Diana Ross Claims She Was ‘Violated’ by TSA Agents

Music legend Diana Ross‘ trip home after performing at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Saturday did not start off well. The former Supreme said she felt “violated” by TSA agents at the New Orleans airport, where she was “treated like s –.”

“OK so on one hand I’m treated like royalty in New Orleans and at the airport I was treated like s–,” the singer tweeted early Sunday. “Let me be clear , Not the [people] or Delta BUT TSA , was over the top !! Makes me want to cry !!!”

The “Baby Love” singer continued, “[It’s] not what was done but how , I am feeling violated – I still feel her hands between my legs, front and back ( saying to me it her job ,) WOW!! really mixed emotions I always like to see the good things but not feeling good right now.”

A few hours later, the 75-year-old told her fans she was “feeling better, it took a minute” and shared a brief clip of herself singing “Stop! In The Name of Love” in New Orleans.

“TSA is committed to ensuring all travelers are treated with respect and courtesy. TSA is aware of concerns presented by Diana Ross about her screening experience at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport this morning,” TSA spokesman Mark Howell told USA Today.

Howell said there was video of the incident, showing the officers “correctly followed all protocols,” but the agency will “continue to investigate the matter further. We encourage Ms. Ross to reach out to TSA so we can work with her directly to address her concerns.”

Ross is not the first celebrity to air their concerns about the TSA on Twitter. In October 2018, Dancing with the Stars pro Lindsay Arnold said she had an “inappropriate” encounter with an officer at the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport.

“Horrible day at the [Dallas/Fort Worth Airport] got publicly harassed and had my privacy extremely invaded by a [TSA] agent while going through security. So inappropriate and uncalled for,” Arnold tweeted. “The public harassment stemmed from the [TSA agent] accusing me of having something very private (and legal) inside of my bag (which I didn’t even have). He accused me of this before even looking in the bag after I repeatedly told him he could check my bag.”

Arnold said the officer took out a bottle of hair oil from her bag, and brought over another agent to laugh at it. She claimed the agent told her, “You know exactly what I’m talking about” and the officers made a “huge scene.”

Arnold later tweeted that she understood what the TSA has to do, but said the way the agent handled the incident was “horrible” and he “should have pulled my bag aside and done the search privately not publicly humiliate me.”

In that case, a customer service agent for the airport responded to Arnold to “apologize for any rudeness that was encountered.”

In February 2018, WWE star Seth Rollins complained that TSA agents took his Trifecta System meals when he checked through security.

Photo credit: Lester Cohen/Getty Images for The Recording Academy