‘Delta Karen’ Allegedly Has History of Violence and Mental Illness

The woman who slapped and spit on a man in a viral video allegedly has a history of mental illness and violence with her mother and step-father, along with a

They’re calling Patricia Cornwall, 51, “Delta Karen” after video footage went viral last week, showing her slapping and spitting on a man because he wouldn’t put on his face mask despite her not wearing hers either. The incident took place on a Delta Airlines flight.

Since her arrest, other stories about the woman have come to light, including her allegedly threatening to kill her parents. Cornwall was accused of making death threats toward the couple while living in their Los Angeles home, the New York Post reports. This led her step-father, Robert Spoeri, to file a restraining order against her back in July 2020. Spoeri also claims Cornwall physically attacked him and her mother, Yolanda Spoeri.

“Patricia kicked me, punched me, threatened to kill me, jumped on me, pulled my hair very hard, pounded my head into the floor and more because I would not divulge where her mother was hiding,” wrote her step-father in the restraining order documents. “Her real goal was to do far greater injury to her mother,” he continued. “She threatened my wife a few weeks ago and my wife had to hide in the garage and flee and spend the night at a friend’s house.”

Cornwall – who used to be an NFL cheerleader and Baywatch actor – has also been accused of threatening to kidnap her half-siblings, who she claims are her biological children. After an alleged attack on July 30, 2020, Cornwall was taken to live in a psychiatric facility; Spoeri says that was the “second or third time” that it had to be done.

As for the plane incident, the issue all started after a flight attendant asked her to find an available seat until the beverage service was finished. Cornwall, who is white, then said, “What am I, Rosa Parks?” A man on the flight then told her she “isn’t Black … this isn’t Alabama and this isn’t a bus,” which ignited the verbal altercation. The woman was eventually taken into custody by the FBI.