"Sit Down, Karen": Patricia Cornwall Charged With Assault After Fight on Delta Flight 2790

A real estate agent who appeared in TV shows like Baywatch and Married With Children was charged with assault on Monday, Dec. 27, 2021, after engaging in a quarrel with a fellow passenger on the Delta flight 2790 flying from Tampa, Fla., to Atlanta, Ga. Patricia Cornwall (aka Patty Breton) was arrested upon landing on Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021. Read on for the details.

Patricia Cornwall rose to fame with smaller roles in Married With Children (she played a pilgrim girl in Season 10, Episode 17) and Baywatch (she portrayed Petra in Season 7, Episode 2.) She was using a stage name, Patty Breton, at the time.

A former Los Angeles Raiders cheerleader, Cornwall launched a second career as a real estate agent, working for franchises like Coldwell Banker Realty and Berkshire Hathaway. Cornwall was pushed back into the spotlight recently following her arrest for assault.

As a video (semi-jokingly referred to as "Sit down, Karen" video and the "Karen on Delta flight" video) shows, Cornwall engaged in a tense verbal exchange with a fellow passenger before spitting at, hitting, and reportedly scratching him.

She urged him to "mask up" several times. She also impeded two to three Delta employees from carrying out their duty. What's more, she failed to appropriately wear a face covering.

Cornwall got arrested by the Atlanta Police Department on Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021, shortly after Delta flight 2790 landed at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The initial hearing was held on Monday, Dec. 27, 2021, at the Atlanta Federal Courthouse.

Cornwall's lawyer confirmed in court that she spent the period between Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021, and Monday, Dec. 27, 2021, in jail. She was charged with assault on Monday. She has since been released on a $20,000 bond, per CNN.

Delta has put Cornwall on a no-fly list in light of the altercation.

"Situations like these are rare for the vast majority of our customers and Delta has zero-tolerance for unruly behavior at our airports and aboard our aircraft," Grant Myatt, a representative for Delta, told CNN.

Cornwall tried to make her way back from the lavatory to her seat while the beverage service was being carried out. She was advised to find an empty seat. "What am I, Rosa Parks?" she said in response.

A male passenger corrected Cornwall, a complaint cited by CNN reveals. "[She] isn't Black, this isn't Alabama, and this isn't a bus."

At the beginning of most videos posted on social media, Cornwall tells the man to stop bothering her.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that," she says, before adding, "Stand your a-- up!"

The man proceeds to refer to her as a "Karen" before calling her a p---y and a b---h. Cornwall then slaps him.

Once a sought-out actress and media personality, Cornwall is now facing a possible prison sentence. She is being charged with "assault by striking, beating, or wounding R.S.M. in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States," which is a class A misdemeanor.

If found guilty, she could face "up to one year in prison and up to a $100,000 fine."