The incident happened on a flight from Singapore to Los Angeles two years ago.

Smyth ate a satay skewer and unknowingly swallowed a sharp wooden splinter, which caused her immediate pain and coughing.

She tried to get the splinter out during the flight and eventually coughed up a 1.5-inch wooden shard.

Smyth felt a lot of pain and emotional distress during this time.

After the incident, Smyth had throat discomfort, vocal fatigue, and pain when speaking or singing.

A doctor found scarring on her vocal cords, which was likely caused by the wooden splinter.

Smyth is a professional singer and speaker who depends on her voice for her work, and she was eating the meal as intended.

She is seeking damages for medical expenses, lost earnings, and emotional distress, as well as legal costs and interest.

The complaint also mentions the harm to her career and anxiety about eating and flying.

Singapore Airlines planes are shown at Changi Airport in Singapore.

The airline has not commented on the case, despite being asked by The Independent.

Singapore Airlines serves satay as a signature dish in first and business class, and it is a customer favorite.

On long flights, the satay is usually served at the start of the meal service.

Smyth used to be a pop star and released her debut album in 1998.

She started doing yoga in Thailand in 1999 to help with anorexia and bulimia, and she stopped singing in 2004.

Smyth is now a yoga teacher and still sings sometimes, with over 360,000 followers on Instagram.

It is not uncommon for passengers to sue airlines over in-flight meals.

A doctor sued Singapore Airlines last year after being served a meal with shrimp, despite having a severe shellfish allergy.

Another passenger sued JetBlue in 2024 over an ice cream sandwich that was too cold and broke her tooth.

Singapore Airlines was ranked second in the 2025 World Airline Awards, behind Qatar Airways.