It’s getting creepy up there.
Abizarre incident occurred on an American Airlines flight last month when a sleeping passenger’s hair was braided without her consent. Danielle, who goes by @real.danieb on TikTok, posted a video urging the person responsible to come forward.
In the now-viral video, which has amassed 5.3 million views, Danielle detailed the flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Los Angeles and even identified her seat number in an effort to hold the person accountable. She was seated by the window and explained that the individual sat directly behind her in seat 23F.
“I didn’t realize until later that evening that there was a braid in my hair,” she said in the video.
She explained that she fell asleep as soon as the plane took off and remained asleep for the entire flight.
“My day started at 2:30 that morning. By the time I got to Charlotte, North Carolina, from D.C., I was ready to go to bed.”
@real.danieb Hide ya weaves, anonymous hair braider on the loose. #Americanairlines #travelstoriea #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #fyp #hairbraiding @ISEE Hair ♬ original sound – Danielle
Related: American Airlines Sued Over Passenger’s Alleged Disgusting Behavior
Danielle said she briefly woke up after hearing the sound of a camera shutter and later realized the man had taken pictures of the braid. She discovered the tightly woven braid at her Airbnb and deduced that the person seated behind her must have done it before taking the pictures. She had to use a rat-tail comb to undo the braid.
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“Why did you do that? I need answers,” she asked in the video.
Danielle said she was deeply disturbed by the incident and wanted to understand why it happened. She admonished the person, stating, “Don’t touch people’s hair or people while they’re asleep. It’s weird and creepy.”
If the message wasn’t already clear, she reiterated that people should never touch strangers without consent.
Related: Passenger Accused of Groping Woman on American Airlines Flight Had Prior Allegations
In a follow-up five-minute video, Danielle responded to questions from viewers about why her hair was accessible to the passenger behind her. She denied intentionally draping her hair over the seat but emphasized that even if someone had done so, it would not justify inappropriate behavior.
@real.danieb Replying to @saytoven. Annie are you Okay?! Are you Okay Annie?? #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #hairbraiding #fyp #travelstories #travellife ♬ original sound – Danielle
“You would think that in 2025, we wouldn’t have to discuss keeping our hands to [ourselves], but we do because situations like this and worse keep happening to people around the globe,” she said in response to commenters who dismissed her concerns.
She also clarified that she didn’t care whether the person was a man, woman, or child—if someone does not have consent, touching another person is unacceptable.
“These are concepts that I thought we all knew, but clearly we don’t,” she concluded.
Danielle’s video, as well as the comments, also made light of the incident, joking about “American Hairlines” and the “Braid Bandit.” However, recent reports of inappropriate behavior on flights may be a growing concern for passengers. If you feel unsafe while flying, report the incident to the airline. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) handles all crimes aboard aircraft, including sexual misconduct and assault. Passengers can contact the FBI at 1-800-225-5324 or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov.
