Qantas Responds To Racism Accusations By Black Eyed Peas' Will.i.am

Qantas has denied accusations that one of its flight attendants was racist by Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am.

On Saturday, the rapper tweeted that during a flight from Brisbane to Sydney, in support of the RNB Fridays Live tour, he "experienced the worse service due to a overly aggressive flight attendant".

"I don’t want to believe she racist," will.i.am tweeted.

"But she has clearly aimed all her frustrations only at the people of colour."

The RNB Fridays Live tour wrapped up its Australian run in Sydney on Saturday night, followed by a show in Auckland on Sunday.

I’m currently on a flight from Brisbane to Sydney.

I’m sorry to say me and my group have experienced they worse service due to a overly aggressive flight attendant...

I don’t want to believe she racist.
But she has clearly aimed all her frustrations only at the people of colour

— will.i.am (@iamwill) November 16, 2019

This is how your greeted when you land from Brisbane to Sydney flying @qantas with a #RacistFlightattendant named Lorraine Marshall...She sent the police after me bacause I couldn’t hear the P.A while making beats on the plane wearing noise canceling headphones... pic.twitter.com/9xT7WqTUoO

— will.i.am (@iamwill) November 16, 2019

As The Daily Telegraph reports, the incident occurred as the flight crew were preparing for landing, while will.i.am was wearing noise-cancelling headphones and didn't hear instructions from staff, which led to the flight attendant confronting the hip hop artist.

Will.i.am said the female flight attendant was "beyond rude & took it to the next level by calling the police on me".

"Thank god the other passengers testified that SHE was out of control," he tweeted. 

In a statement given to The Music today, Qantas called the entire incident a "misunderstanding".

"There was a misunderstanding on board, which seems to have been exacerbated by will.i.am wearing noise cancelling headphones and not being able to hear instructions from crew," the statement reads.

"We completely reject the suggestion this had anything to do with race.

"We’ll be following up with will.i.am and wish him well for the rest of the tour."