Woman arrested for meltdown at Nashville airport revealed to be award-winning Scottish comedian
Entitled Tourist Loses it in Airport When She Doesn’t Get Her Way
By Katy Ronkin@katyronkin
A woman arrested at a US airport after berating and swearing at police has been revealed as Scottish comedian Rachel Jackson.
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Body cam footage released by police showed the British woman being arrested following an epic meltdown in a US airport.
The individual in the footage has now been identified as award-winning comedian and actress Rachel Jackson, who describes herself as “blessed with beauty and rage” on social media.
Footage of the 37-year-old woman berating and swearing at police before being escorted from Nashville airport has gathered more than a million views on Youtube alone.
Ms Jackson has been contacted by LBC for comment.
The Edinburgh-born comic, who claims to have moved to the US “for love”, has acted in numerous TV shows and films, including appearances in ‘Still Game’ and ‘Outlander’.
Read more: British rapper Stormzy banned from driving for nine months
She also wrote and starred in a mini series for BBC Three ‘Bunny Boiler’ and performs at comedy festivals around the world.
Ms Jackson is understood to have moved to the US in 2023 according to a report from Mailonline.
She previously announced the launch of a new comedy show called American Horror Story and described the show on TikTok as “all about the time award winning Scottish comedian Rachel Jackson moved to Tennessee for love but instead lost her mind”.
Before moving to America, the comic had a successful career in the UK as a comedian and writer even being nominated for best new comedian at the Scottish Variety awards.
She also starred alongside Dr Who’s Karen Gillan in the film ‘The Party’s Just Beginning’.
The arrest took place at Nashville Airport in Tennessee on 15 August, 2023.
Body cam footage released by US police under an open record policy shows that the situation started when Ms Jackson entered a Delta Airlines lounge without a pass.
When police entered the lounge, a member of staff said they believed Ms Jackson to be “high”.
When the police spoke to Jackson, who was wearing Gucci sunglasses and holding a bowl of chicken soup, she demanded they leave her alone saying she has been ‘traumatised’ by American police.
Shen then screamed at the officers “get you hands off me” before demanding they give her $10 to pay for entry into a smoking lounge. At that point the officers decide to arrest the comedian for disorderly conduct.
Ms Jackson resisted the officer’s demand to put her hands behind her back until she was told that she would be unable to board a plane to London.
She said: “I will only go on the captain’s orders, because I’ve seen Titanic.
“I am Titanic, I am white lotus… get your f***ing hands off me.”
Officers were forced to drag the woman out of the airport by her hands after she refused to cooperate and she contonued to struggle as she was moved into the cop car, telling officers she “won’t go in” and “won’t go to jail.”
The confrontation ends with Ms Jackson brought to jail where she was reportedly charged for disorderly conduct.
BBC comic’s screaming meltdown at cops in airport – ‘I am Titanic! I am White Lotus!’
Scottish comic Rachel Jackson was seen in bodycam footage having a tense altercation with police officers at Tennessee’s Nashville Airport
Scottish comic Rachel Jackson was captured on camera having a meltdown with police officers at Tennessee’s Nashville Airport.
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Edinburgh-born Rachel, who is now based in Glasgow, was seen at the airport in August 2023, having a tense altercation with officers ensued before her eventual arrest. The comic is best known for her appearances on Still Game, Outlander and Bunny Boiler. She was also nominated for the honour of Best New Comedian at the Scottish Variety Awards.
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Back in 2018, the comic played Donna in Doctor Who star Karen Gillan’s award-winning directorial debut, The Party’s Just Beginning. In one particularly heated moment from the altercation, the 37-year-old could be heard yelling: “By the captain, and I listen to captain’s orders – ’cause I’ve seen Titanic, I’ve seen Titanic. I am White Lotus, I am Titanic.”
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Bodycam footage of the altercation was shared on popular YouTube channel Body Cam Edition and quickly gained over a million views. Staff at the Delta Airlines Lounge called the cops on the BBC comic after she walked into the lounge without a pass. Staff told her that, as she was flying on a British Airways flight to London, she was in the wrong lounge. One staff member also claimed they believed Rachel to be “high.”
Rachel was denied boarding and was under arrest for ‘disorderly conduct'(Image: YouTube/Body Cam Edition)
When police arrived, staff said she was by the bar and the officers searched the lounge until they eventually found her as she placed her vape, cup of tea, drink and nicotine pouches on the counter. She asked to be left alone, but when officers tried to defuse the situation, she answered: “Get your hands off me!”
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“You’re going to stop and listen to me,” one police officer told her, to which Rachel responded: “No, I’m not.” The police officer then told her she had been denied boarding from her flight, which seemingly angered her even more. The comedian said: “By the captain, and I listen to captain’s orders – ’cause I’ve seen Titanic, I’ve seen Titanic. I am White Lotus, I am Titanic.”
She was handcuffed and she screamed for help(Image: YouTube/Body Cam Edition)
She then screamed: “Get your f**king hands off me,” before she was told she would be escorted out of the airport. While cops tried to detain her, she demanded they get their “hands off me while I drink my water” as she insisted on having a sip from the water fountain in the airport.
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They told her she was under arrest for ‘disorderly conduct’ and she started screaming “no” and “help” to anyone who would listen. She quietened down briefly as officers told her to ‘just breathe’ while she stuck her tongue out and panted. The screaming quickly started again as she resisted arrest.
After being taking out the airport, she said: “I’m not going in,” as they approached the police car. She then claimed “it hurts so bad” and repeated “ow”, most likely referring to her handcuffs. “I’m a very good person, I don’t deserve this,” she said before the comic and an officer argued back and forth before the door was finally closed.
