One Beyoncé fan’s dream of seeing the music icon live on her “Renaissance World Tour” will not be denied — at least that is the hope of countless social media users. The singer’s legion of supporters have their fingers crossed that her team is helping a man with cerebral palsy find a way to see her perform after his concert plans were nixed by an unfortunate turn of events.
Jon Hetherington shared a TikTok video on Friday (Sept. 15) detailing how he was unable to board his flight to Seattle, Washington, to catch the concert after being told that his wheelchair exceeded an unspecified airline’s height requirement of four inches. The 34-year-old said it was a lifelong dream to see the icon onstage. “They checked every possible flight, every airline, and nothing is available. So after 25 years of waiting, I’m not seeing Beyoncé tonight, so ableism strikes again,” he said.
In a follow-up video, Hetherington explained that airline staff did everything in their power to help him. At one point, he claimed they even removed him from his wheelchair, placing him into another chair, while employees attempted to get his motorized chair to collapse further in hopes of meeting height requirements. “I’m just demoralized and angry and frustrated and sad,” he added.
As his story blew up, Yvette Noel-Schure, Beyoncé’s longtime publicist, began following the man on Instagram, leaving many to ponder if the entertainer’s team was stepping in to help find a resolution. There are a handful of remaining shows left before the tour wraps on Oct. 1. If the BeyHive’s assumptions are right, Hetherington could be fortunate enough to make it to one of the three shows in Texas or possibly to New Orleans or Kansas City for the finale.
On Saturday (Sept. 16), he expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support and attention people across social media gave to his story. In his Instagram Story, he wrote, “When the BeyHive shows up, they SHOW UP! I can’t begin to thank you all for your kindness. I apologize that I can’t respond to every message, but I’m so appreciative of the overwhelming generosity I’m receiving.” A glance at the video’s comments section on TikTok and Instagram reveals that some fans have even offered to give him their tickets so that he, too, can experience the spectacular showmanship of Beyoncé on what is being heralded as her greatest tour.