Actor John Barrowman has drawn criticism and accusations of entitlement after publicly complaining about the absence of free pyjamas in his business class flight with American Airlines. Barrowman, 59, who was traveling from Los Angeles to London, expressed his dissatisfaction on X (formerly Twitter), stating that only the first two rows of the business class cabin received sleepwear.
In a since-deleted video, Barrowman questioned the airline's policy, stating, "My father and my husband behind and the tickets were very expensive and we get on thinking we’d get pyjamas with the flagship service. Then you apparently only give them to the first two rows in business class. What’s that all about?" He also noted that his meal order was incorrect, adding to his disappointment with the "flagship service."
Barrowman further commented that he found the situation "shady and bad customer service," suggesting the airline was not meeting expectations for its premium offering. However, the actor's post quickly garnered a strong negative reaction online. Many X users branded him as "entitled" and "detached from the world," with some drawing comparisons to major global issues and others sarcastically offering condolences for his plight. One user commented, "The entitlement is off the scale. No wonder he deleted the tweet."
Despite the widespread criticism, a few users defended Barrowman, arguing that he was within his rights to question a service he paid for. One comment read, "I’m in no way a fan of John Barrowman, but how do people have an issue with him asking for something he’s paid for?"
Barrowman has previously spoken about facing a 'blacklist' from the entertainment industry following misconduct allegations that surfaced in 2021, related to his time on the sets of Doctor Who and Torchwood. He has stated that these accusations led to him being dropped from ITV's Dancing on Ice and contributed to a period of depression and suicidal thoughts. Barrowman has maintained that his actions on set were not inappropriate and were part of a different era of workplace behavior, stating he does not regret his past conduct.