Jarrod Morris was ready to board an American Airlines flight. Then he was stopped at the gate over a bizarre claim of ‘mutilation’

Musician Jarrod Morris recently found himself in a frustrating travel predicament when American Airlines denied him boarding for a flight to Canada because his passport was deemed “mutilated.” Morris had already checked in for his flight, only to be stopped at the gate.

An American Airlines worker, seen in a video Morris posted to Facebook and Instagram, inspected his passport closely. “Because it’s mutilated, we can’t let you travel to Canada like this,” the worker explained, adding a stern warning: “Canada doesn’t play. You’ll get a fine for this.” The worker was manipulating the passport, clearly showing its condition. Morris’s passport was in pretty rough shape, with worn pages and a cover that was significantly peeling. 

According to BroBible, Morris seemed a bit taken aback by the strong language; “What do you mean mutilated? That seems like a pretty extreme word.” However, the worker was quick to defend himself, asking Morris, “What would you say, what this is? Give me another word. I can say another word if another word makes you feel better.” 

Honestly, he should have been stopped at check in

Despite the initial surprise, Morris later shared on his Facebook page that he held no ill will toward the airline worker or American Airlines. He chalked it up to “1st world problems,” humorously noting that he and the worker “stood in silence for a solid 30 count at the end of the convo.” 

Even if Morris felt the word “mutilated” was a bit much, the U.S. government actually uses that exact term to describe passports with damage extending beyond what’s considered normal wear and tear. Normal “wear and tear” is defined to include things like the natural bend a passport might get from being carried in your back pocket or the fanning of visa pages after countless openings and closings.

According to the US Department of State, passports are considered seriously damaged if it has issues like water damage, mold and stains, or significant tears that compromise the integrity of the document. Other red flags include unofficial markings on the data page, missing visa pages that have been torn out, ripped, or cut, or even a hole punch. 

If the damage affects the security features or the ability to verify your identity, that’s when you run into trouble. Given that Morris’s passport cover was peeling significantly and the pages were worn, it likely met these established criteria for being considered “mutilated.” The U.S. government is pretty clear: if your passport falls into the “mutilated” category, you need to get a new one.

Traveling with a damaged passport is always a gamble. While some airline workers or passport control officers might let minor damage slide, others are incredibly strict. When it comes to international travel, you don’t want to travel all the way to your destination, only to be denied entry because of a passport issue. 

Many commenters on Morris’s video generally supported the worker’s decision. One user commented, “The agent isn’t wrong. There are specific guidelines for passports. Go and schedule that renewal appt cowboy lol.” Another shared a personal anecdote, saying, “True story. A good friend was denied entry into Dubai because of a smudge on her passport. So yeah they’ll deny entry due to damage to passport.” 

It is very important to check your documents, especially after recent reports of travel documents being voided without warning. It is an important document, one that not only proves your identity but can also destroy any chance of travel, even if one detail, like a name, is off.