Lakewood resident Tiffany Gomas, also known as “Crazy Plane Lady” (her words), has issued an apology, below, for her actions on July 2, when she stormed off an American Airlines craft while pointing to the back of the plane and shouting “that motherf_ker back there is not real” and telling passengers and crew that their plane was unsafe.

She says the nickname “Crazy Plane Lady” is “completely warranted.” Gomas, who also exclaimed, “You can sit on this plane and you can f_cking die with them or not. I’m not going to,” says her actions were “completely unacceptable.”

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She apologized to everyone on that plane for her profanity. She did not specifically mention the inconvenience she caused passengers who were all forced to deplane and go through security again.

Gomas, who also attempted to sneak through security several times, with legal impunity, said the overwhelming attention since the incident has been comical — “I have enjoyed so many of the memes” — but “on the flip side,” she says, some of it has been “very invasive and unkind.”

It’s not fun for anyone who has to find out first hand how unkind the internet mob can be.

Last week, when we learned that Gomas was from our coverage area, I posted a news item (not a reported story, just an aggregate article about findings from a few bigger publications) because part of my job is to create content for the Lakewood Advocate site that I believe would be of interest to neighborhood residents.

I was correct that it was of interest, but the story also upset many people.

I received many many messages, personal attacks with social media tags and calls and texts to my cell phone defending Gomas and complaining that I “doxxed” her, that I was benefitting on the back of a woman who was suffering from emotional or mental health or that I was being cruel by sharing the news.

Doxxing means sharing a person’s identifying information, such as their address, with malicious intent. I shared that her name was being widely reported and that she was a resident of Lakewood, a neighborhood of more than 20,000 people.

Gomas has not responded to our requests for comment, however she responded to the Daily Mail, which actually did arguably dox her and include a photo of her home last week. The article by their Dallas correspondent includes paparazzi type images of Gomas standing in her doorway. “So much of what’s out there is inaccurate,” she told the Mail, “but when asked for specifics she declined to comment further,” they report.

Generally, I feel a little bad when reporting on people who are having a tough time, but that is a giant part of the job of a local reporter.

When anyone is arrested or caught on camera doing something shameful or creating a public nuisance, chances are that person is struggling with emotional or mental health or having their worst moment. We cannot stop reporting about people who are having a bad day. Thankfully, at the Advocate we also often have the opportunity to report on people doing amazing things and achieving milestones and successes.

The benefit that came out of reporting on Gomas was that the web and engagement numbers for our small nonprofit newsroom increased, by a lot, last week. Personally, I was affected negatively only by a crush of cyberbullying and cruel messages.

I took care, when I wrote about Tiffany Gomas, to say nothing unkind about her. I considered that she is a savvy marketing exec who knows how the media works and I looked for any indication that she was ill or vulnerable, which I did not find. I also sent her personal messages, through the company she owns, which included wishes for her wellbeing and a request for her side of the story.

Meanwhile, Gomas has launched a new website, YouTube channel and Twitter. She notes that the public should “Stay tuned.”