Key Point Summary – Southwest Airlines Passenger Meltdown

• NYC artist Leanna Perry, 32, caused a mid-boarding chaos at LaGuardia
• She screamed slurs, body-shamed a passenger, and spat in her face
• Police say Perry was intoxicated and combative during the violent meltdown
• Her privileged lifestyle includes work for Adidas, MAC, and Maybelline
• Viral clips show her gripping a woman’s hair while shouting profanity
• She was removed by stretcher, arrested, and barred from re-boarding
• Southwest Airlines praised staff for calmly handling the shocking incident

The Meltdown Heard Around the Internet

It was supposed to be a routine flight from New York to Kansas City. But chaos exploded onboard a Southwest Airlines plane when Leanna Perry, a 32-year-old Brooklyn artist, unleashed a foul-mouthed tirade on a fellow female passenger—captured in shocking viral videos.

Perry, dressed in black with a red baseball cap, screamed, spat, and even pulled the woman’s hair while accusing her of being “fat” and mocking her clothing. Her outrageous mid-air outburst shocked everyone around her.

She was so aggressive, according to one eyewitness, she even knocked a Southwest employee’s glasses off.

From Fashion Brands to Violent Breakdown

Before her violent meltdown, Perry led a glamorous life in New York City’s creative elite. The illustrator had worked with big-name companies like Adidas, MAC, Maybelline, Hot Topic, Shein, and even fashion icons like Betsey Johnson and Nicole Miller.

Her now-deleted LinkedIn profile once bragged about designing visuals for Maybelline’s e-commerce presence. Social media posts showed her attending fashion week events and posing at stylish soirées.

She lives in a $4,000-a-month high-rise apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn—a far cry from the image captured in her arrest.

But when contacted by the Daily Mail, both Perry and Maybelline went silent. Her entire online presence vanished almost overnight.

Screaming, Spitting, and Gripping Hair

The Southwest Airlines passenger meltdown began as passengers were boarding the Monday morning flight out of LaGuardia.

Perry reportedly began body-shaming the woman seated near her, yelling: “Shut the f*** up, don’t f***ing touch me!” She then reached out and gripped the woman’s hair tightly, refusing to let go despite repeated pleas from flight staff.

At one point, with a twisted grin, she snapped: “I’m not even touching her hair, b****,” as her fist clutched a clump of hair.

It only got worse from there.

“Yeah, I’m Sorry—I Didn’t Want to Sit Next to a Fat Lady”

Even after authorities were called, Perry continued her tirade. “911!” she shouted mockingly while restrained, still holding the other woman’s hair.

She barked insults about the woman’s weight, her mask, and her appearance.

“Look at this fat a** b****… She can’t even—look, you can’t even see her stomach,” she shouted, pointing and sneering.

Passengers were stunned as the abuse poured out nonstop.

“She can’t even show her mouth because she’s embarrassed,” Perry continued, referencing the woman’s face mask.

The verbal attack wasn’t limited to one target. Perry then turned her rage toward the man sitting next to the woman—and anyone who tried to help.

Racist Slurs and a Bizarre Boyfriend Claim

In an alarming moment, Perry spat at the woman’s face. When restrained again, she aimed more verbal bullets—this time at a Black man trying to intervene.

“Oh, I’m sorry black guy!” she shrieked. “My boyfriend’s black, so shut the f*** up!”

She repeated the phrase several times, stumbling over her words and clearly slurring.

The scene spiraled into complete chaos. She hurled insults about people’s looks, sex lives, and even made crude remarks about body parts.

“You never got laid in your life,” she told one man. “Your boyfriend’s d*** is like two inches big—that’s embarrassing.”

Then she collapsed to the aisle floor.

Flailing, Kicking, Screaming

Perry screamed that she couldn’t breathe, lying face down in the middle of the aisle. Then she flipped onto her back and flung her legs into the air, hair spilling across her face.

“Shut the f*** up, I can’t breathe!” she shouted, even though no one was holding her down.

Despite staff doing their best to restrain her, she kicked, spat, and cursed uncontrollably.

“You’re corny as f***,” she snarled at one employee trying to help.

She even lashed out at the woman she had been harassing again: “Yeah you can’t get out! You’re f*ing fat as sh,” before kicking her.

Only after prolonged efforts did staff manage to subdue her.

Police Remove Perry on Stretcher

Perry was eventually restrained and removed from the plane on a stretcher by Port Authority Police officers. She was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault.

A spokesperson for the Port Authority confirmed that she was “intoxicated” during the incident.

Southwest Airlines quickly confirmed she was barred from re-boarding.

Airline Thanks Staff Amid Public Outrage

In a statement to the Daily Mail, Southwest said: “We commend our Team for their professionalism during the incident.”

Social media users didn’t hold back.

“Privilege doesn’t excuse abuse,” one wrote.

Others commented on Perry’s art career, calling it ironic that someone known for working with fashion and beauty brands would behave so violently.

Many demanded she be permanently banned from flying—and urged brands to sever all ties with her.

Outlook: Legal Trouble Ahead

Leanna Perry now faces serious consequences. She may be charged with aggravated assault, public intoxication, and interfering with a flight.

Her brand partnerships could vanish as quickly as her LinkedIn and Instagram accounts did.

And while she once bragged about living the NYC creative dream, her next appearance may be in court—not at a runway event.

The Southwest Airlines passenger meltdown has become a defining—and disgraceful—moment for an artist who, until now, hid behind curated perfection.

Now the world sees her for who she really is.