Fantasia Barrino Speaks Out Against Alleged Racial Discrimination by Airbnb Host
Fantasia Barrino, renowned star of 'The Color Purple', bravely speaks out against racial profiling by an Airbnb host After being unceremoniously asked to leave the rented house for her son's party, she refuses to stay silent A powerful account shedding light on discrimination
Fantasia Barrino Kevin Winter/WireImage/Getty Images
Fantasia Barrino has accused an Airbnb host of racially profiling her family during a recent trip. The 39-year-old American Idol alum hosted a party for her kids and their friends and claimed that they were treated unfairly.
She wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Sunday, December 17th that it was clear to her that we were targeted because of our race and that the way we were treated was because of the color of our skin. Barrino also expressed frustration about the host's attempt to kick her and her kids out at midnight and falsely accusing them of having a loud party outside just because they saw balloons being delivered.
She insisted that she and her family had not committed any wrongdoing.
"The number of guests we had reserved for is the same number of guests who actually stayed the night. They never mentioned that we couldn't have any visitors!" she argued. "It's clear from the sayings on the wall, the outdoor fire pit and jacuzzi, and the well-equipped game room in the garage with a poker table that people often host parties and gatherings here on the lake. There were even leftover balloon weights with ribbons in the garage from a previous party at the house."
Airbnb's representative responded to her complaint with the following message: "Hi Fantasia, Airbnb strongly opposes discrimination in any form. You can check out our Nondiscrimination Policy here: Please send us a DM with the email address linked to your booking so that our team can investigate further. Thank you."
Barrino also shared multiple Instagram photos of her son, Dallas, and his friends participating in various activities during the trip, such as a group painting session and gathering around a bonfire.
She captioned her post by stating, "Being abruptly asked to leave a house that did not feel like a home on the first night, while a diverse group of tech-savvy and robotically inclined kids (one of whom is a pianist) were getting ready to sleep, was beyond belief. The desire for gaining understanding was not met, as we were being monitored on various Ring cameras, and the happiness and "character" of the kids were also overlooked."
"Following a hot chocolate sip and paint activity, we were unexpectedly told to leave. Therefore, at 6 am, in the freezing rain, with sleepy kids, we loaded up four vehicles, cleaned and organized everything back to its original place, and then departed," she continued.
“I didn’t deserve to look or feel like I let my son and the other kids down,” Barrino concluded her post.
Deal of the Day
This May Be the Best Sweater Deal You'll See Today
View Deal
Barrino added that the purpose of the trip was for “my son to enjoy his friends and make him feel special as I have been traveling for the last 35+ days” promoting The Color Purple.
The Grammy winner will be returning to her role after previously portraying Celie in The Color Purple on Broadway from 2007 to 2008. The original 1985 film, based on the 1982 novel by Alice Walker, was directed by Steven Spielberg and featured Whoopi Goldberg as Celie.
