Hold onto your hats; it seems there’s quite a bit of drama surrounding tech mogul Peter Thiel. His husband, Matt Danzeisen, is facing allegations from a flight attendant, who claims Danzeisen “violently” hurled a cooler bag at her on their private jet.
Danzeisen’s legal team has pushed back, calling the accusation a case of “bullying.” His lawyer argued that the cooler bag incident was an accident, referring to it as a “shakedown” in the sky.
In a counterclaim lodged in the U.S. District Court for California, flight attendant Stephanie Bodger recounts a flight from Sun Valley, Idaho, to Washington, D.C., on July 27, 2024, where she alleges Danzeisen injured her.
The situation escalated when several passengers were allegedly “temporarily prevented from using the bathroom” because it was occupied with heavy cooler bags and kitchen supplies that a private chef had brought aboard. According to the claims, Danzeisen demanded immediate access to the bathroom and acted aggressively when the flight attendant was handling the bags.
Bodger alleges that as she struggled to manage the heavy bags, Danzeisen forcefully pushed her aside and threw the ice bags at her, causing her to stumble and hit a cabin wall. She contends that items like food spilled onto the plane as well.
This incident occurred in front of Thiel, his children, and their nanny, all while the couple is reportedly worth $27.5 billion.
Bodger went on to claim that after the incident, when she was in the bathroom with her child, she laid on the floor in pain, feeling humiliated and anxious about a potential further confrontation with Danzeisen.
Danzeisen’s lawyer dismissed the lawsuit as nonsense, asserting that it was merely a “shakedown” regarding something as trivial as a bag grazing someone’s foot. He expressed a firm intention to contest the claims in court.
The lawsuit from Bodger follows another legal action from Danzeisen against her, alleging breach of contract and claiming she initiated an extortion scheme after an earlier incident involving a soft fabric bag.
Danzeisen’s original suit stated that Bodger was nearby when he moved the cooler bag to accommodate a child, asserting that nobody truly witnessed her being hit, thus painting her claims as fabricated.
According to Danzeisen, witnesses corroborated his assertion that while the bag grazed Bodger’s leg, it was unintentional.
Further complicating matters, there’s an assertion that Bodger might be attempting to exploit the situation for financial gain, alleging that she has filed for workers’ compensation from her aircraft management employer for prior incidents.
Conversely, Bodger’s legal team describes the matter as a scenario of wealth and power being used to intimidate her, characterizing it as an unfortunate instance of bullying. They emphasized the need for accountability and have referred to the tactics employed as pressure tactics against someone they see as vulnerable.
After the flight, Bodger sought medical treatment and was diagnosed with significant injuries that may require surgery, including issues with her ankle and lower back. She alleges that her injuries have a lasting impact on her career as a flight attendant and her overall well-being.
In her countersuit, Bodger vehemently denies the charges of trying to “rob” the couple, insisting her complaints stem from a string of abusive treatment she claims to have suffered during her employment with them.
She has worked with them since 2022 and asserts that during her time, she has experienced consistent verbal mistreatment and hostility from Danzeisen.
