Actor Forrie J. Smith has been busy with work, but reportedly, his schedule was interrupted. Recently, Forrie took to Instagram to share how he was “kicked off” of a flight because of grievances he had sitting next to a masked passenger.
65-year-old Forrie is known for playing Lloyd Pierce as part of the award-nominated cast of Yellowstone, the neo-Western drama that launched the lauded prequel series 1883. Masking became mainstream after the COVID-19 outbreak, but Forrie had taken a firm stance even before this flight, which he showed leading up to the SAG Awards.
‘Yellowstone’ actor Forrie J. Smith says he was “kicked off” a flight because he refused to sit next to a masked passenger
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On Saturday, Forrie took to Instagram to share his experience trying to embark on a flight from Houston. “I just got kicked off a plane,” he shared. “Because I told them I didn’t feel comfortable sitting next to somebody with a mask on.”
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“I’ve been sitting in an airport for three hours. Ya, I’m drinking,” he went on. “I ain’t drunk, but they throw me off the plane because I’m drunk, because you people won’t stand up and tell everybody what bulls—t this is.”
He concluded, “I just told them I didn’t feel comfortable about sitting next to somebody that had to wear a mask, and I’m off the plane.” Forrie had captioned the post with “You need to hear this story,” but many fans don’t approve of the story’s contents.
Before Forrie was kicked off this flight, he also refused to go some places
In the comments section, fans have had strong mixed reactions. One user pointed out, “How do you know that person doesn’t have cancer and just is going through chemotherapy treatments or something else that warrants them wearing one?” Indeed, the American Cancer Society notes that “Patients with cancer, those in active treatment, and those who have finished any type of treatment may need to take special precautions,” and lists extensive handwashing and mask-wearing as a recommended precaution.
Another commenter agreed, “Many people live with a loved one who is immunocompromised (e.g. cancer, heart disease) or they themselves may be immunocompromised. OR maybe they’re not feeling well and are being considerate of others by wearing a mask to contain their germs.”
In a similar vein, Forrie refused to attend the SAG Awards back in 2022. During the ceremony, the Yellowstone cast had been nominated for an award celebrating ensembles in a television drama.
“I want to apologize to y’all for not being at the Screen Actors Guild Awards,” Forrie said on Instagram at the time. “I mean no offense to anyone. I’m not vaccinated, and it’s a requirement to be vaccinated. I’m not vaccinated, I will not get vaccinated. I haven’t been vaccinated since I was a little kid. I don’t vaccinate my dogs, I don’t vaccinate my horses. I’ve never had a flu shot. I never will. I believe they compromise your immunities… It’s just my beliefs. I just don’t believe in that stuff. Whatever.”