public apology for her behaviour.
Tiffany Gomas was filmed in July going on an expletive-laden rant about why she was leaving the plane while standing in the aisle of the aircraft. She made bizarre claims about a passenger who was “not real” and said there was a “reason why I’m getting the f*** off”.
The 38-year-old marketing executive, who lives in Dallas, Texas, has shared a tearful apology video via TMZ saying sorry to her fellow passengers for her heavy use of profanity and for her “unacceptable” actions.
She began by introducing herself as Tiffany Gomas, “probably better known as the ‘Crazy Plane Lady’”, a nickname she said was “completely warranted”.
“As you know, I have been unwilling to speak on the viral video but I do finally feel that it’s time,” she continued.
“First and foremost, I want to take full accountability for my actions. They were completely unacceptable, distressed or not. I should have been in control of my emotions, and that was not the case.
“My use of profanity was completely unnecessary and I want to apologise to everyone on that plane, especially those that had children aboard. [I can’t] imagine going through that and trying to explain to your kid what in the world just happened.”
Gomas addressed the impact that going viral has had on her, adding: “We all have our bad moments, some far worse than others, and mine happened to be caught on camera for the whole world to see, multiple times.
“While it has been really comical for everyone, and I have highly enjoyed so many of the memes, on the flip side, it is very invasive and unkind. I don’t know what I would do without the love and support of my friends and family. They are loyal to a fault and I don’t know what I did to deserve them.”
In the video, Gomas appears to be blinking back tears and clearing her throat as she apologises for having difficulty speaking.
“I hope that I can use this experience and do a little bit of good in the world, and that is what I intend to do. I hope that you guys can accept my apology and I can begin to move on with my life,” she concluded the clip.
Last week, Gomas broke her silence over the viral video in an interview with the Daily Mail from her home in the Lakewood neighbourhood of Dallas.
She told the publication that her life has been “blown up” since the video became widespread across social media, adding: “It’s frightening. Things go viral and everything changes. No one knows anyone else’s story, and no one should judge. No one knows what it’s like.”
She alleged that she has been subjected to intense scrutiny since the incident and claimed: “They’re staking out my house. They’re staking out my neighbours. They’re going through my mail.” However, Gomas did not specify who the “they” she referred to were.
In the original video, Gomas can be heard telling the other passengers: “I’m telling you, I’m getting the f*** off, and there’s a reason why I’m getting the f*** off. And everyone can either believe it or they can not believe it. I don’t give two f***s.
“But I am telling you right now, that motherf***er back there is not real.”
While exiting the plane, she also shouted: “And you can sit on this plane and you can f***ing die with them or not. I’m not going to.”
According to police documents reviews by The New York Post, Gomas’s claims prompted concern among the flight attendants, who “felt the aircraft needed to be rescreened”. Other passengers were reportedly forced to exit the plane so they could go through security screening again.
Gomas was reportedly “distraught” when TSA personnel arrived at the gate and attempted to board the plane again. She also reportedly refused to speak to Dallas-Fort Worth Department of Public Safety Police and was allegedly given a “verbal criminal trespass notice”.
A statement from a spokesperson for American Airlines at the time confirmed the incident involving a “disruptive customer” had taken place.
After the video went viral, Gomas’ social media accounts were either switched to private or taken down. However, she has since relaunched her Twitter and Instagram accounts, where she shared the apology video.
In a tweet, she described the incident as her “very worst moment”, adding: “This experience has been life-altering and I hope to do good from it and promote positive mental health.”
