A woman was left “deeply disturbed” after discovering that a man had braided her hair while she was asleep on an American Airlines flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Los Angeles, California.
The unsettling incident has raised concerns about personal boundaries and in-flight security.
The woman, Danielle, who shared her experience in a viral TikTok video, recalled dozing off in her window seat, only to later realize that her hair had been manipulated without her knowledge. She stated that she vaguely remembered hearing the sound of someone taking photos behind her but did not initially think much of it.
“I said, ‘Who is taking pictures?’” she recounted in her video.
However, it wasn’t until she arrived at her Airbnb, preparing to take a shower, that she noticed an unexpected braid in the back of her head.
“At first, I thought maybe the wig I ordered came like that,” she explained. “But then I remembered I had washed it before my trip. That’s when it hit me—the person sitting behind me had braided my hair while I was asleep.”
According to her, the flight took off at 7 a.m. on March 15, 2025, and she had been seated in 22F, with the unidentified man directly behind her in 23F. She described her deep sleep as “hibernation,” adding that she had been exhausted from an early start that morning.
The bizarre realization came with an added level of discomfort when she attempted to undo the braid.
“You braided my hair so tight that I had to take it out with a rat-tail comb!” she said, expressing her shock and frustration.
The incident has since sparked an online discussion about personal space and consent. Many commenters have expressed their disbelief and concern, calling it a violation of boundaries. Others have urged airlines to take such occurrences more seriously.
The man responsible for the act remains unidentified. The woman is now asking for him to come forward and explain why he thought it was acceptable to touch a stranger’s hair without permission.
“Don’t touch people while they’re asleep. Don’t touch people in general that you don’t know. It’s weird, and it’s creepy,” she said.
For now, she hopes that by sharing her story, she can bring awareness to the issue of unwanted physical contact, especially in enclosed spaces like airplanes.
