{"id":8955,"date":"2026-07-17T21:18:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T16:18:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=8955"},"modified":"2026-07-17T21:18:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T16:18:19","slug":"pretty-rickys-spectacular-continues-calling-out-southwest-airlines-after-altercation-with-gate-agent-alleges-rude-employee-got-in-his-face-balled-up-his-fist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=8955","title":{"rendered":"Pretty Ricky\u2019s Spectacular Continues Calling Out Southwest Airlines After Altercation With Gate Agent, Alleges \u2018Rude\u2019 Employee \u2018Got In His Face &#038; Balled Up His Fist\u2019 Over Rapper\u2019s Pillow And Blanket"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:default1=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" itemprop=\"text\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodunlocked.com\/tag\/pretty-ricky\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pretty Ricky<\/a><\/strong> member <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodunlocked.com\/tag\/spectacular\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Spectacular Smith<\/a><\/strong> is continuing to call out Southwest Airlines after documenting his recent altercation with a gate agent at Ontario International Airport in California. The rapper alleges the \u201crude\u201d employee \u201cgot in his face and balled up his fist\u201d because of a carry-on policy affecting his pillow and blanket.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>RELATED<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodunlocked.com\/pretty-rickys-spectacular-smith-banned-from-walt-disney-after-punching-employee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pretty Ricky\u2019s Spectacular Smith Banned From Walt Disney After Punching Employee<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As we previously shared, Spectacular shared a video on his Instagram on Thursday (July 16). In the minute-long clip, we see a male gate agent blocking the rapper from walking through the door to the jetway and plane. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the rapper repeatedly asked the employee, \u201cWhat are you doing?,\u201d the agent, whom Spec identified as <strong>Erick Edwards<\/strong>, turned around and closed the door shut. He sarcastically told the rapper, \u201cThe door is closed. Get in.\u201d As the rapper told the employee he was recording him, the agent told Spec to go see additional agents at another counter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>RELATED<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodunlocked.com\/iconic-pretty-ricky-shuts-down-boys-4-life-tour-stage-in-atlanta-brings-out-keith-sweat-tamar-braxton-yfn-lucci-and-welcomes-big-meech-back-to-atl-in-21-years\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Iconic! Pretty Ricky Shuts Down \u2018Boys 4 Life Tour\u2019 Stage In Atlanta, Brings Out Keith Sweat, Tamar Braxton, YFN Lucci, And Welcomes Big Meech Back To ATL In 21 Years<\/a> <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-pretty-ricky-rapper-spectacular-smith-gets-into-altercation-with-southwest-airlines-gate-agent-in-ontario-airport\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pretty Ricky Rapper Spectacular Smith Gets Into Altercation With Southwest Airlines Gate Agent In Ontario Airport<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As Spec walked over to the other counter, he said, \u201cI want to talk to a supervisor.\u201d One of the agents there confirmed they already called the official down to the area. In Spec\u2019s caption about the incident, he explained how he rarely flies with Southwest and never knew about its intense carry-on policy. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He not only had his carry-on luggage, but also a blanket and pillow \u2014 which he says he always flies with. However, at the gate, agents told him he had to check his extra belongings before boarding, which he said he attempted to do before the altercation.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMy executive assistant booked me into Ontario Airport and had me fly Southwest. It turned out to be one of the worst travel experiences I\u2019ve ever had. @southwestair, your customer service was unacceptable. Erick Edwards refused to let me board my flight and slammed the gate door in my face. l\u2019ve never experienced treatment like that from an airline. To make matters worse, when I asked to speak with a supervisor, instead of addressing what happened, she told me she didn\u2019t want to watch this video and that I shouldn\u2019t have been recording how I was being treated. Instead of taking accountability, they dismissed my concerns. This level of unprofessionalism is incredibly disappointing. I won\u2019t be flying Southwest again. Y\u2019all tag @southwestair. Customer service matters, and employees \u2013 including Erick Edwards should be held accountable for how they treat passengers. Have you ever had an experience like this with Southwest? I\u2019d like to know I\u2019m not the only one.