Heartbreaking bodycam footage has revealed the dramatic arrest and subsequent vanishing act of a plus-size internet star who previously campaigned for airlines to provide free extra seats for larger passengers.
The Hospital Outburst and Violent Arrest
Jaelynn Chaney, 29, was arrested outside a hospital in Kennewick, Washington, in February last year after staff dialled 911, reporting she was being abusive and unruly. Officers arrived to remove her from the facility, where she had been brought by ambulance. The situation escalated when Chaney, initially being led away in a wheelchair, got to her feet and tried to walk back inside.
When two officers instructed her to continue towards a waiting police cruiser, she threatened, "I'll f****** kill you guys," before throwing a series of punches at them. A third officer intervened, and the three men were forced to link three sets of handcuffs together into a 'daisy chain' to restrain her, due to the excess skin on her arms restricting movement.
A Logistical Struggle Due to Her Size
The arrest presented immediate logistical challenges. Chaney's 550lb (approximately 250kg) weight and 6XL frame meant she could not fit into a standard Ford Explorer police cruiser. Laying on the ground wearing only a hospital gown, she was rolled onto a large lifting bag loaned by the local fire department.
Six officers then coordinated to hoist the influencer into the back of an evidence van. As she was lifted, Chaney screamed, "I can't breathe, I can't f****** breathe. What the f***," before calling out her own name. Her protests subsided once she was placed on the van floor.
Mental Health Claims and Competency Evaluation
Throughout the clips, Chaney claimed she was experiencing a mental health episode. She rambled incoherently, at one point shouting, "Hands up don't shoot, hands up don't rape, hands up don't shoot. I'm disabled, I assaulted an officer please take me jail."
She was taken to Benton County Jail and charged with third-degree assault and resisting arrest. In March, her public defender filed for a competency evaluation, stating she suffered from a "mental disease or defect." The court found her incompetent and ordered inpatient treatment at Eastern State Hospital.
An evaluation in May concluded she was suffering from delirium due to sepsis, an unspecified personality disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Chaney told officials she had recently called off her six-year engagement to fellow plus-size influencer Jacob Ard, claiming he "tried to kill us both on a business trip."
Disappearance from Public Life
Following the incident, Chaney vanished from public view, abandoning her popular TikTok and Instagram accounts. Her final posts last year had hinted at troubles in her personal life. Her father, Jerome Chaney, suggested the hospital incident occurred after his polyamorous daughter allegedly caught her ex-fiancé with another man, leading to a domestic assault.
The case against her was dismissed in May after the competency evaluation was submitted. Chaney first gained notoriety in 2023 by advocating for airlines to provide as many free seats as overweight travellers need. She later criticised staff at Seattle Tacoma Airport for not pushing her wheelchair and condemned Chicago O'Hare Airport personnel after she got stuck in a revolving door.
