A twerking video may have been a lighthearted celebration for one flight attendant, but it ended up costing her a career milestone she had worked hard to achieve.
A Viral Dance with Unexpected Consequences
Nelle Diala, a San Francisco native and former flight attendant for Alaska Airlines, found herself at the center of an internet firestorm after posting a TikTok video.
The clip, which showed her twerking on an empty airplane, was meant to celebrate the end of her probationary period in her dream job.
Instead, the video, captioned, “Ghetto bih till I D-I-E, don’t let the uniform fool you,” went viral, gathering over 72,000 views and sparking intense debate online.
Celebration Turns into Job Loss
For Diala, the celebratory dance marked a personal victory.
Coming from a tough upbringing in San Francisco, she saw her success as a symbol of perseverance.
However, Alaska Airlines had a different perspective.
Despite her explanation that the video was meant to be harmless, the airline terminated her employment after just six months on the job, citing a violation of company policies.
“They didn’t give me a chance to explain,” Diala shared.
“No discussion, no opportunity to defend myself, and no proper investigation. It was devastating to lose my dream job like that.”
Online Reactions: Divided Opinions
The video sparked a range of reactions. Supporters criticized the airline for being overly strict, while others sided with the company, citing professionalism.
“Nothing wrong with twerking before work,” one commenter wrote.
“But doing it in uniform on company property crosses the line.”
Another said, “She deserved it.
Employees know the social media policy when they’re hired.”
Others rallied behind Diala, expressing support for her on TikTok and a fundraising page she set up to recover from her job loss.
As of Thursday, the page had raised $646 toward a $12,000 goal.
Moving Forward: From Airlines to Entrepreneurship
Despite the setback, Diala is channeling her energy into her entrepreneurial ventures.
She owns two businesses, a lingerie line called Figure8 and a dessert brand named CakezNCake.
“While this was my dream job, I was already using my income to fund my businesses,” she shared. “Now I’ll focus on growing them full-time.”
The Debate Over Professionalism in the Social Media Era
Diala’s story has become a broader conversation about workplace behavior and the limits of personal expression in the age of social media.
It’s a stark reminder that what’s shared online can have real-world consequences, especially for those in public-facing professions.
For now, Diala is embracing her next chapter with resilience, even as opinions about her actions and the airline’s response remain sharply divided.
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