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a comment, Spectacular added:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI travel with my own pillow and blanket on every trip. Since I rarely fly Southwest, I didn\u2019t know they would count as two separate carry-on items. When the gate agent told me I needed to check them, I complied and went back to have my boarding pass updated. Instead of speaking respectfully, he pointed to the floor and told me to put my pillow there. I replied that there was no need to be rude and that a simple \u2018please\u2019 would have been appropriate. After I did exactly as instructed, another employee approached to pick up my pillow, but the gate agent stopped him, saying, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about it. He\u2019s not getting on the flight.\u201d He then got inches from my face, balled up his fist in a way that made me believe he was about to hit me, and told me I wasn\u2019t getting on the plane. Feeling threatened, I activated the recording feature on my Meta Glasses to document the encounter @southwestair.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>RELATED<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodunlocked.com\/battle-of-the-boy-bands-b2ks-lil-fizz-says-pretty-ricky-is-not-on-their-level-pleasure-p-spectacular-baby-blue-whoaaaa-raz-b-bow-wow-and-lil-scrappy-react\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Battle Of The Boy Bands: B2K\u2019s Lil Fizz Says Pretty Ricky Is Not On Their Level; Pleasure P, Spectacular, Baby Blue Whoaaaa, Raz B, Bow Wow, And Lil Scrappy React<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-pretty-ricky-rapper-spectacular-smith-continues-to-call-out-southwest-airlines-after-altercation-with-gate-agent-in-ontario-airport\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pretty Ricky Rapper Spectacular Smith Continues To Call Out Southwest Airlines After Altercation With Gate Agent In Ontario Airport<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hours after sharing his initial posts, Spectacular shared additional context behind the incident. He took accountability for his part \u2014 \u201cmisunderstanding Southwest\u2019s carry-on policy.\u201d However, he said after complying he faced unnecessary disrespect and unprofessionalism.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHere\u2019s some context. I travel with my own pillow and blanket on every trip. Because I rarely fly Southwest, I didn\u2019t realize they would count as two separate carry-on items. When the gate agent informed me of the policy, I accepted it and complied immediately. He directed me to the ticket counter to check my pillow and blanket, and I did exactly as instructed. I was not late for my flight and was following his directions when I returned to the gate. Instead of speaking respectfully, the gate agent pointed to the floor and told me to put my pillow there. I complied and simply responded that there was no need to be rude and that a simple \u2018please\u2019 would have been appropriate. After that exchange, the interaction escalated. Another employee approached to collect my pillow, but the gate agent stopped him and said, \u2018Don\u2019t worry about it. He\u2019s not getting on the flight.\u2019 He then stepped directly into my path, got inches from my face, clenched his fist in a way that caused me to believe he was about to strike me, and told me I wasn\u2019t getting on the plane. Concerned by his actions, I activated the recording feature on my Meta Glasses to document what was happening. I acknowledge that I misunderstood Southwest\u2019s carry-on policy. That was my mistake, and I complied with every instruction I was given. My concern is not the policy. It\u2019s how I was treated after I complied. Policies should be enforced professionally, and every customer deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, even when they\u2019ve made a mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>#Socialites, be sure to check out the post below, then leave us your thoughts in a comment after! <\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Da4XVY2DXFj\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"\/>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 1 --><\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pretty Ricky member Spectacular Smith is continuing to call out Southwest Airlines after documenting his recent altercation with a gate agent at Ontario International Airport in California. The rapper alleges the \u201crude\u201d employee \u201cgot in his face and balled up his fist\u201d because of a carry-on policy affecting his pillow and blanket. RELATED: Pretty Ricky\u2019s&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8956,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/hollywoodunlocked.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Pretty-Rickys-Spectacular-Continues-Calling-Out-Southwest-Airlines-After-Altercation-With-Gate-Agent-Alleges-\u2018Rude-Employee-\u2018Got-In-His-Face-Balled-Up-His-Fist-Over-Rappers-Pillow-And-Blanket.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-gossip"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8955","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8955"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8955\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8956"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8955"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8955"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8955"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}