Fantasia Barrino accuses Airbnb host of racially profiling her and her family

Fantasia Barrino said that she and her family were racially profiled by an Airbnb host during a recent stay at a house booked on the website.

Barrino shared her experience on her social media accounts, writing on X that the Airbnb host of the house she rented told to her and her family to leave after accusing them of having a loud party.

“My stomach is so uneasy this morning,” she began. “I don’t say much when people do me wrong, but I can’t stay quiet on how my family and I were just treated from a host with @Airbnb @airbnbhelp trying to kick my kids and I out at 12:00 midnight. The host accused us of having a party with loud noises outdoors because they saw balloons being dropped off and a game truck with no generator in the early part of the day.”

The "Color Purple" star said that the Airbnb host did not specify that they "weren’t allowed to have any company over," writing, "The amount of guests we reserved for are the amount of guest who stayed the night."

Barrino also said that the house seemed to regularly host "parties and/or gatherings" based on the "sayings on the wall," leftover party supplies and its amenities, which included an outdoor fire pit, jacuzzi and a "well equipped game room" in the garage.

"It’s evident to me this was racial profiling and the treatment we received was due to the color of our skin," she wrote, before sharing that she had hoped to throw the party for her son and his friends to "make him feel special" since's she's been traveling for over a month in promotion of her new film, "The Color Purple."

Some hours later, Airbnb's help account on X responded to Barrino's post, saying that the company "does not condone discrimination in any way."

The account also shared a link to Airbnb's nondiscrimination policy, asking the singer to "please send us a DM with the email address connected to your booking, so our team can follow up."

TODAY.com has reached out to Barrino's team but has not heard back yet. Airbnb has declined to comment beyond what it shared on X at this time.

Barrino shared more about her Airbnb experience in a lengthy Instagram post, which included a carousel of photos of the children who she said attended the party for her son.

“We have lost our internal compass of Love! Love moves us to deeply consider, it shifts us out of places of sympathy where we can gain a real understanding through empathy,” she wrote in part in the caption, before sharing more details of how she and a "diverse group of technologically and robotically inclined kids" were asked to vacate the house on the first night.

“Gaining and understanding wasn’t the desire, while we were being screened on various Ring cameras, the happiness and ‘character’ of the kids present also wasn’t considered," she said. "Right after a hot-chocolate Sip & Paint, without warning, we were asked to leave. So, at 6a, in the freezing rain, with sleepy kids, we loaded up 4 vehicles, respectfully cleaned and organized everything back to its original place and we left.”

The Grammy Award winner's experience comes on the heels of a busy few weeks spent promoting “The Color Purple,” which premieres in theaters Dec. 25. The film, based on the Broadway musical of the same name, has already garnered the singer a Golden Globe nomination.

During a Dec. 14 appearance on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna, Barrino explained why she eventually agreed to play Celie, a role she had previously took on in the original Broadway production, after first being hesitant.

“In the movie, Blitz (Bazawule), our amazing director, he gives Celie an imagination,” Barrino explained. “She didn’t have that on Broadway, so you don’t get to see how she processes through."

The singer also said she was compelled to do the film so that her daughter Zion could be inspired by Celie’s harrowing journey.

“I have a daughter who’s 22 now, and I just wanted that legacy for them to see that it doesn’t matter what you’ve been through. You can do it,” she added.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com