SB19 member Justin De Dios recently shared an unpleasant experience involving a Filipino airport employee in Los Angeles, recalling how an encounter that could have been a simple interaction instead left him and his group feeling uncomfortable.

Justin said the airport worker unexpectedly made several remarks about SB19, including comments questioning the group’s popularity and criticizing how the members supposedly behave toward people asking for photos.

“Ang dami niya nang sinabi bigla. Like sabi niya, ‘Di pa nga sikat, ’di na nagpapapa-picture. ’Pag nasa harap na ng camera, doon kakaway-kaway. Pero mga suplado naman,’” Justin recalled.

What made the situation particularly disappointing for the singer was that the experience came from a fellow Filipino. Having traveled extensively for SB19’s tours and international engagements, Justin said the group had not encountered similar treatment during their previous trips.

“Well, sa mga past tours naman namin, hindi naman ganoon ’yung na-experience namin. Pero like sa Filipino pa namin mae-experience ’yung ganoon,” he said.

Justin added that the manner in which the situation unfolded made it appear as though such comments were considered ordinary, while he and his companions were made to feel that they were the ones at fault.

“Tapos parang, it’s very normal sa kanila. Tapos parang kami pa ’yung mali,” he said.

The incident offered a glimpse into the less glamorous side of being a public figure, where artists can face assumptions about their personalities based on brief encounters or expectations surrounding fan interactions.

For Justin, the Los Angeles experience stood out not simply because of the criticism, but because it came from someone with whom he shared a Filipino connection while far from home.

Despite the uncomfortable moment, Justin’s account also underscores the realities artists like SB19 navigate as their careers continue to expand internationally—balancing demanding schedules, public expectations and interactions with people who may already have formed opinions about them before meeting them.