In a court filing that asks for dismissal of his case, the actor/comedian's attorneys claim that his client was racially discriminated against by the gate agent and Denver prosecutors.
- October 20, 2023
AceShowbiz - Marlon Wayans insisted that he was being unfairly prosecuted following a dispute with an United Airlines employee at Denver airport. In a court filing to dismiss the case, the actor/comedian's attorneys claimed that his client was racially discriminated against by the gate agent and Denver prosecutors.
In the court documents filed on Thursday, October 19, Marlon's attorneys noted that the gate agent racially targeted the actor after he was removed from a flight for allegedly disturbing the peace. The court docs also stated that Denver prosecutors are perpetuating that discrimination and denying his right to equal protection under the law by continuing to pursue charges against him.
"The City of Denver's position is an affront to constitutional and social equity principles," Marlon's lawyers said. United Airlines has yet to respond to the claims, while City Attorney Kerry Tipper stated that her office didn't comment on pending cases.
The airport altercation took place back in June. At the time, a gate agent stopped Marlon from getting on a flight to Kansas City because he had three bags. Not having it, Marlon allegedly got upset and angrily slammed his ticket on the counter. After the "Scary Movie" star consolidated his luggage into two bags to conform with airline policy, he was allowed to board the plane only to be removed from the flight 30 minutes later.
The court filing stated that the gate agent allowed other passengers to board the flight even with three bags. It claimed that the plane had about 140 passengers, many of whom brought three bags and oversized bags that violated the airline's policy. The dispute led Marlon to a citation for disturbing the peace and a municipal violation.
After Marlon blasted United Airlines on social media, it issued a statement regarding the matter. "In Denver on Friday, a customer who had been told he would have to gate-check his bag instead pushed past a United employee at the jetbridge and attempted to board the aircraft," a spokesperson told TMZ at the time. "The customer won't be flying on United to his destination."
