First, they argued over the armrest. Then, the photo went viral online.
On October 16, 2026, a Delta passenger identified as Otto posted a photo on X of his seatmate, Kadia Tubman, with an earring sticking out of the sleeve of her blue sweater. He accused her of being “passive-aggressive” and claimed that the metal point poked him during severe turbulence. According to him, when he asked her to remove it, she refused.
Kadia, a Brooklyn news correspondent, told a different story. She says she let Otto use the armrest while she worked on her laptop, but he kept invading her space, brushing against her arm and waking her up.
She said she asked him several times to stop and put the earring in her sleeve about 20 minutes before landing. According to her, the poke wasn’t caused by turbulence, but by him continuing to move his arm toward her seat.
The argument reached a flight attendant. Kadia says she offered to speak with the captain on the ground; Otto left and later said he had to get to work. No one has confirmed who is right. A defense of personal space, or a dangerous way to handle it?