MANILA, Philippines - Actress Melissa Mendez was offloaded from a flight to Mindanao on Friday due to alleged unruly behavior.
According to model and Philippine rugby team member Andrew Wolff, Mendez punched his friend and flight attendants after she refused to move seats during the flight.
Wolff narrated the incident on his Instagram account on Friday:
"I've seen some crazy things in my life. I regularly travel on planes for work, but this has got to be probably one of the most ridiculous things that I have experienced."
He added: "A certain Filipina actress, past her prime may I add, decided to use our reserved seats on the plane. After being asked to move by flight attendants, the captain and even ground security she agreed to go to her seat (after 30 mins of cursing)."
"Anyway, half way to our destination to talk to our programmer in Mindanao, this 'actress' decided to curse continually at my friend. She was given 2 warning cards by flight attendants, but didn't stop. She punched my friend and the flight attendants and had to be restrained. The captain announced: 'Ladies and Gentlemen, I apologize, but we have to go back to Manila due to one unruly passenger.'
In a statement, Cebu Pacific confirmed that a flight from flight 5J 771 Manila-Pagadian returned to Manila minutes after its take-off "due to reported unruly passenger."
Ogie Diaz also posted a blind item on his Instagram account about the incident on Friday.
He said, "isang lasing na aktres ang hinuli ng mga airport authorities dahil nagwala sa loob ng eroplano... Dahilan para bumalik sa Manila ang plane. Sinampal ng aktres ang isang pasahero dahil sa diumano'y pagtatalo sa reserved seat bago pa lang mag-take off. Ilang flight stewardess ang nasugatan dahil sa pag-awat sa aktres."