Of the dozens of actor-comedians who have starred on Saturday Night Live over the past 40-plus years, there are a handful who you could absolutely picture causing a ruckus on an airplane. Chris Kattan would probably not be at the top of the list. However, as Complex notes, the Corky Romano star was removed from an LAX-bound American Airlines flight on Monday after a kerfuffle over a face mask.
“Kattan was aboard a flight headed back to Los Angeles out of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport when he allegedly exhibited behavior that alarmed his fellow passengers. Witnesses claim Kattan was stumbling around, and appeared to be sick with mucus hanging from his nose. Flight attendants brought him paper towels after being alerted by passengers of his appearance, but also asked that he put on a mask since he wasn’t wearing one at the time.”
While Kattan did comply with the request to put on a face mask—which is still required while traveling onboard a plane—he reportedly had it hanging below his nose, which (as you should all know by now) is not the right way to wear a mask. Several requests were made of Kattan to pull his mask up. When he wouldn’t comply, he was asked to leave the plane. That, too, apparently caused some issues for Kattan, who tried to convince the flight crew to let him keep his seat. But when threatened with police intervention, Kattan picked up his things and left. Much to what we can only imagine was a huge relief for his fellow passengers.
When word spread about the incident, Kattan’s lawyer was quick to dispel any notions that his client is any type of COVID conspiracy theorist. Plane disruptor? Sure. Anti-vaxxer? Hell, no! Speaking to TMZ, attorney Samuel Joshua Smith said that Kattan’s Mango-like behavior was all the result of an allergic reaction:
“We strongly deny that Mr. Kattan would ever refuse to wear a mask. Mr. Kattan is fully vaccinated and unequivocally supports CDC guidelines. This past Monday Mr. Kattan was returning to Los Angeles from a successful tour of comedy shows. Unfortunately, Mr. Kattan suffered a strong allergic reaction to supplements he has been taking to treat lingering neck pain from his injury on SNL. This reaction affected his balance and psychological state. The effects also caused him to have trouble breathing.”
Kattan was able to board the next plane home, apparently without incident. But, according to Smith, the comedian did have some wisdom to share: “Mr. Kattan sends a warning out to all his fans suffering through back and neck injury… apparently, not all supplements are created equally!”
(Via Complex)