My mama raised me to always cover my feet while traveling by plane. Even if you’re wearing sandals, you’re allowed to commit the cardinal fashion sin under this one circumstance. Why? Hygiene!! I mean, in this day and age I don’t fly without a mask on, to protect others and myself. So the same principle applies for keeping your feet covered. Well, Michelle Williams just had to take a couple days off from her Broadway show, Death Becomes Her, to fly to Chicago for a family funeral. And someone was sitting behind her on the return flight — in first class — whose mama did not raise him the same as mine, because Michelle caught his bare foot touching the cabin wall. That they both touched. And Michelle was NOT having it! She snapped the wayward, unsocked foot in a post on Instagram to vent her vexations:
Michelle Williams is calling out bad plane etiquette!
On Saturday, April 5, the Grammy winner and Broadway star, 45, shared a picture on Instagram of a person sitting behind her on an airplane with his bare foot on their shared wall space.
“I PROMISE YOU BETTA GETCHO FOOT FROM ME!!!!! 🚨,” she captioned the post. “Y’all this is happening neowwwwwwww on my flight and I am crying real tears!!”
The Destiny’s Child alum detailed the situation in the comments section, writing, “For those asking……… YES I am sitting in the first class cabin…… a lot of AUDACITY resides in that booking class…… OBVIOUSLY!! #seat3F the f is for feet 😂.”
Williams added in another comment: “I elbowed ‘it!’ Now I gotta take my coat to the cleaners.”
The singer continued to speak out about the shocking experience. She posted a video the next day in celebration of being out of the situation. “I made it out. I made it out,” she sang to the camera while wearing a black sweater and green cap.
She explained that she was flying back to New York City after having traveled to Chicago for a loved one’s funeral. She was due back in the Big Apple to perform in her Broadway show Death Becomes Her.
“It tried to take me out,” Williams said of the experience in the video. “I said, ‘Wait a minute. Wait, wait, wait a minute.’ You ever think you see something out of your peripheral and you just blow it off?”
The singer noted that she was in disbelief when she looked down and saw the foot.
Williams added that the behavior is inappropriate, regardless of what class one is flying in. “It don’t matter to me what class you fly. I don’t care. I still like Southwest. You’re not going to shame me into whatever class it was. So, people are like, ‘Well, you shouldn’t have been flying coach.’ I was flying first class. My seat was 3F and I didn’t know the ‘F’ was gonna be for feet. I just can’t,” she said.
Later in the video, Williams expressed joy over having “made it out.”
She said, “I almost was defeated. All is well. I made it back to New York City… Listen, y’all, I was crying real tears. I was crying real tears.”
That follow up video Michelle recorded — that she captioned “UNDEFEETED” — is hilarious! (And destined to be performed by a drag queen as a lip synched monologue in a club near you soon.) Michelle is shook by that foot! The near brush with phalanges had her singing gospel to celebrate her deliverance once she made it home! LOL. As I said above, I’m in full agreement with Michelle when it comes to the health and hygiene of this situation (or lack thereof), and I personally always travel in socks and sneakers. I think the entire cabin of a plane should be a no-bare-feet zone, and I would probably be extra peeved if I encountered one after splurging on first class. I don’t think the unwanted experience would lead me to religious song, but I guess that’s the difference between me and Michelle. Also, couldn’t a flight attendant have stepped in? Nicely and discretely?
Photos credit: BeautifulSignatureIG/Backgrid, IMAGO/RW/Avalon, Getty
I read about somebody “spilling” water on a bare foot that was on her armrest and I think that’s what I’m going to do if this happens to me. “Wear solid shoes and keep your shoes on in case you need to evacuate” is always on those “10 Things Your Flight Attendant Wants To Yell At You” listicles. I just think of that picture of the passengers on the Hudson River flight all standing out on the wings in the middle of the river and think would I want to be out there barefoot or flip-flops or stilletos? No, give me my compression socks with sneakers or boots with arch support on every flight!
At least the foot didn’t have gnarly fungus-infested toe talons. Here in Texas, we have “men” who insist on wearing sandals and flip flops year round with their disgusting hobbit furred feet fully visible. Definitely NOT “gente decente”.
I read about somebody drinking a mouthful of water and then fake sneezing a spray of water over the offending foot.
This isn’t an isolated incident. I will never understand the thought process of people not wearing at least socks on public transportation. It’s not your home. I can’t imagine the amount of germs in such a public, enclosed space.
This has never happened to me but I have seen it on social media, etc. Can you not ask the flight attendant to intervene? I would. Ugh, planes are so disgusting. I get annoyed when my husband flies, he comes home and hangs out in the clothes he wore to travel! I’m like you need to get in the shower before bed or you are sleeping on the couch
I know what you mean @ manda, but getting off an early a.m. flight and going to a business meeting and then lunch and more business means you have no choice but stay in those germy clothes all day.
This is disgusting!
Yesterday a colleague of mine sent me a shoot of the person in front of her.
Barefoot 🤢
And who can forget RFK Jr in first class walking to the bathroom bare footed. Good way to get worms in his feet to match the one in his brain.
Pffft. People!! 🤮
I was once riding on public transportation in a very posh suburb full of professionals commuting to work and the person behind me was, I kid you not, clipping their toenails with the clippings flying around their seat. Totally nuts.
I once saw this in the lobby of a busy convention center. A man in a suit, sat on the floor in a busy lobby fullof people, tookoff his shoes, then is socks and started trimming his toenails. I just STARED from across the hall, completely stunned, not believing what I was seeing.
It’s not just that it is gross, which it is, but it was also just SO bizarre. Never mind how inconsiderate it is. Put that aside, pretend it’s not gross, and I still can’t imagie doing that THERE.
I once looked over at a colleague, who was sitting at her desk in a business office, only to see her slip off her sandal and start clipping the toenails on all ten toes. Just thinking about the look of satisfaction on her face at the end of that performance still triggers my gag reflex.
I take my shoes off on flights. But, I keep my toes tucked under my bum, I never stick my feet out lol….
I can’t see the picture, is the foot up near her arm? Like on her arm rest? Because that’s annoying and gross regardless of socks.
In the summer I often wear birkenstocks on the plane and I either keep my shoes on the whole time or I bring a pair of comfy socks to slip on. In the winter I’ll wear shoes and socks and if its a short flight (less than 3 hours or so?) I’ll just keep my shoes on but if its longer I’ll take them off, but I wear shoes that I can slip on to go to the bathroom etc. I never walk around on a plane in just my socks.
I spent about five hours on a flight next to a man making the most disgusting noises of snorting up phlegm from his nose and throat. Constantly. Continually. It was utterly disgusting and literally put me off my meal. I quietly asked the flight attendant if I could move but it was a fully booked flight. I suppose he may have had some medical condition: but it was repugnant.
Oh yall, the BEST way to fly is military commercial. Because they don’t play. Doesn’t matter if you are in uniform, family member, or gray-haired retired, you will be properly and safely dressed. Pants, shirt with sleeves, socks, close-toed shoes, all babies in safety seats. If you walk up to the check-in counter in heels and a dress, the Sgt will politely direct you to the Post Exchange across the street where you can purchase a change of clothes.
I’ll never get it. It’s so gross lol. I’ve had a few flights where I got overheated, so I took off my shoes…but then sat my feet on top of my shoes so they weren’t touching the floor or anything else. And I always had socks on. Sometimes I even bring flip flops as a backup. Basic etiquette is not difficult.