A former child pop star is hauling Singapore Airlines to court after a chicken satay wooden splinter was reportedly lodged in her throat and caused scarring.
According to The Independent, the incident occurred during her flight from Singapore to Los Angeles on July 28, 2024.
What happened
In the legal complaint filed by her lawyer, the woman, identified as 44-year-old Briohny Smyth, was served chicken satay on a wooden skewer during her business class flight.
While she ate, a wooden fragment from the skewer measuring 1.5 inches (3.8cm) allegedly got lodged in her throat.
This then led to “immediate pain, choking sensations, coughing, respiratory distress, and physical injury”.
Splinter injured throat
Although Smyth was eventually able to cough the splinter out, she claimed it was a “very difficult moment”.
She also said she experienced “persistent throat discomfort, vocal fatigue, raspiness, tightness, and pain with prolonged speaking and singing”.
Following a visit to an otolaryngologist, Smyth was told that her vocal cords had suffered trauma and scarring from the incident.
She’s now seeking damages for past and future medical bills, past and future loss of earnings and earning capacity, emotional distress and more from Singapore Airlines.
When contacted, a Singapore Airlines spokesman told The Independent that it cannot comment on pending litigation.
Who is she?
Based on the legal complaint, Smyth described herself as a “professional singer, performer, wellness educator, and public speaker whose livelihood substantially depends upon the integrity and performance of her voice”.
Her Instagram account also stated that she’s a yoga teacher and communicates with people as part of her work as an instructor.
Smyth was also reported by Thai media to be a child pop star who broke into stardom after she had her own platinum album at the age of 13.
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