OUCH!

Child Pop Star Sues Airline Over Chicken Skewer Injury

The former singer claims her vocal cords were damaged after coughing up a wooden shard.

A former child pop star is suing Singapore Airlines after she allegedly suffered lasting vocal cord injuries when a wooden splinter from an in-flight chicken satay skewer lodged in her throat. According to a lawsuit filed July 24 in federal court in Los Angeles, Briohny Smyth, 44, was flying business class from Singapore to Los Angeles when part of a wooden skewer allegedly broke off as she ate her meal. The complaint, first reported by The Independent, claims she unknowingly swallowed the jagged fragment, triggering immediate pain, violent coughing, and choking. Court filings allege Smyth spent much of the flight trying to remove the object before eventually coughing up a wooden shard measuring about 1.5 inches long. The lawsuit says Smyth later sought treatment from a throat specialist, who found scarring and trauma to her vocal cords. Since the incident, she has allegedly experienced persistent throat pain, vocal fatigue, raspiness and discomfort while speaking and singing. Smyth argues she was eating the meal as intended and was not responsible for the incident. Smyth became a platinum-selling singer in Thailand at age 13 and now works as a yoga instructor in Los Angeles. She claims the injuries have harmed her career and is seeking damages for medical expenses, lost income, and emotional distress.