Local

Singer Fantasia accuses Mooresville Airbnb host of racial profiling

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Grammy Award winner and High Point native Fantasia Barrino is accusing an Airbnb host of racial profiling. She said her family was kicked out of a Mooresville home this weekend.

“The Color Purple” star wrote in social media posts over the weekend that she was “uneasy” and felt as if she was unfairly treated by her Airbnb host after allegedly being booted from the home.

“It’s evident to me this was racial profiling and the treatment we received was due to the color of our skin,” she wrote.

Fantasia went on Facebook Live early Sunday morning to talk about the experience. She said she rented the home had a daytime celebration for her son and his friends before they all spent the night.

She said the Airbnb host called close to midnight saying they heard complaints of loud noises and saw a party on their property cameras.

In lengthy posts, she said, “The amount of guests we reserved for are the amount of guest who stayed the night,” adding, “They never said we weren’t allowed to have any company over!!”

“I could cry right now. They made us get up these kids. Now I gotta go in there and wake up my baby. I literally want to go the news station, radio station everybody and tell them don’t rent out,” she wrote. “Airbnb? this was dirty.”

Sources told Channel 9′s Madison Carter that Fantasia’s team was originally reaching out looking to share her experience with local journalists. Carter reached out to several members of her public relations and management teams but never heard back.

Channel 9 has reported in the past about Airbnb’s crackdown on parties. The company implemented a global party ban at their properties last year.

The company responded to Fantasia’s social media post, saying, “Airbnb does not condone discrimination in any way” and asking for more information about her booking to investigate.

(WATCH BELOW: Airbnb: What You Need to Know)

Madison Carter

Madison Carter, wsoctv.com

Madison is an investigative reporter and anchor for Channel 9.