- Blue’s Lee Ryan allegedly assaulted on a flight to Turkey
- Incident attributed to culturally insensitive act
- Singer suffered leg injury, police investigation conducted
The band asserts that Ryan was allegedly assaulted because he did something “culturally insensitive” by accident.
Blue’s lead vocalist Lee Ryan was “physically assaulted” on a flight to Turkey, according to the group.
The band tweeted that Turkish Airlines’ Georgia-to-Istanbul flight assaulted the 39-year-old.
After landing, he was reportedly forced down a flight of stairs by the same passenger.
According to the statement, Ryan and “the rest of the band defended him from the attack,” but the singer suffered a leg injury due to the fall.
The statement concluded that the incident occurred because Ryan “put his feet on the seat, which was considered culturally insensitive.”
“Lee has apologized for any offense caused inadvertently,” the statement continued.
Police spoke with both Ryan and the passenger, and the singer was “free to continue his journey” after voluntarily providing a victim statement, according to the band.
They stated that Lee was never apprehended, detained, or charged with a crime.
Ryan was found guilty in January of being intoxicated on an aircraft and of racially aggravated common assault after striking and behaving abusively towards a black cabin crew member.
He also admitted to injuring a police officer while under arrest while under the influence of alcohol.
Since then, the singer has appealed his conviction because he acted in self-defense. He is awaiting sentencing.
During the trial, the court heard how Ryan seized the female cabin crew member’s wrists and said “I want your chocolate children” while intoxicated on a July 20, 2022, British Airways flight from Glasgow to London.
The remarks were made after he was denied additional alcohol and instructed to calm down.
In a court appearance at the start of the year, the singer stated that he did not intend to cause distress and that his actions were merely “playful.”
The artist rose to prominence in 2001 with Blue.
All Rise, their debut single, reached number four in the UK and number one in New Zealand.
