An airplane passenger has revealed an unsettling incident that left her with a new hairstyle mid-air when a fellow passenger braided her hair while she was asleep.
Danielle, who didn't give her surname, was traveling from Washington to Los Angeles with a layover in Charlotte on March 15 when the unexpected incident happened.
The 32-year-old had stopped for lunch when she realized that something was different—her hair had been braided.
"I realized there was a braid in my hair after I'd had lunch. I walked to baggage claim, got in an Uber from the airport, walked to a restaurant for lunch—all while the braid was hidden beneath my locks. I discovered it once I arrived back at my Airbnb," Danielle told Newsweek.
"It was really a startling feeling because I knew the braid wasn't there before I left home early that morning. I just had to laugh in the moment because it was so bizarre, but I was still weirded out that someone would touch my person while I was asleep."
Danielle in the viral TikTok video in which she shared the unusual story from her flight.Danielle in the viral TikTok video in which she shared the unusual story from her flight.@real.danieb/TikTokAfter the unexpected moment, Danielle was inspired to share her experience on TikTok, where her video has been viewed more than 5 million times.
"To the man that braided my hair while I was sleep on the plane, I need you to come forth immediately... Last Saturday on March 15th, we boarded American Airlines Flight 3051 from Charlotte, NC, to Los Angeles, CA. All right, we sat in the main cabin. And our flight took off at 7:00 AM. I'm only listing specifics because I want this person to know that I know who you are," she said in the video.
She explained that she stayed asleep throughout the flight but was briefly disturbed by the sound of someone taking pictures near her: "When I get on the plane, I don't sleep. I hibernate. OK, as soon as the plane takes off, I'm knocked out... I remember I was asleep the entire flight... I hear click and I said, 'Who is taking pictures?' That's the only reason why I woke up from my hibernation," she said.
"I'm putting my hair up. And that's when I discovered a braid in my head... So hold the f*** up. I ordered this wig from TikTok shop. Did they send me a wig with a braid in it? Impossible. And this was impossible because I washed this wig before I went on my trip.
"That's when it dawned on me. The man sitting behind me braided my hair while I was asleep on the plane. I was deeply disturbed. You know, I wasn't going to talk about it, but the more I thought about it, I said you really braided my hair while. I was asleep. Why?"
The Internet Reacts
As the video gained more attention online, people shared their thoughts in the comments.
"This is so invasive and yet so funny but I'm sorry that happened to you," said one commenter.
Another wrote: "I'm confused on why y'all laughing in these comments like this not WEIRD and psychotic."
"That is absolutely insane," said another viewer. "Are we not respecting boundaries anymore??"
Danielle was surprised by the response online.
"As cliche as it sounds, I had no clue this would go viral. 'Story Time' type of content is something I wouldn't normally do. And the one time I did it, it went viral... I thought it would be something funny to share, thinking maybe 2k-5k people would see. But I'd never imagine almost 5 million people would be so invested in this mystery braider."
She was pleased, though, that the story of the mystery braider sparked conversation online.
"Above all else, I'm just glad that this bizarre incident has opened up further conversations about consent and personal boundaries," she said.
Newsweek reached out to American Airlines via email for comment.
