A billionaire heiress has been branded ‘out of touch’ after she went on an online tirade when she was refused entry at an airport security checkpoint.
Hannah Bronfman, 37, the granddaughter of the late billionaire and philanthropist Edgar Bronfman — whose family founded the Canadian alcoholic beverage company Seagram’s — took to TikTok on Nov. 13 to complain about her hectic travel day after she found herself stranded 20 minutes before boarding her flight. arrived at the airport.
The heiress was on her way to Houston, Texas when she was told she couldn’t board her first class flight because she didn’t have her ID with her.
Despite having Clear, which speeds up the travel process when flying, and even TSA PreCheck, Bronfman was told to update her identification before flying.
She soon realized she didn’t have her ID on her and decided to ‘beg and beg’ the airport staff to let her identify her with her credit cards, but this was again refused.
“Because I did not arrive at the airport an hour before boarding time, I am denied such verification,” the mother of two said.
Bronfman, who is married to 45-year-old former DJ Brendan Fallis, said her ID was actually left in the wallet of her husband, who was traveling to Kentucky at the time.
Instead of picking up the passport herself, she instructed her nanny to send her passport to the airport in an Uber, while Bronfman complained that she had received no notification from Clear that she needed her ID to travel.
“Why didn’t Clear also send me a notification saying, ‘Make sure you bring ID to the airport the next time you fly because you’re going to go through this random update.’
Billionaire Seagram heiress Hannah Bronfman, 37, posted a rant to her TikTok on November 13 after she was turned away at an airport for not having any form of ID
Bronfman, the wife of ex-DJ Brendan Fallis, 45, is the granddaughter of the late billionaire philanthropist Edgar Bronfman – whose family founded Canadian alcoholic drinks company Seagram’s. (photo: Bronfman and Fallis in September)
“That would have been a nice notification, because I fly domestically, and because I had Clear and PreCheck, you would think they wouldn’t have to bring their ID,” Bronfman said.
Anyone traveling with TSA PreCheck must have a “REAL ID or other acceptable form of identification” to fly, according to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Travelers who have Clear can usually get through without their ID because the system works based on fingerprints and an eye scan, but in some cases, like Bronfman, it is necessary to update information.
During her nearly four-minute rant, Bronfman revealed that because she missed her flight, she had to be downgraded to economy to reach her destination.
‘I moved my flight to the next flight.
“I’m no longer flying first class, I’m flying economy, which is just par for the course,” she said as she rejoiced over her Starbucks order that she could “cheer myself up.”
However, she seemed dissatisfied with the drink and made it clear that she normally does NOT drink Starbucks.
In the same clip, she ran into trolls who she expected would attack her about flying first class.
“I’m actually going for a work event, I’m speaking at a conference, and yes, if you have work events that cover your travel and accommodation costs, you get to fly first class,” she explained.
Bronfman spoke at the 2024 AfroTech Conference on November 14 – the day after her travel debacle.
The video ended with her saying she “at least got a flight credit” for the mix-up.
“Girls math,” Bronfman said as the Uber arrived with her passport wrapped in aluminum foil.
Although she thought users would judge her for flying first class, people were actually baffled by the fact that she was traveling without any form of identification.
One asked: ‘Are you flying without an ID?’
“Um, you always need ID,” another commented.
“Just fly private Hannah,” someone suggested.
Others were surprised that she showed up just 20 minutes before her flight boarded.
“20 minutes early is crazy,” one person wrote.
“Girl please,” said another.
The video ended with her saying she “at least got a flight credit” for the mix-up, as her passport, wrapped in aluminum foil, arrived in an Uber bus.
“With all due respect, this is irrelevant lol,” one commenter said.
She then posted a clip answering the questions about IDs, explaining that she thought it was in her wallet but instead it was in her husband’s because they had recently traveled together.
“Anyway, I did it, and I knew you would all be so annoyed by my top-notch comment.
“Anyway, it doesn’t matter, I got here safe and sound,” Bronfman added.
Last year, she and her husband left social media users in disbelief after welcoming content creator Caleb Simpson to their Downtown Manhattan apartment.
The couple, who married in 2017, purchased the sprawling three-story home, for which they pay a $4,300 monthly mortgage.
Bronfman revealed that the space had a unique bookshelf wall because it was previously owned by “the curator of rare books at Strand Books.”
Their home features 20-foot ceilings, a huge skylight, floor-to-ceiling windows, a marble bathroom with a freestanding tub.
Bronfman spoke at the 2024 AfroTech Conference on November 14 – the day after her travel debacle
The couple are parents to daughter Claude Peaches Anne, born in June 2023, and son Preston Miles Thomas, whom they welcomed in 2020.
They also have an organized area with a sunglasses wall and a separate shoe closet that lights up when you enter.
The couple are parents to daughter Claude Peaches Anne, born in June 2023, and son Preston Miles Thomas, whom they welcomed in 2020.
The Bronfman family made their millions through the beverage company, which they sold to French conglomerate Vivendi for $30 billion in 2000, according to Forbes.
Her father, Edgar Bronfman Jr., is the half-brother of Clare Bronfman, who recently pleaded guilty to crimes related to her involvement in sex cult Nxivm.
She followed in her grandfather’s entrepreneurial footsteps by co-founding her own company in the form of a beauty app called Beautified, but she left the company in 2014 and moved on to other ventures.
Bronfman is also an angel investor. Her most recent investment was in 2022 with Territory Foods, a dietitian and chef-designed meal delivery service specifically designed to meet the nutritional needs of expecting and postnatal women.