Man who was duct-taped on American Airlines flight after alleged violent outburst breaks his silence

Layne Lundeen, the man who made headlines after he had to be duct-taped to his American Airlines seat following an alleged violent outburst, has spoken publicly for the first time about the incident.

Flight attendants and passengers on an American Airlines flight between Dallas and New Jersey on September 3 duct-taped Lundeen to his seat after he allegedly began shouting racial slurs at the flight crew and choking his seatmate. The flight was diverted to Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, where he was arrested.

The following day, Lundeen, 67, appeared in an Annapolis court to face second-degree assault and disorderly conduct charges, according to the Baltimore Banner.

During his hearing, he said that all he remembers was talking to a man in the seat next to him, Jonathan Cahn, who is a Messianic rabbi and author.

The Baltimore Banner obtained the court transcripts of the hearing.

“I don’t remember any of what happened,” Lundeen said.

District Court Commissioner George Haag told Lundeen his charges, noting that he allegedly assaulted a police officer.

“I assaulted a police officer? Is that what it says?” Lundeen asked, noting that he couldn't read his charges because he did not have his glasses.

After having the charges read to him, Lundeen said, "Oh my God, what a mess," before insisting that he did not remember anything.

Cahn — whom The New York Times called "an entrepreneurial doomsday prophet" in 2019 and who holds up President Donald Trump as a Biblical figure — spoke to the Baltimore Banner in a phone interview about the incident.

According to Cahn, he and Lundeen spoke on the plane for about two hours, but the conversation took a turn when the topic turned to religion. He claims Lundeen began shouting profanities and blasphemy in response to him.

“He was slurring everything and everybody,” Cahn told the paper, noting that some of the remarks were allegedly anti-semitic.

When the plane landed, police took Lundeen into custody and he allegedly struck an officer in the chest.

Following the incident, Lundeen, Long Realty, which worked with Lundeen, said it severed ties with the man.

“The conduct described in the reports is wholly inconsistent with the professionalism, integrity, compassion, and respect for others that Long Realty expects from those affiliated with the company,” the company said in a statement. “We expect those associated with our company to uphold those values, and we have no tolerance for conduct that so clearly falls short of those expectations.”

Haag ultimately released Lundeen on his own recognizance and ordered that he not use alcohol or drugs except for medicine he's been prescribed.

His next court date is scheduled for October 19.