In an Instagram video shared on Saturday, actor Forrie Smith recounted being removed from a plane after he declined to sit beside a masked passenger.
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Forrie Smith
Known for his role in the Western drama “Yellowstone,” Smith expressed discomfort sitting next to someone wearing a mask. The post garnered nearly 20,000 likes and over 2,100 comments.
Addressing his followers, Smith, 65, stated, “You know my social media people tell me that you like me face to face. But you know what, I can’t say face to face what I want.” In the video, he wore a camouflage cap, a blue shirt, and a green coat.
“They threw me off the plane because I’m drunk. Because you people won’t stand up and tell everybody what bullshit this is,” Smith added, mentioning he had been at a Houston airport for three hours and had been drinking, but insisted he wasn’t intoxicated.
Smith did not specify the airline or flight. He did not respond immediately to Business Insider’s request for comment.
While some comments criticized Smith for his actions, citing the importance of mask-wearing, others expressed disappointment. One commenter wrote, “I wore a mask all the time when my mom was on hospice care… This post makes me sad as a fan.”
Smith has previously voiced skepticism about COVID-19 precautions like masks and vaccinations. In February 2022, he announced on Instagram that he would skip the Screen Actors Guild Awards due to being unvaccinated and having no intention of getting vaccinated.
In recent years, anti-vaccination sentiments, particularly against COVID-19 vaccines, have gained attention from those skeptical of measures to curb the virus’s spread.
