“I never thought a single moment would cost me everything.”
This is how former Alaska Airlines employee Nelle Diala began the GoFundMe fundraiser she created after allegedly being fired for posting a dance TikTok while on the job.
On Nov. 17, 2024, the then-flight attendant posted a TikTok in which she danced — and, in her own words, twerked — in the aisles of an empty airplane. “Ghetto bih till i D-l-E, dont let the uniform fool you,” she captioned the video.
Diala filmed the “lighthearted,” 15-second clip over six months into her “dream job” with the airline during a layover, she explained on GoFundMe.
“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,” she then wrote in part. “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.”
After seeing the video, Alaska Airlines accused Diala of violating the company’s employee social media policy, the former flight attendant said.
“I explained that the video wasn’t intended to harm anyone or the company, but they didn’t want to listen,” Diala wrote on GoFundMe. “Without warning, they terminated me. No discussion, no chance to defend myself — and no chance for a thorough and proper investigation.”
“Losing my job was devastating. I’ve always been careful about what I share online,” she continued, adding that she “never thought” the video “would cost me my career.”
The former Alaska Airlines employee also noted that she “didn’t even mention the airline by name,” though her flight attendant uniform, which she wore in the clip, is unique to the airline.
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Alaska Airlines did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Sunday, Jan. 19.
In a statement to The Independent, the airline said, “While we don’t comment on personnel matters, we hold all flight attendants to high standards for conduct and guest care. All new flight attendants are subject to probationary periods, just like all Alaska Airlines employees.”
Diala, who said she was “celebrating the end” of her own probation by making the video, is now “trying to figure out how to move forward.”
“Can’t even be yourself anymore, without the world being so sensitive,” she added on TikTok, where she reposted her original video on Nov. 26 after her alleged firing.
“[What’s] wrong with a little twerk before work,” she continued in the caption. “People act like they never did that before. #fyp #flightattendantlife 4evaa #discrimnationisreal.”
On GoFundMe — where she has raised more than $2,600 as of Jan. 19 — Diala reflected more about her time with the airline and her path forward.
Despite hardships she experienced in her personal life during her first six months as a flight attendant, “I loved my job — meeting new people, seeing the world, and creating a safe, welcoming environment for passengers,” she wrote. “It wasn’t always easy, but I was proud of what I did.”
Diala said she is now relying on the fundraiser “to make ends meet due to this sudden loss of income and until I am able to find another flight attendant position elsewhere.”
“I’ve learned from my mistakes and those don’t define me,” she added. “We listen and we don’t judge.”
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