MARISSA BODE WAS 'DENIED BOARDING A FLIGHT BECAUSE I'M DISABLED. (PHOTO).

 Marissa Bode was 'denied boarding a flight because I'm disabled'

Marissa Bode, best known for her role in Wicked, shared on TikTok that she was recently denied boarding a Southern Airways flight because of her wheelchair. 

She explained that when she asked gate agents for help locating her boarding pass, they questioned whether she could stand. 

After she said no, they told her she could not board since all of the airline’s planes require passengers to climb stairs. 

Bode described the experience as “blatant segregation,” criticizing the airline for failing to accommodate disabled travelers.

Southern Airways’ contract of carriage states that passengers must be able to ascend and descend steps to board, and because its planes carry fewer than 28 passengers, the airline is exempt from providing lifts under the Air Carrier Access Act. 

However, Bode said her manager had confirmed with the airline beforehand that she would be accommodated, making the denial even more frustrating. She emphasized that disabled people should not be treated as an afterthought and called out the lack of inclusivity in airline policies.

Despite the incident, Bode continues to build her career. After her breakout role as Nessarose in Wicked and its sequel Wicked: For Good, she is set to star in the upcoming psychological thriller Snare. 

In the film, she plays Greta Mills, a mushroom researcher entangled in a violent love triangle, alongside Greg Tarzan Davis. 

The project highlights her growing presence in Hollywood, even as she uses her platform to speak out against discrimination faced by people with disabilities.