Singer and actress Fantasia Barrino has accused an Airbnb host of racial profiling after she and her son were allegedly forced out of a rented home over the weekend.
Barrino, known for winning the third season of American Idol and set to star in the upcoming remake of “The Color Purple,” shared her experience on social media, claiming that the host attempted to forcibly remove her, her 12-year-old son Dallas, and his friends from the rented property in Mooresville, North Carolina.
“My stomach is so uneasy this morning as I’m riding back to my home in the cold and rain,” Barrino wrote. “I don’t say much when people do me wrong, but I can’t stay quiet about how my family and I were just treated.”
Barrino alleged that the Airbnb host accused her of hosting a noisy party at the rented property in Mooresville, North Carolina, citing a balloon delivery and the arrival of a game truck earlier that day. Barrino clarified that the host did not specify any restrictions on having guests.
She pointed out the property’s features, such as sayings on the wall, an outdoor fire pit/jacuzzi, and a well-equipped game room in the garage with a poker table, suggesting that such amenities indicated a history of parties or gatherings on the premises.
Barrino also noted the presence of leftover balloons from a prior event. “It’s evident to me this was racial profiling and the treatment we received was due to the color of our skin,” she claimed.
She did not explicitly mention how their race played a role in being asked to leave the Airbnb property. Daily Mail said the listing for the four-bedroom, three-bath home on Lake Norman, designed for 10 guests, was removed due to the ensuing backlash.
In a separate Instagram post featuring pictures of her son and friends celebrating his recent birthday inside the rented house, Barrino lamented, “We have lost our internal compass of Love!”
“Love moves us to deeply consider, it shifts us out of places of sympathy where we can gain a real understanding through empathy,” the singer wrote. “When love is present, it overlooks your race, age, gender, profession, zip code and even your past.
“Being abruptly asked to vacate a house (which proved to not be a Home) on the first night while a diverse group of technologically & robotically Inclined group of kids (one is a pianist) were winding down to sleep was unthinkable.”
The singer posted photos of children engaged in various activities, expressing disappointment that their happiness and character were not considered during the event.
“Gaining an understanding wasn’t the desire, while we were being screened on various Ring cameras, the happiness and ‘character’ of the kids present also wasn’t considered,” Barrino continued. “Right after a hot chocolate Sip & Paint, we were asked to leave without warning.”
The family was first asked to leave at midnight, Fantasia claimed. They didn’t leave then, opting to wait until 6 am to leave.
“Right after a hot chocolate Sip & Paint, we were asked to leave without warning.”
Barrino said despite protests, they were driven out and compelled to face challenging weather conditions at 6 am. She had to take some children home because of the freezing conditions.
The group tidied up the property and restored the Airbnb house to its original state before departure. Airbnb responded to Barrino’s tweet via its customer service account.
“Airbnb does not condone discrimination in any way,” the rental company wrote while asking Barrino to contact it via direct message with the email address connected to her booking, “so our team can follow up.”
