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Bebe Rexha says she was the victim of a ‘hate crime’ at the airport in Germany

Bebe Rexha claims she was the victim of a “hate crime.”

The “I'm Good” singer, 34, shared a tearful message with her fans on her Instagram Stories on Saturday, August 17, claiming she was “threatened” at Germany's Munich airport and banned from a Lufthansa flight after speaking to a “security agent” in Albanian.

Rexha's revelation was accompanied by a video showing her crying at the airport and telling her fans that “the conductor” of the flight had threatened her.

“I was threatened because I thought the security guard was Albanian,” she wrote under the clip. “I spoke to him in Albanian and asked where I could get my ticket and now he is not allowing me to board the flight.”

In a subsequent Instagram Stories post, the pop star explained that she considered this a hate crime “because I am Albanian.”

“He wouldn't let me take his name,” Rexha wrote of the employee. “He continued to psychologically abuse me to make me feel more powerful. [than] that was him. None of the women at @Lufthansa interfered or said anything. He wouldn't give me his name. But I just found out he works for ATSG, a document control service provider contracted by Lufthansa.”

In a statement to PEOPLE on Sunday, a Lufthansa spokesperson said the airline “contacted Bebe Rexha directly yesterday to understand the situation and is conducting an internal review of the matter.”

“As an international airline, we connect people and countries around the globe,” the statement continues. “Our guests and employees come from all over the world. Diversity and equal opportunities are core values ​​of our company and our corporate culture. We do not tolerate discriminatory behavior of any kind.”

PEOPLE also reached out to Munich Airport and Air Transport Services Group, a company with the acronym “ATSG,” for comment on Sunday, August 18, but did not immediately receive a response.

Bebe Rexha shares a statement on Instagram about Lufthansa and her experiences at Munich Airport.

Bebe Rexha/Instagram


According to Billboard, Rexha is of Albanian-Macedonian descent, as her father is from North Macedonia and her mother of Albanian roots was born in the United States.

The Grammy-nominated musician's mother also posted her own messages on Instagram following Rexha's experiences in Germany. Bukurije Rexha, who calls herself Bukie Rexha for short, called on the airport and airline in her Instagram stories to “find the agent,” called the behavior “discriminatory and degrading,” and added that it “could result in legal action.”

In her latest Instagram stories on Sunday afternoon, Rexha wrote that she had “never been so emotionally drained” and explained that the airline had sent her a “direct message.”

“But I urge them to conduct a full investigation to find out who this man is who abused his power,” Rexha wrote. “An 'I'm sorry' will not be enough this time.”