Former Child Pop Singer Sues Airline After Chicken Skewer Splinter Damaged Her Vocal Cords

A former child pop star is suing Singapore Airlines after accidentally swallowing a wooden splinter that came in her in-flight meal.

Briohny Smyth is well-known in Thailand after she had a platinum album at the age of 13. Now, at 44, she teaches yoga in Los Angeles, according to The Independent.

She was flying on Singapore Airlines from Singapore to Los Angeles on July 28, 2024, when she was served the Business Class meal, which included chicken satay on a wooden skewer, according to a legal complaint filed by her attorney against the airline.

While eating the meal as intended, a wooden fragment from the skewer became lodged in her throat, causing “immediate pain, choking sensations, coughing, respiratory distress, and physical injury.”

She eventually expelled the wooden splinter after what the complaint describes was a very difficult moment on the flight. The fragment from the skewer was later measured to be about 1.5 inches in length. After the incident, the complaint alleges she experienced “persistent throat discomfort, vocal fatigue, raspiness, tightness, and pain with prolonged speaking and singing.” She eventually consulted an otolaryngologist who identified scarring and trauma to her vocal cords.

Although she is known for her work at 13, the complaint notes she describes herself as a “professional singer, performer, wellness educator, and public speaker whose livelihood substantially depends upon the integrity and performance of her voice.”

Her Instagram shows that she regularly speaks to large classes of people as a yoga teacher and leads yoga retreats as well. As a result, she is seeking damages for past and future medical bills, past and future loss of earnings and earning capacity, emotional distress and more, per the complaint.