The 'Color Purple' actress accuses the Airbnb of racial profiling as she and her kids were forced to vacate a house she had booked to celebrate her son's birthday with some friends.
- Dec 18, 2023
AceShowbiz - Being a renowned star doesn't make Fantasia Barrino immune to unfair treatment. The singer/actress, who stars in Blitz Bazawule's new take on "The Color Purple", has claimed that she and her family recently became victims of racial profiling by Airbnb.
According to the third season's winner of "American Idol", she had rented a house where she invited her son's friends over to celebrate her son's birthday. At night, the number of guests staying matched the number on the reservation, but for some reason the Airbnb wanted them to leave sooner than later.
"My stomach is so uneasy this morning as I'm riding back to my home in the cold and rain," Fantasia posted on X, formerly Twitter. "I don't say much when people do me wrong, but I can't stay quiet on how my family and I were just treated from a host with @Airbnb @airbnbhelp trying to kick my kids and I out at 12:00 midnight. The host accused us of having a party with loud noises outdoors because they saw balloons being dropped off and a game truck with no generator in the early part of the day."
She continued, "The amount of guests we reserved for are the amount of guest who stayed the night. They never said we weren't allowed to have any company over!! It's evident from the sayings on the wall, to the outdoor fire put/jacuzzi and a well equipped game room in the garage/poker table that people Hosts parties and/or gatherings here on the lake often as there were weights with balloon ribbon left in the garage from a previous party at the house."
Not letting it slide, the mother of three said, "It's evident to me this was racial profiling and the treatment we received was due to the color of our skin. I wanted my son to enjoy his friends (10-12) year old and make him feel special as I have been traveling for the last 35+ days promoting a movie I starred in. This time, I dare not stay quiet."
Over on her Instagram account, Fantasia shared photos and a video from her son's birthday party. While the kids were seen having fun in the pictures, the party didn't end well. "Being abruptly asked to vacate a house (which proved to not be a Home) on the first night while a diverse group of technologically & robotically Inclined group of kids (one is a pianist) were winding down to sleep was unthinkable," she penned in the caption.
"Gaining and understanding wasn't the desire, while we were being screened on various Ring cameras, the happiness and 'character' of the kids present also wasn't considered," she continued. "Right after a hot-chocolate Sip & Paint, without warning, we were asked to leave."
"So, at 6a, in the freezing rain, with sleepy kids, we loaded up 4 vehicles, respectfully cleaned and organized everything back to its original place and we left. Logistically, some of the children had to be immediately taken home, with one stating they didn't want to go home," she claimed, before concluding, "I didn't deserve to look or feel like I let my son and the other kids down."
Fantasia later went live on Instagram where she shared more details of the party. She claimed that the kids were already in bed by nine o'clock, but the Airbnb complained of loud noises at 11:30 P.M. "My heart is completely broken," she shared. "It felt like a black thing," she added. "I'm confused y'all. … That's crazy."
The Airbnb has not responded to Fantasia's allegations, but some social media users advised the 39-year-old to read the contract thoroughly because some Airbnb hosts have very strict rules when it comes to party.
One person asked, "Was it about color or party???" before pointing out, "Every airbnb contract I've seen said no 'parties' or more than 10 people & no noise after 10pm. You gotta read ALL the damn rules they have. The rules are sooo strict!!" Another suggested, "First thing you should have done was asked the host if that was ok, Im a host and Airbnb and I don’t allow parties of any kind."
Others defended Fantasia, with one saying, "They did all of this... because of a children's party of 8? I think most of you are missing the point: there are gentler & better ways to handle this than making A BUNCH OF CHILDREN vacate a place at 6am in the rain."
"I hate that this was your experience and I hope they make it right. I know your son appreciates what you tried to do for him," another commented. Someone else weighed in, "Another thing is you had a mixed crowd they probably couldn't stand that."
