A Southwest passenger who went viral after having an outburst on a plane and grabbing a woman's hair has been identified as a successful New York artist.
The artist unleashed a chaotic meltdown after boarding was completed early Tuesday morning.
Leanna Perry, a 32-year-old New York City–based illustrator, was arrested following a dramatic and aggressive incident aboard a Southwest Airlines flight at LaGuardia Airport, per the New York Post.
Video footage captured Perry hurling expletives at fellow passengers and airline staff while attempting to resist removal.
Witnesses described her as appearing “possessed” as she swung and screamed, even allegedly pulling a woman’s hair and calling her a “fat a** b***h.”
Despite repeated warnings, she refused to release the hair. At one point, she allegedly spat directly in the woman’s face.
“Shut the f*** up, don’t f***ing touch me!” Perry can be heard shouting.
After being partially restrained, she continued the verbal onslaught, allegedly calling the victim an “ugly-a** b***h” and ridiculing her boyfriend’s physique: “Your boyfriend’s d*** is like 2 inches big. It’s embarrassing. I’m so sorry about your boyfriend.”
Amid the struggle, Perry announced that she “can’t breathe” and collapsed between seats, kicking other passengers.
Southwest employees finally zip-tied her hands behind her back. However, the chaos intensified as she allegedly kicked and spat at police officers while being escorted off the plane and placed into custody.
A Minneapolis College of Art and Design graduate, she was charged with resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration, disorderly conduct, three counts of harassment, and three counts of attempted assault.
She was released later that day and is expected to appear in court on September 3.
Southwest Airlines commented: “The customer involved in the incident was removed from the flight and denied boarding. We commend our team for their professionalism during the incident.”
Leanna Perry’s creative résumé is impressive: she has been credited on her website and social media with design work for Maybelline, starting last year as a lead designer, and collaborations with Adidas, MAC, Steve Madden, Hot Topic, Shein, Betsey Johnson, and Nicole Miller.
Her presence in the New York fashion scene spans runway shows and other high-profile events.
Authorities confirmed that Perry appeared intoxicated during the incident. Port Authority Police arrested her on suspicion of aggravated assault, following reports of an unruly and dangerous passenger in Terminal B at LaGuardia.