Fantasia Barrino said that she and her family were racially profiled by an Airbnb host during a recent stay at a house booked on the website.
Barrino shared her experience on her social media accounts, writing on X that the Airbnb host of the house she rented told to her and her family to leave after accusing them of having a loud party.
“My stomach is so uneasy this morning,” she began. “I don’t say much when people do me wrong, but I can’t stay quiet on how my family and I were just treated from a host with @Airbnb @airbnbhelp trying to kick my kids and I out at 12:00 midnight. The host accused us of having a party with loud noises outdoors because they saw balloons being dropped off and a game truck with no generator in the early part of the day.”
The “Color Purple” star said that the Airbnb host did not specify that they “weren’t allowed to have any company over,” writing, “The amount of guests we reserved for are the amount of guest who stayed the night.”
Barrino also said that the house seemed to regularly host “parties and/or gatherings” based on the “sayings on the wall,” leftover party supplies and its amenities, which included an outdoor fire pit, jacuzzi and a “well equipped game room” in the garage.
“It’s evident to me this was racial profiling and the treatment we received was due to the color of our skin,” she wrote, before sharing that she had hoped to throw the party for her son and his friends to “make him feel special” since’s she’s been traveling for over a month in promotion of her new film, “The Color Purple.”
Some hours later, Airbnb’s help account on X responded to Barrino’s post, saying that the company “does not condone discrimination in any way.”
The account also shared a link to Airbnb’s nondiscrimination policy, asking the singer to “please send us a DM with the email address connected to your booking, so our team can follow up.”
TODAY.com has reached out to Barrino’s…
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