Zendaya’s longtime stylist Law Roach has found himself at the centre of an online controversy after publicly calling out Delta Air Lines over his first-class seat, a complaint that divided opinion sharply on social media.
Roach, 47, posted on X on Monday, 20 April, expressing his frustration after boarding a Delta One flight from New York to Los Angeles to find it did not have the lie-flat seats the premium cabin is known for.
“Dear @Delta I’m Delta 360 and a Million Miler. This morning I paid for a Delta One seat from NYC to LA and when I got on the plane it was not a lay flat seat. I was very disappointed,” he wrote.
The reaction online was split.
Many users piled on Roach, with some suggesting the complaint was tone-deaf given wider events in the world.
Others pushed back on that criticism, arguing that a premium fare comes with a reasonable expectation of premium seating, and that posting to a company’s social media account is exactly the appropriate channel for customer complaints.
Delta explained the situation to PEOPLE, saying a last-minute aircraft change had been made to ensure an on-time departure, resulting in a plane without Delta One seating.
This is a possibility that passengers agree to in the airline’s contract of carriage when booking.
“We apologize to Mr. Roach for his experience,” a Delta spokesperson said. “Our Customer Care team has reached out and is working directly with him to address the situation.”
Roach, who describes himself as an “image architect” rather than a stylist, is best known for his work with Zendaya but has also dressed Céline Dion, Ariana Grande and Lauren Sánchez Bezos.
He made headlines earlier this year when he appeared to suggest that Zendaya and her fiancé Tom Holland had secretly married, telling Access Hollywood: “The wedding has already happened. You missed it.” Representatives for the couple never confirmed the claim.
