Here’s the full rewrite in a polished popular-blog style:
A former child pop star is suing Singapore Airlines after she allegedly suffered permanent damage to her vocal cords when a sharp piece of wood from an in-flight chicken satay skewer became lodged in her throat.
Briohny Smyth, 44, filed the lawsuit on July 24 in federal court in Los Angeles, accusing the airline of serving a meal that left her with ongoing pain and potentially career-altering injuries.
According to the complaint, Smyth was traveling in business class on a Singapore Airlines flight from Singapore to Los Angeles when part of a wooden skewer allegedly snapped off while she was eating chicken satay.
Smyth claims she did not realize the jagged fragment had broken away before she swallowed it.
The lawsuit alleges she immediately began experiencing severe pain, violent coughing and choking as the piece of wood became stuck in her throat.
Court documents claim Smyth spent much of the long flight desperately trying to dislodge the object. She eventually coughed up a wooden shard measuring approximately 1.5 inches in length.
After the flight, Smyth reportedly sought treatment from a throat specialist, who allegedly discovered trauma and scarring on her vocal cords.
The former singer claims she has continued to suffer persistent throat pain, vocal fatigue, a raspy voice and discomfort while both speaking and singing.
Smyth argues she was consuming the meal exactly as it was intended to be eaten and did nothing to cause the alleged incident.
She rose to fame in Thailand at just 13 years old, becoming a platinum-selling pop singer. Smyth now lives in Los Angeles and works as a yoga instructor.
The lawsuit claims the vocal injuries have negatively affected her ability to work and damaged both her professional and personal life.
Smyth is seeking damages from Singapore Airlines for medical costs, lost income, emotional distress and other losses connected to the alleged incident.