Comedian Eric André, in Emotional Video, Says He Was Racially Profiled at Melbourne Airport: 'Unethical'

Mar. 15, 2025

Eric Andre poses for a photo at the IMDb Portrait Studio at SXSW 2023 on March 10, 2023.Photo:Corey Nickols/Getty

Corey Nickols/Getty

Eric Andrésays he was ‘racially profiled’ while traveling through Melbourne Airport in Australia.

On Sunday, Aug. 18, the Emmy-nominated comedian behindThe Eric Andre Show, 41, shared an Instagram video where he revealed he’d just wrapped a 25-hour trip involving stops in Los Angeles, Melbourne and Brisbane, Australia for a shoot.

“They are searching Black, brown and Indigenous people,” André added. “Please let me know if anybody knows the names of those officers with the dogs or what that program is. If anybody has information on a discrimination Australian lawyer, I’m all ears.”

Later in his video message, André — whopreviouslysaid he was racially profiled at the Atlanta Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport in 2021 and latertook legal action— also asked his followers if they could send him statistics on how many “people of color they put into this dog-sniffing line” in comparison to white passengers.

“Anybody hiring me to work in Australia going forward, whether it’s a production or a tour, please don’t make me go through the Melbourne Airport alone,” André said. “Please provide a police escort or some type of security escort for me, or have me fly into Brisbane or Sydney directly. I do not feel safe in the Melbourne Airport. I do not want to be humiliated or racially discriminated against anymore at these airports.”

A view of Melbourne Airport on July 20, 2024.Asanka Ratnayake/Getty

Asanka Ratnayake/Getty

Melbourne Airport’sInstagram accountleft a comment under André’s post just hours after he shared it, with a message addressed to “Eric” in which it said it “does not tolerate racism in any form.”

“We are following up your complaint with the Australian Border Force (ABF) and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) who are in charge of processing all international arrivals at Melbourne Airport and other Australian international gateways,” the response read. “Melbourne Airport is proudly the gateway to one of the most multicultural cities in the world. We welcome ALL passengers to Melbourne, and we expect everyone to be treated equally.”

A spokesperson for the airport told PEOPLE in a statement, “Melbourne Airport does not tolerate racism in any form. We welcome all passengers to Melbourne, and we expect everyone to be treated equally."

“Upon being made aware of Mr Andre’s complaint, we immediately asked the Australian Border Force (ABF) and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), the government agencies in charge of processing all international arrivals into Australia, including at Melbourne Airport, to investigate. Those agencies have now provided a response to Mr Andre," the statement concluded.

Qantas did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for additional comment on Monday.

At the end of his video, which is previewed on his account with a picture of a dog in the airport, André again asked his followers for more information on the program, which he called a “Giuliani stop-and-frisk-esque nonsense program.” He also called the program “unethical” and “less safe” for Black, brown and Indigenous airline passengers.

“It has nothing to do with safety,” André said. “It has everything to do with racial harassment.”

source: people.com