JetBlue flight attendant Kalina Collier reported on social media that she was being held hostage inside of Jamaica hotel. She had arrived on the island on January 28, and was supposed to be on a flight back February 1. First she had to take a Covid-19 test, which came back positive.
Collier took a second test, which came back negative, but the government insisted the discrepancy be settled with a PCR which showed positive and was required to complete 14 day quarantine at the Ocean Coral Spring hotel where she was staying. (The hotel comped the rest of the stay so she wouldn’t have to transfer to a government facility.)
On February 4th she decided to ‘tell her story’ on Instagram live and claimed she was “being held hostage by the hotel and urged her followers to call the local embassy, immigration authorities in the United States and news stations in New York and make them aware of her situation.”
“You guys [Ocean Coral Spring] are getting money from the government to say that you handled COVID-19 correctly and I’m over it. I’m suing the pants off this place,” she said on Instagram.
She also alleged that she was being deprived of food, and said the hotel employees had put hidden cameras in her room, which were really sprinklers. Her video on Instagram went viral across social media platforms, with over 200,000 views. The allegation resulted in the hashtags #WhereIsKalina and #SaveKalinaCollier trending on social media. Social media influencers, including Grenadian-American actress, Amanda Seales and Jamaican artist Spice also believed the allegations and spoke on the incident.
Not everyone was buying it, though.
This was her post on Feb 4.
This looks like distress to you?#KalinaCollier #KalinaCollierLied pic.twitter.com/9IyfngTdB3— kadsbrezi (@kadeen__) February 14, 2021
Days later the flight attendant later confirmed she was fine, wasn’t kidnapped, and wasn’t a hostage. She was released from quarantine today and flew home with her mother.
WATCH: Kalina Collier and her mother leaving a motor vehicle rental facility this morning before heading to the Sangster International Airport to board a flight to New York City in the United States. pic.twitter.com/1i8a3HBkZ6
— Nationwide90FM (@Nationwideradio) February 14, 2021
Kalina Collier and her mom at the Jamaican airport pic.twitter.com/W9NBEDfotn
— BallerAlert (@balleralert) February 14, 2021
Well, this flight attendant has been fired,
“After an investigation, the crewmember in question is no longer with JetBlue. We continue to offer our apologies for the frustration and concern this incident has caused and reiterate our confidence in the health protocols Jamaica has put in place,” [Derek Dombrowski, Manager, Corporate Communications, JetBlue Airways] said.
JetBlue’s CEO Robin Hayes even “issued a personal apology to the Jamaican Government and the people of Jamaica…during a phone call with Tourism Minister.”
The uncertainty of the pandemic makes travel difficult. If you test positive for Covid-19 you have to quarantine and that means an unpleasant stay, and extending your stay at potentially great expense. It’s one reason why even those who might travel find themselves staying home. It’s the reality of travel today, and claiming you’ve been kidnapped when you become subject to those requirements has the potential to compound your problems.
“Help, help! I’m stuck in a resort in Jamaica!”
Insane and easily disproved allegations aside, what was the purpose of bringing her mother to Jamaica? To get infected?
Trash.
Honestly, who the hell cares?
The sooner people learn to not jump when social media says “boo!” the better we all will be.
Right now, there’s zero barrier to entry. Any idiot can stir the shit and cause a ruckus. That’s not healthy.
And it leads to a lot of non-stories like this.
Gary, I get that you need to maintain a cadence. “Shit, need to post something” shouldn’t lead to “sure, find, whatever”
Quantity << Quality
Was she required by her job to disembark in Jamaica and stay for the time in question aside from the 14 day quarantine required for positive covid 19 tests?.
Maybe another drug mule using their airline privilege to ply the contraband trade
This is TWO of the most LIW Lives flying to my country (Beautiful land), far from where the live in USA. More than likely, somewhere crowded in a pittance of a place, no view of beautiful waters, hills, flora and fauna, CLEAN ,TASTY, selection of food. These r SAD, SAD, mother and daughter!! Get ur asses out of this JAMAICA! Go! Go! Go! Shu flies no bother us LEAVE DAMMIT.
First it was Karens and now we have to deal with Kalinas.
Another ghetto hoodrat that’s “Here for your safety”…..usually these clowns work for either Spirit or Frontier…..nice to see JetBlue picking up what the first two rejected.
Good old mom, blasting away with out her mask on. Should have been warned and jailed.
She tested positive but she seemed fine to me. This is getting really scary I saw a comment that said “Good old Mom without a face mask she should had gotten arrested. Arrested for NOT wearing a mask? But these child molester should be free walking these streets? We’re living in strange days these days.
Shaneful misuse of Social Media which is now becoming an international problem! She should be charged, tried and fined a huge sum to teach her a lesson!
Looks like daughter inherited mom’s genes. Pity the poor bastard who wakes up next to that every morning.
She should be dismissed and her file stamped “ temperamentally unsuited for work in the travel industry”
Kalina you are the one why you both are confronted. You put lies out there on social media and when social media confronted you them you both get angry. Your mother should be scolding you and you should be charged for reporting lies on the Jamaican government.
I’m still wondering why no charges were both against her and mother’s like that allow kids to do wrong and get away with it whatever the person said to her she deserves she should be banned from entering Jamaica again
That right there is some Black Privilege. Had a white girl pulled that stunt “being held hostage” the media would have been screaming all about WP vacationing in Jamaica during a pandemic.
Spoiled brat should be deciplined for lying over to you Jet blue.
Spoil brat indeed. Looking to see jet blue deliver deciplinery action to her. Should not spread such lies.
Wait man – Jet Blue gwine sort her out. As a matter of fact I believe she’s been suspended pending further investigations by the airline. I hope they fire her a$$!!!
She should be banned from flying to Jamaica even if it is part of her job. A stewardess must have respect for countries they travel to whether as part of duty or vacation. If you disrespect Jamaica, Jamaica will disrespect you. Hood rats! Stay in the “Hood” eh.