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Actor and comedian Eric André has once again ignited public discourse on racial profiling after claiming he was subjected to discriminatory treatment in Australia. As reported by NBC News on Tuesday (Aug. 20), the Emmy-nominated host of “The Eric André Show” detailed his experience on social media, which took place during a Melbourne stopover while traveling to Brisbane.
"I got detained, and I got pulled out of a lineup, and put in a special line in Melbourne where I was sniffed thoroughly by a dog," he explained in a video on Instagram. "One of the many times I've been racially profiled at the airport. So, this is a message for all Black, brown, and Indigenous people traveling through Melbourne... Please be careful."
André’s allegations prompted a swift response from Melbourne Airport, which categorically denied any tolerance for prejudice against people of color. In addition to responding in the post's comments section, a spokesperson told NBC News, "Melbourne Airport does not tolerate racism in any form. We welcome all passengers to Melbourne, and we expect everyone to be treated equally.” Both the Australian Border Force and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry were also said to have launched inquiries.
This isn't the first time André spoke out about mistreatment at airports. As REVOLT previously reported, the "Trolls Band Together" talent and comedian Clayton English filed a lawsuit against Georgia’s Clayton County over racial profiling at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. "I was just racially profiled by two plainclothes Atlanta PD police in Delta terminal 3 at the Atlanta airport," he tweeted in 2021. "They stopped me on the way down the bridge to the plane for a 'random' search and asked [if] they could search me for drugs. I told them no." The two subsequently filed an appeal after the lawsuit was dismissed.