We're still waiting on what exactly happened with Nia Long, but whatever it was, the actress made it clear that she wouldn't be standing for it ever again. In these current political times, more people are coming forward without hesitation to call out instances of racism that they've encountered. Things that may have been brushed under the rug in the past are now taking center stage, and Nia Long took to Twitter to share that she had some sort of uncomfortable run-in with American Airlines.
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On Saturday (June 6) evening, Nia Long tweeted, "Hey @AmericanAir I have a story about my first flight experience since COVID. I’m pretty sure I met 'Karen' aka Gina. You have to do better. Blatant discrimination will no longer be tolerated. White entitlement does NOT fly in this new day. Check your employees. More to come."
The actress then returned to urge her followers to retweet her message, however, she has yet to elaborate on what she experienced with American Airlines. Even without sharing her story in detail, the company responded to Nia's concerns. "Discrimination has no place at American. Please meet us in DMs with more details about what happened. We'd like to review further."
Over the years, American Airlines has been a target of racist accusations. YG, Boosie Badazz, Wale, Joey Bada$$, Offset, Jason Derulo, and basketball player Trahson Burrell have all made public complaints about being racially profiled or enduring discrimination at the hands of American Airlines employees.
Nia Long Talks Replacing Jada Pinkett Smith On "Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air"
Nia Long was cast as Will Smith’s girlfriend on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” back in the mid-1990s, but only after Jada was hired and replaced.
It was apparently a close call between Nia Long and Jada Pinkett-Smith for the role of Will Smith’s girlfriend on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The part of Lisa Wilkes in season five of the classic series eventually went to Nia, but she revealed that she was actually production’s second choice after Jada. In 1994, both ladies were toe-to-toe for the role, and the auditioning process for the part was how Will and Jada would first meet each other. The following year, Will and Jada officially became a couple.
This is a story that has been shared repeatedly over the years, but Nia Long revisited the fun fact once again during a sit-down with PeopleTV’s Couch Surfing. She watched her last scene on the show—the wedding—and reflected on a few memories. “First they cast Jada to play his girlfriend,” Nia said. “Yes! They cast Jada and they were like, ‘Jada’s too short.’ I’m like, ‘I’m only about two inches taller than her, that does not make a difference, right.'”
The casting didn’t stop the two women from becoming friends over these past decades. “The joke that I have with Jada is that I got the job but she got the husband,” the 49-year-old added. “That’s like our running joke.” In another recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, the actress reflected on her Fresh Prince days and said, “Will is like a light. When he walks into a room, he changes the energy.”
Check out Nia Long’s brief clip on PeopleTV’s Couch Surfing and a scene from her time on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air below.