Nelle Diala GoFundMe raises over $3000 as fired flight attendant launches fundraiser after Twerk TikTok controversy 

Nelle Diala, a former Alaska Airways flight attendant who was terminated after posting a TikTok video of herself twerking onboard a flight on November 17, 2024, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds after the controversy led to her firing.

The fundraiser titled 'Support for a Wrongfully Fired Flight Attendant' has already raised over $3,000 and aims to secure 12k. Diala maintains that her dismissal was unfair, as she was simply expressing herself and did not believe her actions endangered passengers or the flight crew.

The video, which was filmed during a flight, quickly went viral, sparking a mixture of reactions. While some supported Diala's right to have fun, others argued that it was inappropriate for a professional setting. The airline’s decision to terminate her sparked public debate, with Diala’s supporters rallying behind her in hopes of challenging what they believed to be an unjust action.

In the description for her donation page, Nelle Dalia wrote that the funds would go towards the sudden loss of income that she has to incur because of her termination.

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What did Nelle Daila exactly do?

As per the details on her GoFundMe, Nelle Diala 'posted a lighthearted video' on her personal social media account. According to her, she had recorded the clip at 6 a.m. while they had been waiting 2 hours for the pilots.

In the video, Nelle Diala grooves to the popular track 'Ghetto' by E.K.E. featuring TruCarr. She is seen dancing on an empty plane, donning her flight attendant uniform while performing twerking-style moves inspired by the official music video, a trend seen in other TikTok posts, reported Yahoo News. According to the NY Post, in her original caption, Diala wrote:

"Ghetto bih till i D-I-E, don't let the uniform fool you."

Nelle Diala who had just ended her six-month probation period with Alaska Airlines said that she was celebrating the feat of 'making it out of a hard upbringing in San Francisco, CA.' She continued:

"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."

Nelle Diala also pointed out that she never specifically referred to the airline in the video, although she was wearing the airline's distinctive flight attendant uniform in the clip. In her GoFundMe page, she outlined:

"My employer accused me of violating their social media policy. I explained that the video wasn’t intended to harm anyone or the company, but they didn’t want to listen. Without warning, they terminated me. No discussion, no chance to defend myself—and no chance for a thorough and proper investigation."

Alaska Airlines addressed the situation in a statement to The Independent. They 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.”

While the video Nelle Diala posted sparked mixed reactions, Diala maintains that her actions were harmless and not meant to jeopardize her professional standing.