Nationwide — Nelle Diala, who was fired from Alaska Airlines after posting a twerking video on TikTok while on duty, is now turning to GoFundMe for financial support. She claims that she was “wrongfully fired” and insisted the now-viral video was not meant to harm the company.“I never thought a single moment would cost me everything,” Diala told People.
On November 17th, 2024, Diala, a flight attendant for six months, shared a 15-second clip of herself on TikTok dancing in an empty airplane aisle during a layover. She captioned it, “Ghetto bih till i D-I-E, don’t let the uniform fool you.”
She explained the video was recorded while waiting 2 hours for the pilots and was meant to be “lighthearted.” She said she was celebrating the end of her probation at the time.
“The video went viral overnight, but instead of love and support, it brought unexpected scrutiny. Although it was a poor decision on my behalf, I didn’t think it would cost me my dream job,” she said.
Although the video didn’t mention the airline by name, Diala’s uniform was clearly visible in the video. Alaska Airlines accused Diala of violating its social media policy, leading to her dismissal. She claimed she was fired without warning or the chance to defend herself.
“Losing my job was devastating. I’ve always been careful about what I share online,” Diala claimed.
In a statement, the airline reiterated, “While we don’t comment on personnel matters, we hold all flight attendants to high standards for conduct and guest care. All new flight attendants are subject to probationary periods, just like all Alaska Airlines employees.”
After her termination, she reposted her TikTok video with the caption, “Can’t even be yourself anymore, without the world being so sensitive. [What’s] wrong with a little twerk before work. People act like they never did that before. #fyp #flightattendantlife 4evaa #discrimnationisreal.”
She launched a GoFundMe campaign, aiming to raise $12,000 so she could “make ends meet due to this sudden loss of income and until I am able to find another flight attendant position elsewhere.” It has so far raised over $2,900.
“I’ve learned from my mistakes and those don’t define me,” she added. “We listen and we don’t judge.”