Eric André said he was “racially profiled” and “detained” at Melbourne Airport after a series of flights from New York City.
In a video posted on Instagram, the comedian and actor said he was “pulled out of a line and placed in a special queue in Melbourne where a dog sniffed him thoroughly.”
“This is one of the many times I have been racially discriminated against at the airport,” André said. “So this is a message to all black, brown and indigenous people travelling through Melbourne today.”
André then asked his nearly 3 million followers if anyone had any information about the special police program or statistics on how many white and how many colored passengers are targeted. He also asked for recommendations for a discrimination lawyer in Australia.
André said he was travelling from New York to Australia to film a project, with stops in Los Angeles and Brisbane. He requested that prospective employers in Melbourne hire a police escort to accompany him through the airport.
“I don’t feel safe at Melbourne Airport. I don’t want to be humiliated or racially discriminated against at these airports anymore,” he said. “I don’t want to cut my hair and wear a three-piece suit so I can be treated like a first-class citizen. I shouldn’t feel like I’m not accepted when I enter a country. Shame on the people at Melbourne Airport who have to undergo this silly process. I doubt it helps anyone in Melbourne or Australia to have a safer world.”
André compared his experience to “Giuliani Stop and Frisk” and concluded that the procedure was “unethical and unsafe.” “It has nothing to do with safety; it has everything to do with racial harassment,” he said.
Melbourne Airport’s official Instagram account responded to Andrés’ allegations in the comments section, writing: “Melbourne Airport does not tolerate any form of racism. We are pursuing your complaint with the Australian Border Force (ABF) and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), who are responsible for handling all international arrivals at Melbourne Airport and other Australian international gateways. Melbourne Airport is proud to be the gateway to one of the world’s most multicultural cities. We welcome ALL passengers to Melbourne and expect everyone to be treated equally.”
In 2021, André claimed he was racially profiled and searched for drugs by police at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The comedian said at the time that he was the only person of color in line when officers stopped him.
Along with comedian Clayton English, who also claimed to have been racially profiled and drug-screened at the same airport, Andre filed a lawsuit against the policing program, alleging it violated the constitutional rights of airline passengers. After the lawsuit was dismissed, André and English filed an appeal in January 2024.
André is best known as the creator and host of Adult Swim’s experimental talk series “The Eric Andre Show,” as well as for his roles in “The Righteous Gemstones,” “Bad Trip” and the 2019 remake of “The Lion King.” He will next be seen in the Mark Wahlberg comedy “Balls Up,” which, as it turns out, is filming in Australia.
