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YouTube star says he was kicked off Delta flight for speaking Arabic

Viral video shows Adam Saleh being escorted off of a Delta flight. The airline says it's reviewing the incident.

Ry Crist Senior Editor / Reviews - Labs
Originally hailing from Troy, Ohio, Ry Crist is a writer, a text-based adventure connoisseur, a lover of terrible movies and an enthusiastic yet mediocre cook. A CNET editor since 2013, Ry's beats include smart home tech, lighting, appliances, broadband and home networking.
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A popular YouTube prankster with more than 1.6 million subscribers says he was removed from a Delta flight headed from London to New York early Wednesday morning for speaking Arabic on his phone. The YouTuber, Adam Saleh, says he was speaking with his mother.

Delta confirmed the incident occurred in a statement released shortly after the story began to spread.

"Two customers were removed from this flight and later rebooked after a disturbance in the cabin resulted in more than 20 customers expressing their discomfort," the statement reads. "We're conducting a full review to understand what transpired. We are taking allegations of discrimination very seriously; our culture requires treating others with respect."

Saleh posted video from the plane to social media. In the video, which contains brief NSFW language, a visibly upset Saleh can be seen being escorted from the plane by Delta officials. Some passengers can be seen expressing outrage at Delta, others are happy to wave goodbye as he departs.

Saleh says he and a co-traveler were detained for roughly 30 minutes and interviewed by police after being escorted from the flight. Saleh didn't immediately respond to a request for comment

Saleh said on Twitter he found a flight to New York with another airline. Saleh added that he planned to speak with his lawyer once in New York.