An American Airlines passenger is facing major online backlash after a confrontation with a flight attendant went viral — and it all started over a vape.
Peter “Kobe” Nguyen, who calls himself a “celebrity pickleball coach” and “AI expert,” admitted he took “one puff” from his vape in the rear lavatory during an August 4 flight from Phoenix to San Francisco. With about 35 minutes left in the two-hour trip, Nguyen says he was dealing with nicotine withdrawal when a flight attendant unlocked the bathroom door and confronted him.
Nguyen began filming the interaction — and that’s when things got heated.
In the now-viral video shared to his 25,000 Instagram followers, Nguyen can be heard telling the crew member,
“I was actually sitting on the toilet and you were opening the door,” before offering an apology. The flight attendant, unfazed, responded, “I don’t care. You can keep saying you’re sorry, but I care about all these passengers.”
When the attendant appeared to reach toward his phone, Nguyen accused her of assault, shouting,
“She just put her hands on me!”
He repeatedly demanded an apology and threatened to involve police when the plane landed. At one point, he claimed to be a lawyer — though there’s no record of him holding a law license.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) bans all forms of smoking — including vaping — on commercial flights, with first-time offenders facing fines of up to $1,771. Safety experts warn that vaping devices can overheat due to their lithium batteries and may trigger onboard smoke detectors, which could lead to emergency diversions.
Flight attendants are legally authorized to override lavatory door locks in cases involving safety concerns, medical emergencies or when smoke alarms are activated.
Upon arrival at SFO, Nguyen was escorted off the plane by San Francisco Police Department officers for “disruptive behavior,” American Airlines confirmed. The airline apologized to other passengers for the inconvenience.
But while Nguyen may have hoped the video would rally support, the internet wasn’t buying it. On Reddit, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), viewers largely sided with the crew. “You need to be on the no-fly list,” one Instagram user wrote. Another added, “Poor flight attendant. She didn’t deserve this.”
Christina Ling, founder of the Flight Attendant Institute, said attendants “did exactly what they needed to do,” adding: “Their job is to enforce federal safety rules and keep passengers safe — period.”
In a follow-up interview with FOX 10, Nguyen admitted,
“I wish I never picked up a vape to begin with. It sucks knowing in order to be myself, I have to have nicotine.”
He also claimed American Airlines’ customer service contacted him about an “internal investigation,” though the airline has not confirmed that.
As of now, Nguyen says he has not been fined by the FAA or placed on a no-fly list.
Background checks have found no verifiable evidence of his “celebrity pickleball coach” status or legal credentials. His educational history appears to include AI studies at UC Berkeley’s School of Information, but his other self-described achievements remain unsubstantiated.
The viral moment stands as a reminder that on airplanes — and on social media — the rules still apply, no matter how many followers you have.
