Pickleball Influencer Vaping Controversy: Kobe.pickleball, a pickleball manager and online influencer from Arizona, is facing intense online criticism after recording himself arguing with cabin crew on an American Airlines flight. The video, posted on his own Instagram account, shows him upset after allegedly being caught vaping in the airplane bathroom.
In the clip, the man claims a flight attendant “forced the door open” while he was in the restroom and “put hands” on him. He denied vaping, but American Airlines staff did not believe him—and neither did viewers online.
Viral Video Sparks Strong Reactions
Instead of receiving support, Kobe.pickleball’s video quickly went viral for all the wrong reasons. In the video, he tells the airline staff that he has “25,000 followers” and repeatedly says, “I have a lawyer. I am a lawyer.”
However, internet users were not impressed. Many pointed out that claiming to be a lawyer while possibly breaking flight laws made him look worse.
“Admitting guilt on camera of violating federal aviation law is literally lawyer 101 of what you don’t do ever,” one Reddit user wrote. “If he is a lawyer, which I doubt, he’s a dumb one.”
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Internet Users React Harshly
Viewers across Reddit and Instagram mocked his follower count and behavior. One top comment read,
“Nobody cares about your followers, loser.”
Another said,
“That poor flight attendant having to deal with this b*tch ass numb nut. I’d like to send her on a spa vacation to decontaminate her brain.”
Others made fun of his attempt to use his social media status to gain sympathy.
“Are there people for whom ‘I have x number of followers’ affects their next actions?” one user asked.
Another joked, “25,000 followers can’t be wrong. /s”
Several people questioned if his followers were even real.
“I checked his Instagram. All the comments are from bots,” one user claimed.
“The only video that has real engagement on his profile is this one ”
Some also mocked his claim to be a lawyer.
“His lawyer? Also has a lawyer… which is him. It’s the circle of lawyers.”
Legal Consequences May Follow
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, vaping or smoking on planes is illegal. Penalties include heavy fines and even being banned from flying. Having social media followers does not protect against these laws.
The video remains on Kobe.pickleball’s Instagram, but comments are now limited. It is still unknown whether this event will affect his job as a pickleball manager.
As one viewer put it:
“He’s a pickleball coach by day, lawyer by night. A real influencer superhero. Just don’t let him near a smoke detector.”
News in Brief: Pickleball Influencer Vaping Controversy
Kobe.pickleball, a pickleball influencer from Arizona, filmed himself during an argument on an American Airlines flight after being caught allegedly vaping. His attempt to use his 25,000 followers and legal claims backfired, drawing harsh online criticism. He may face legal consequences, and his video remains under public scrutiny.
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