A Korean American actress has filed a defamation lawsuit against WestJet, saying the airline mishandled an onboard dispute and subjected her to harassment and discrimination. Charlotte Chung, 42, is the voice of “Song Hana” in the game “Overwatch,” which has more than 50 million active users worldwide.
According to the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Chung alleges that WestJet failed to address a conflict between her and another passenger and instead blamed her. She says a verbal dispute broke out, but crew members sided with the aggressor and held her responsible.
The incident occurred on October 28, 2024, on WestJet Flight 1314 traveling from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Winnipeg International Airport (YWG).
The filing states that the passenger seated behind Chung repeatedly kicked her seat and used profanity. When Chung objected, the passenger responded with insults such as “get lost” and continued mocking her.
Chung says the crew’s actions made the situation worse. She states, “(The flight attendant) identified me as the cause of the disturbance rather than assessing the situation, and even threatened that I could be removed from the plane.” She adds that when she tried to record the situation on her phone, the attendant attempted to stop her—only changing their behavior after realizing she was filming.
The complaint says WestJet flight attendants also mocked Chung and prevented her from using the restroom.
Chung describes the experience as “a nightmare during which humiliation continued for four and a half hours.”
A week later, in November, 2024, Chung posted video of the incident on Instagram and TikTok, where it drew more than 14 million views.
WestJet said its investigation “did not confirm harassment or discrimination” as Chung claimed.
Chung says she tried for a year to reach a settlement, but decided to sue after the airline “refused to accept responsibility.” She argues that WestJet’s public statement harmed her reputation and affected her acting career.
She adds that the passenger who cursed at her later sent an apology letter.
Chung, who grew up in Long Beach, debuted in the CBS drama “Cold Case.” She later worked with ABC, Disney Channel, NBC, and FOX, and expanded into voice acting for games and animation. Her credits include “Overwatch,” “Call of Duty,” and “Battlefield.”
BY KYEONGJUN KIM [kim.kyeongjun1@koreadaily.com]
