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Marissa Bode, known for her role in “Wicked,” recently spoke out against Southern Airways, accusing the airline of denying her boarding due to her disability. Bode, who has relied on a wheelchair since a car accident at the age of 11, shared her experience on TikTok, expressing her frustration and disappointment.
The 25-year-old actress recounted the incident, which occurred during a layover while she was en route to a speaking engagement in Pennsylvania. Her journey started smoothly with United Airlines, but complications arose when she attempted to board her connecting flight with Southern Airways, a regional carrier operating in just eight states.
Upon reaching the gate, Bode approached the airline staff for assistance with her boarding pass. “I got to the gate and was like, ‘Hey, could you help me locate my boarding pass?’” she explained, detailing the moment things began to unravel.
Describing the ordeal as “awful,” Bode has been vocal about her experience, seeking to raise awareness about the challenges faced by travelers with disabilities. Her account has sparked discussions on social media, highlighting the ongoing issues of accessibility and inclusivity in air travel.
“I got to the gate and was like, ‘Hey, could you help me locate my boarding pass?’” she said.
“And the two people at the gate look at me and they’re like, ‘Can you stand?’ And I said, ‘No.’ And they said, ‘I’m sorry, because of that we’re gonna have to deny you boarding.’”
Bode said she was stunned by the explanation that followed.
“They proceeded to tell me all the planes within this airline have stairs to get on the plane. Wild. Never heard of that before … You’re telling me none of the people who have flown on your plane before are disabled?”
She went on to call the situation “blatant segregation,” adding that staff also raised concerns about her 35-pound wheelchair.
The actress said her team had already coordinated with the airline before the trip.
“My manager spoke to them beforehand and they fully assured that I would be set for my flight,” she said, suggesting the denial came despite prior arrangements.
“It is always something when I’m flying,” she said. “It is very rare that I’m flying and there isn’t a problem with my chair or I’m not talked down to.”
She added that the situation went beyond a simple mix-up.
“It’s so much more than bad communication,” she said. “It’s so much more than a mistake. These are our lives. This is our entire existence you’re talking about. My wheelchair is my freedom.”
Bode also addressed how she felt reacting in the moment.
“And of course when I’m crying out of frustration and talking to the people at the gate very firmly, I look like a crazy person,” she continued. “I look like the one that’s in the wrong.”
Ultimately, she had no choice but to make the trip by car instead.
“I had to drive three and a half hours to get to my destination,” she said, before blasting the airline directly: “You should be ashamed of yourself.”
“And airlines as a whole, once again, do f—ing better,” she added.
Under the Air Carrier Access Act, airlines are prohibited from discriminating against passengers with disabilities and are required to assist, including help with boarding and connections.
However, Southern Airways’ contract of carriage states that passengers “must be able to ascend and descend several steps” due to the design of its smaller aircraft, which typically carry fewer than 30 passengers.
The airline notes that it is not required under federal law to provide mechanical lifts in those cases, though ramps may sometimes be available.
The incident comes as Bode continues to gain visibility following her role as Nessarose in “Wicked.”
After the original film’s release in 2024, she faced backlash online tied to her character, with some viewers criticizing Nessarose as a “bad sister” to Elphaba — commentary that spilled into hateful comments about her disability.
“Aggressive comments and jokes about Nessa’s disability itself is deeply uncomfortable, because disability is not fictional,” Bode said at the time.