Looksmaxxer flies to Thailand for buccal fat surgery, then calls Jetstar crew “little dogs” when they try to stop him boarding the flight home

Australian looksmaxxer Ronan Androgenic was removed from a Jetstar flight out of Thailand after a confrontation with cabin crew that he livestreamed to his followers. The incident, first reported by Bored Panda, unfolded on Wednesday, May 28, when Androgenic attempted to board his return flight to Australia with a bandaged, visibly swollen face following recent cosmetic procedures. Crew members blocked him from boarding, citing concerns about his condition.

Androgenic, who markets himself online as Australia’s “number one ranked” looksmaxxer, had traveled to Thailand specifically for facial alteration procedures. The 25-year-old had undergone waist liposuction and buccal fat removal roughly five days before he attempted to board. Despite claiming his doctor had medically cleared him to fly, his groggy appearance and communication drew immediate concern from the airline’s staff.

The TikTok video went viral, showing Androgenic heavily bandaged and telling the camera, “I’m getting kicked off my flight right now, apparently, because I didn’t put my medication in my carry-on bag.” A crew member responded, “Sir, your communication is not good and you’re not communicating with us clearly.” Unconvinced by his assurances, crew maintained he was too unwell to fly.

The airline had a clear policy, and Androgenic still pushed back

Jetstar’s guidelines state that if a passenger has an illness or condition that could make flying unsafe, they are expected to inform the airline in advance. The policy also specifies that cabin crew are not trained to administer adrenaline or other medication, making passenger self-sufficiency a firm requirement. If the airline is not confident a passenger is well enough to fly, it reserves the right to refuse boarding.

Androgenic insisted his procedures were non-invasive and that his doctor had cleared him to fly just two days after surgery. The situation escalated when he began swearing at the crew and called the flight attendants “little dogs” before gathering his belongings and exiting the aircraft. Amid separate disputes over passengers being denied boarding, including a Frontier Airlines case where a TikToker alleged she was removed due to her disability, airline removal incidents have drawn growing scrutiny on social media.

Reactions online were divided. Some users questioned whether the crew had authority to make medical judgments, with one commenter asking, “Are they practicing medicine? Are they doctors?” Others backed the airline’s call, with one user noting that “rules are there to prevent in-flight emergencies, not to shame passengers.” Another pointed out that airlines have the right to err on the side of caution when a passenger’s fitness to fly is in doubt. Cases of passengers clashing with cabin crew have resulted in serious consequences before, as seen when a passenger’s confrontation with flight attendants forced an entire plane to turn around.

This was not Androgenic’s first public incident. The month prior, he was arrested while livestreaming from Fortitude Valley in Brisbane after a viral video appeared to show him shoving an older woman outside a fast-food establishment. Queensland Police confirmed the arrest was connected to an April 18 incident. He was issued an infringement notice for public nuisance and received a one-month banning notice from the Fortitude Valley and Brisbane City safe night precinct.

Androgenic has built his following on extreme and unverified looksmaxxing practices. He has openly discussed overusing steroids and using a blunt instrument to break and reshape the bones in his face, a practice he claims to have started during COVID-19 lockdowns. Doctors have not verified or endorsed these methods. He once told an outlet that, while it might seem “pretty extreme,” he does not consider it “dangerous” if one is “smart about it.”

Before discovering looksmaxxing in 2019, Androgenic described spending his days playing video games. After a friend brought him to a nightclub and he felt invisible in the crowd, he said he “had to change something” and turned his focus to the gym and his appearance. He also shared that he felt no woman had ever shown interest in him before age 19, and now claims women treat him better than men do.