Reality television personality Porsha Williams has received official word from the U.S. Attorney's Office that no crime will be pursued in connection with an in-flight dispute aboard a Delta Air Lines flight arriving at Hartsfield‑Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Nov. 16. According to a statement issued by her legal counsel, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has likewise elected not to carry the matter forward.

The incident, initially reported by the Atlanta Police Department and covered by CBS Atlanta, unfolded as the flight was landing from Las Vegas. A police incident report indicated officers responded to a gate around 9:20 p.m. after a call about an altercation on the inbound flight. 

According to police and body-camera footage, Williams and a female passenger were seated in first class when the dispute began, reportedly over Williams' playing an Instagram video at high volume. Body-cam video shows Williams telling officers that the other passenger "tried to cut her phone on record, and she drops her phone on the floor. She's like, 'You hit me. Oh my God, you hit me.'" 

Williams said in the footage that she was not physically aggressive and described the incident as "just verbal." 

The other passenger, a 70-year-old woman, gave a conflicting account in her interview. She claimed that Williams had been playing videos "full blast" for about 25 minutes, that Williams' fingernail came so close to her eye she feared a physical attack, and that Williams knocked her phone from her hand. "I'm 70 years old. I'm afraid she's going to have me killed," the passenger told police. 

Delta publicly confirmed the incident occurred aboard Flight 591 and said that crews had spoken with both passengers; the flight landed without any further reported issues. 

In a newly released statement, Williams' attorney, Joe Habachy, said:

"We just received word from the United States Attorney's Office that they have determined that 'no crime has been committed,' and that the FBI 'will not pursue any further investigative actions regarding this matter.'

While Ms. Williams is certainly pleased to have received this news today, we cannot say that we are surprised given that there was never a physical encounter and given that the allegations made against Ms. Williams by this unhinged passenger were blatantly false from the beginning. Sadly, nothing can undo the unfortunate and damaging press frenzy that ensued as a result of these false allegations with many headlines that were downright defamatory. At a minimum, Ms. Williams is owed apologies by this passenger and by every publication that furthered the unsubstantiated storyline at Ms. Williams' expense. Ms. Williams offers her sincere thanks to the many witnesses who took time from their schedules to come forward and provide statements to law enforcement and to the Agents who worked so hard to uncover the truth."

With the federal investigation closed and no charges filed, the matter appears resolved from a legal standpoint. 

Williams has not publicly commented further, beyond her attorney's statement, but the published bodycam footage and witness accounts appear to support her version of events—that she did not engage in any physical aggression.

What comes next

While no federal case is forthcoming, the passenger's conflicting statement leaves open the possibility of private civil claim(s) or other action, though none have been reported. 

Williams' camp is calling for retractions and apologies from media outlets that they say published any defamatory coverage. 

The incident occurred during a busy travel weekend ahead of Thanksgiving, offering a reminder of how minor in-flight disputes can escalate and draw federal scrutiny when they occur on aircraft.

As always, we will continue to monitor for any further developments.