Former Thai teen pop star Briohny Smyth has filed a lawsuit against Singapore Airlines in Los Angeles, alleging that a sharp piece of a chicken satay skewer lodged in her throat and injured her vocal cords.

The lawsuit, filed in a Los Angeles federal court on July 24, concerns an incident on a Singapore Airlines flight to Los Angeles on July 28, 2024. Singapore Airlines had not yet publicly commented on the case as of August 3.

According to court documents reviewed by UK newspaper The Independent, Smyth, 44, was travelling in business class when a wooden piece broke away from a satay skewer while she was eating her in-flight meal.

Claim centres on business-class meal

Smyth said the fragment became stuck in her throat, causing immediate pain, violent coughing and choking sensations. She eventually expelled a jagged piece of wood measuring roughly 3.8 centimetres, according to the lawsuit.

The complaint says she was eating the meal as intended and was not responsible for the injury.

She later sought treatment from an ear, nose and throat specialist, who found scarring and trauma to her vocal cords said to be consistent with an injury from a sharp foreign object.

Voice-related losses sought

Smyth alleges she has continued to suffer throat discomfort, vocal fatigue, hoarseness, tightness and pain when speaking or singing for extended periods since the flight.

The former singer became well known in Thailand as a teenager, releasing a platinum-selling album at the age of 13 during a music career spanning the late 1990s and early 2000s. She later left the entertainment business and became a US-based yoga instructor and wellness educator.

Her complaint describes her as a professional singer, performer, wellness educator and public speaker, and argues that her voice is central to her work.

She is seeking damages for bodily injury, lost earning capacity, professional harm and emotional distress. The claimed emotional harm includes anxiety associated with eating and flying.

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4 August 2026

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hope she kept the sliver of bamboo stick as evidence ,

regards worgeordie

Just now, worgeordie said:

hope she kept the sliver of bamboo stick as evidence ,

regards worgeordie

Nah, the coffee was too hot?

Strange no other passengers reported issues? Every J class passenger is offered Satay on this flight.

Sadly that some people always have something to complain about and try to get money out of it... However I doubt if it will be beneficial this time, as you will notice that there is wood in your mouth before swallowing

3.8 cm/1.5 inches is not a small item. Chewing food is always a good idea 🙂

Did she take a photo of her meal as everyone does these days? Will that photo be part of discovery? Will it be admitted as evidence in the trial?

Sounds like the reason here would be age and a career in down spiral. Have to squeeze all that is squeezable!

Edited August 5Aug 5 by Gottfrid

if true, I suggest she needs lessons on how to safely eat from skewers, of any kind.

Casual and Street Food Settings

• Bite from the side: If you are at a casual barbecue or eating street food where cutlery is unavailable, pull the food off from the side of your mouth.

• Avoid the tip: Never slide food forward toward the sharp point to bite it, as you risk puncturing your mouth or throat.

• One-bite pieces: Only eat directly from the stick if the portions are small enough to be consumed safely in a single, clean bite.

She might fly 1st class...but eat like cattle/street class.

I like her yoga videos. She's really good. No vocals necessary.

Complaint filed in LA July 24.

Stick stuck in gob on board an SQ A350, probably just after t/o from Changi four days later on July 28.

Quite a story. Is she just a starved psychic chic?

On 8/4/2026 at 5:42 PM, nauseus said:

Strange no other passengers reported issues? Every J class passenger is offered Satay on this flight.

They will be using plastic satay sticks in the future!

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

They will be using plastic satay sticks in the future!

Maybe they'll go down a bit better.

On 8/4/2026 at 5:42 PM, nauseus said:

Strange no other passengers reported issues? Every J class passenger is offered Satay on this flight.

Indeed, without more details its difficult to say, but she didn't notice a piece of wood in her mouth, I mean 3.8 cm is a chunk of wood.

"She is seeking damages for bodily injury, lost earning capacity, professional harm and emotional distress. The claimed emotional harm includes anxiety associated with eating and flying."

Looks like she has everything covered in that lawsuit and filed in California too? She is looking for a pay day??😀

Sounds like she made that recording with the skewer still lodged in her throat.

Edit to add: I just looked up her yoga gig and she's got an impressive practice. No wonder nobody remembers her music; she's 44.

Edited August 6Aug 6 by flaming dragon

On 8/4/2026 at 5:42 PM, nauseus said:

Strange no other passengers reported issues? Every J class passenger is offered Satay on this flight.

Yes -- so is she going to claim that there was something defective about HER satay stick.