A former child pop star allegedly damaged her vocal cords during a Singapore Airlines flight to Los Angeles when she “unknowingly swallowed a jagged wooden splinter” that had come loose from a chicken satay skewer she was served with the in-flight meal.
The singer turned yoga instructor, Briohny Smyth, 44, who had a platinum album in Thailand at the age of 13, claimed the wood shard caused her “immediate pain,” “violent coughing,” and choking sensations,” according to a federal lawsuit obtained by The Independent.
The suit claims Smyth suffered “substantial pain and emotional distress while attempting to expel the foreign object during flight,” reads the July 24 complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court.
After some effort, she “ultimately expelled a jagged wooden shard approximately 1.5 inches in length,” the complaint reads.
Ever since the July 28, 2024 incident, Smyth claims she’s “experienced persistent throat discomfort, vocal fatigue, raspiness, tightness and pain with prolonged speaking or singing.”
She consulted an otolaryngologist, who found “scarring and trauma” to Smyth’s vocal cords consistent with an injury from a sharp foreign object.
The suit describes her as a “professional singer, performer, wellness educator and public speaker,” whose livelihood “substantially depends upon the integrity and performance of her voice.”
The complaint goes on to say that swallowing the wooden shard caused her bodily injury, loss of earning capacity, professional harm and “anxiety associated with eating and flying,” the outlet reported.
Smyth is seeking damages for past and future medical expenses, loss of earnings and earning capacity, emotional distress from the bodily injury and legal costs.
Singapore Airlines told The Independent they were “unable to comment on pending litigation.”
