rewrite this content and keep HTML tags
The Beyhive helped a disabled fan’s irreplaceable dream of meeting Beyoncé come true.
Longtime fan Jon Hetherington, 34, said he was on his way to finally see the iconic singer perform on her Renaissance Tour stop in Seattle, Washington, before the unthinkable happened.
He was denied access to his flight on Sept. 14 when the airline couldn’t accommodate his wheelchair because it was reportedly too tall.
Hetherington, who says he waited 25 years to watch her onstage, aired out his frustrations that same day in a TikTok video that has since garnered nearly one million views as of Sunday.
“So after 25 years of waiting, I’m not seeing Beyoncé tonight, so ableism strikes again,” he says in the video.
After Beyoncé’s fans, known affectionately as the Beyhive, caught wind of the video, they began buzzing about it, perpetually tagging the 32-time Grammy winner on social media until she took notice.
Beyoncé then flew Hetherington out after a member from her team reached out to him and personally invited him to the show, according to The New York Times. The star’s reps also arranged for his transportation, including the flight.
“BeyHive, you made this happen. You pushed and tagged like the internet has never seen,” he wrote on Instagram over the weekend alongside a photo of him at the show in Arlington, Texas. “Tonight, for the first time ever, I had a seat on the floor for a concert. Welcome to the RENAISSANCE.”
Hetherington shared in a separate Instagram post how he also got a chance to link up with the “Halo” singer and her mother, Tina Knowles.
Reps for Beyoncé did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
Hetherington reportedly attempted flying with Alaska Airlines at the time of the fiasco, and subsequently filed a disability complaint with the airline.
“We feel terrible about our guest’s travel experience with us,” the airline said in a statement. “We’re always aiming to do better as we encounter situations such as this one.”
Speaking with the Times, Hetherington opened up about feeling “really grateful” for the outpouring support he’s received following the airline failure.
“When it comes to making spaces more accessible,” he added, “I hope people will actually engage with this stuff and not just let it go. That’s what’s important to me.”