The Alaska Airlines flight attendant who was fired for twerking on board said her termination was ‘unfair’ and that she had no idea it would be ‘deemed as inappropriate.’
Nelle Diala was sacked from her ‘dream job’ after a video she posted to TikTok of her twerking on an empty plane went viral in November 2024.
Diala amassed more than 72,000 views, but once her former employer got a hold of it, her career with the airline was terminated.
Now, the San Francisco native has emotionally explained her side of the story, saying that she chose to dance on the plane as an innocent way to start her work day.
‘I decided to just take advantage of the moment, to wake myself up and kind of get myself hyped up for my day basically,’ she told Inside Edition.
After the 20-second dance video went viral, the airline informed her that she was fired, just six months into her contract.
‘They just said that I broke their social media policy,’ Diala said, adding that she wasn’t able to explain her actions.
‘I put on such a proud face every time I stepped on that plane, and for them to terminate me without giving me a chance, it just was unfair,’ she continued.
Diala also said in a post that the airline ‘did discriminate’ against her because the viral clip was ‘geared toward the urban community.’
Nelle Diala, the former Alaska Airlines flight attendant who was fired after a video of her twerking on a plane went viral, said her termination was ‘unfair’
Diala was sacked from her ‘dream job’ after a video she posted to TikTok (pictured) of her twerking on an empty plane went viral in November 2024
‘So, of course, the company would like to embrace ‘all cultures’ but leave the minority girl from the ghetto OUT,’ she added.
The former flight attendant also said that the video was meant to be a celebratory reaction to her completing her six month probationary period with the airline.
‘I was really proud of myself that I came so far. I just didn’t think that my video and my post and the way I was dancing would be deemed as inappropriate,’ Diala said.
‘I didn’t think that, you know, being so happy could turn into something like this.’
After her initial post of the video, Diala then re-posted the twerking clip with a new caption: ‘Can’t even be yourself anymore, without the world being so sensitive. What’s wrong with a little twerk before work, people act like they never did that before.’
The footage was posted along with a hashtag #discriminationisreal. Her TikTok page has since been made private.
Soon after she was let go, Diala launched a GoFundMe page to help her ‘make ends meet due to this sudden loss of income.’
The page, which is no longer accepting donations, raised more than $3,300.
Diala described herself as a ‘wrongfully fired flight attendant,’ and added: ‘I never thought a single moment would cost me everything.’
Now, the San Francisco native has explained her side of the story, saying she chose to dance on the plane as an innocent way to start her work day
‘One day, during a layover, I posted a lighthearted video on my personal social media account. It was a harmless clip that was recorded at 6 am while waiting 2 hours for pilots.
‘I was also celebrating the end of probation and making it out of a hard upbringing in San Francisco, CA.
‘LIFE-something many people in the industry could relate to. The video went viral overnight, but instead of love and support, it brought unexpected scrutiny. Although it was a poor decision on my behalf I didn’t think it would cost me my dream job,’ she said.
She then detailed how her former employer reacted to the clip, adding: ‘I explained that the video wasn’t intended to harm anyone or the company, but they didn’t want to listen.
‘Without warning, they terminated me. No discussion, no chance to defend myself—and no chance for a thorough and proper investigation.’
Diala, who said she’s ‘always been careful’ about what she shares online, also noted that during her time with Alaska Airlines, she suffered a personal loss.
‘In between those 6 months both of my English bulldogs died unexpectedly, my relationship was rocky because of the time I spent away, but I loved my job—meeting new people, seeing the world, and creating a safe, welcoming environment for passengers. It wasn’t always easy, but I was proud of what I did,’ Diala wrote.
Soon after she was let go, Diala launched a GoFundMe page to help her ‘make ends meet due to this sudden loss of income’
She also mentioned that even though being a flight attendant was her dream career, she was using her income from it to help fund her ‘blossoming lingerie and dessert business.’
The aspiring business owner was quickly scrutinized online as some applauded the airline’s reaction, while others supported the former flight attendant’s cheeky clip.
‘Of course she deserved to lose her job. She chose to violate Alaska Airlines’ social media policy which ALL Alaska employees are required to follow when hired. She got herself fired,’ one TikTok user commented.
Another wrote: ‘Nothing wrong with twerking before work, only wrong to be doing it in uniform while on company property.’
‘Shame on Alaska Airlines for being so overly sensitive. We will make sure to support you via GFM,’ another commented.
DailyMail.com contacted Alaska Airlines for comment.