Oscar-winning actress Jessica Chastain has found herself embroiled in controversy on social media following her acerbic critique of JetBlue pertaining to a nominal $15 credit for in-flight entertainment.
The 47-year-old star of “Zero Dark Thirty” expressed her discontent on X (formerly Twitter) in a now-deleted post, lamenting a malfunctioning “flight entertainment system” during a six-hour journey.
“Thank you, @JetBlue, for your $15.00 credit. My airfare was $1,500, and yet, this credit represents merely 1/100 of the total expenditure,” Chastain’s deleted tweet, which she made on Wednesday, stated. “It’s quite peculiar that I paid so much for your flight entertainment system that failed to function throughout my six-hour journey, but I suppose this $15 credit is a consolation.”
Accompanying her post was a copy of her receipt, but Chastain was not finished voicing her grievances.
In response to JetBlue’s formal apology, which read, “We’re sorry you’re disappointed, Jessica. Please send us a DM so we can look into this,” Chastain seized the opportunity to share a screenshot of her existing correspondence with the airline’s customer service.
In her exchange, the service representative informed her of the $15 credit, to which she replied, “I comprehend this, but I expended $1,500 on the flight, and so did my husband. Given my loyalty as a TrueBlue member, I believe some additional consideration is warranted.”
While Chastain’s sentiments elicited criticism from certain social media users—who deemed her response “tone-deaf” against the backdrop of recent natural disasters affecting Floridians—others expressed solidarity with her plight.
As one Twitter user astutely observed, “Read the room.” Conversely, some defended her, arguing that celebrities shedding light on such issues can compel airlines to uphold greater accountability in customer service.
The Post has reached out for comments from both JetBlue and Chastain’s representatives.
Vocabulary List:
- Acerbic /əˈsɜː.bɪk/ (adjective): Sharp and forthright in tone or manner.
- Discontent /ˌdɪs.kənˈtɛnt/ (noun): Dissatisfaction with one’s circumstances.
- Expenditure /ɪkˈspɛn.dɪ.tʃər/ (noun): The action of spending funds.
- Peculiar /pɪˈkjuː.li.ər/ (adjective): Strange or unusual.
- Correspondence /ˌkɔːr.ɪˈspɒn.dəns/ (noun): Communication by exchanging letters or messages.
- Solidity /səˈlɪd.ɪ.ti/ (noun): The quality of being firm and stable.
