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The TikTok user said that the experience made her feel like a ‘prisoner’ on the flight from Tampa to New York City
Owen ScottWednesday 03 December 2025 16:58 GMTComments
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A Delta Airlines passenger has gone viral, after sharing a video of herself silently sobbing upon discovering that her seatmate sent a text describing her as a “huge woman.”
Vanessa, a TikToker with 4,922 followers on her @soberspouse account, says she read the text over the man sitting next to her's shoulder.
The incident occurred on November 26, while she was buckling her seatbelt for her flight from Tampa to New York City.
“We’ve taken off, and I can’t stop crying,” Vanessa wrote in the video’s caption. “The man next to me, sends one text, ‘urgh HUGE woman sat next to me’ – I saw bc I have eyes, and now I feel like a prisoner for the next 2 hours.”
“Be kind,” she added. “If you’re feeling so inclined, can you send me some love? I’ve lost 60+ lbs and have actually been feeling really good about myself.”
open image in galleryA TikTok user claimed that the man sitting next to her on a Delta flight shared a body-shaming message about her (TikTok/soberspouse)Since sharing the post, the video has racked up 1.8 million views and has received 122,000 likes.
Shortly after, Vanessa followed up her post with a second video of herself on the plane. The second clip, which was recorded mid-flight, included the message, “flying while fat is hard.”
Vanessa later revealed more about the incident in an interview with The Mary Sue. She told the publication that her seatmate rolled his eyes at her before she even sat down.
“I boarded the plane and as I approached my row, I made eye contact with the man in the window seat of my row,” she told the publication. “I could see the man in the window, visibly sigh and roll his eyes. That is immediately when my radar went up.”
She also claimed that, after she read the message, the man sent a series of empty texts to stop her from seeing it again.
open image in gallery(REUTERS)Vanessa also revealed that she felt “frozen” after reading the message. However, she decided against challenging her seatmate because she feared being removed from the plane for making a scene.
Since posting the video, the influencer says that she received a deluge of positive messages on TikTok.
“You lost 60 lbs?!? CONGRATULATIONS! That clearly took a lot of effort from you… don’t let the jerk derail you as you are on a JOURNEY!,” one of the comments read.
“Urgh what a jerk! Continue to shine & be confident in all your hard work. Congrats queen,” another person wrote.
In a follow-up video, she said that the support has “restored her confidence” and that she has decided to move past the incident, even though she alleges that the man was “spilling more into my seat.”
The Independent has contacted Delta Airlines for further comment.
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