Jason Derulo, entourage removed from Southwest flight

Southwest Airlines says singer Jason Derulo's entourage was removed from a flight over the weekend for unruly behavior.

"According to our employees, the group refused to follow boarding procedures," a representative said Sunday in a statement to People magazine, referring to Saturday's incident at Reno-Tahoe International Airport. "Initial reports indicate that several customers complained about the group's behavior. Our crew, responsible for the safety and comfort of all customers on board, attempted to diffuse [sic] the situation; ultimately, local authorities were called and the decision was made to deny boarding to the group. The group sought alternate transportation and their tickets were refunded."

Derulo, 25, posted an Instagram video Saturday night, from what People said was a private jet he had chartered instead for his planned flight to Los Angeles. "I had to fire my travel agent for booking me somewhere I wasn't supposed to be," he says. "But now we're here; we're good." The camera then points to one of Derulo's group, who says, "They can't kick me off of this!" to which Derulo responds, "For real."

Derulo's representative on Saturday told TMZ.com, which had initially reported the incident, that the singer had requested an escort to get himself and his group through the airport because the TSA precheck was unavailable. Southwest declined to do so, the representative said, adding that the airline did allow Derulo on the flight but that when others in the entourage boarded without permission, Southwest notified airport police.

The "Want to Want Me" singer, who performed with Pitbull, Kelly Clarkson, Ricky Martin and others in WKTU/103.5 FM's KTUphoria 2015 show at the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh on May 31, returns to that venue on Saturday for the Billboard Hot 100 Festival, on a bill featuring more than dozen acts including The Weeknd, Little Mix, Cold War Kids and Lil Wayne.