Eric André Claims Racial Profiling and Detention at Melbourne Airport, Says He Shouldn't Feel 'Unaccepted by Entering a Country'

Eric André has continued his mission of calling out global airports for alleged racism.

In 2022, the comedian filed a lawsuit against the Clayton County Police Department, claiming that he was racially profiled by plainclothes officers at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport the year before. While the case was dismissed, André–and fellow entertainer Clayton English, who was involved in the joint lawsuit–appealed the dismissal.

Now, André is after the Melbourne Airport in Australia after allegedly being detained and racially profiled. To explain the incident and rally up legal support, the 41-year-old posted an Instagram reel on Sunday (August 18). The Trolls Band Together, who had completed a 25-hour trip where he had stops in Los Angeles, Melbourne and Brisbane, was visibly frustrated by the alleged incident.

"I got detained," he began in the video below. "I got pulled out of a lineup and put in a special line in Melbourne where I was sniffed thoroughly by a dog."

He continued, "It’s one of the many times I’ve been racially profiled at the airport. "So this is a message for all Black, brown and Indigenous people traveling through Melbourne today, especially if you’re traveling Qantas International by Terminal 2, please be careful. They are searching Black, brown and Indigenous people."

André then asked for the names of the officers that stopped him "or what that program is," along with information for an Australian lawyer that could help him look into a discrimination case. He also had a requests for those making him travel to Australia for work, asking them to "provide a police escort or some type of security escort," or have him fly into Brisbane or Sydney directly.

“I do not feel safe in the Melbourne Airport. I do not want to be humiliated or racially discriminated against anymore at these airports," he said. "I don’t want to cut my hair and wear a three-piece suit so that I’m treated like a first-class citizen."

"I shouldn’t be made to feel that I am unaccepted by entering a country. Shame on the people at the Melbourne Airport that have this cockamamie procedure. I doubt it yields any safer world for anybody in Melbourne or Australia. I’d love to dig up the statistics on what is coming out of that program."

While André could have a fight on his hands in pursuing legal action against the Melbourne Airport, he isn't known to back down. The airport responded to his video with a comment stating that they do not "tolerate racism in any form."

"We are following up your complaint with the Australian Border Force (ABF) and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) who are in charge of processing all international arrivals at Melbourne Airport and other Australian international gateways," the message read. "Melbourne Airport is proudly the gateway to one of the most multicultural cities in the world. We welcome ALL passengers to Melbourne, and we expect everyone to be treated equally."