A transgender Black Hawk pilot wrongly named as one of the three US Army personnel flying the helicopter that collided with a plane in Washington DC is suing a right-wing commentator.
Jo Ellis, 35, was misidentified as the female co-pilot of the doomed chopper, which ended in the deaths of 67 people on January 29.
A shaken-sounding Ellis – a pilot in the Virginia Army National Guard – picked up the phone when called by DailyMail.com after the crash, confirming that she was not killed, adding: ‘I am very much alive.’
The false rumors had ‘shocked,’ her and at the time, said the slurs were ‘disrespectful to the families’ of the 67 people killed.
Now, she appears to be taking action, accusing conservative influencer Matt Wallace of defamation.
He posted to his account – which has 2.3 million followers – that Ellis committed a ‘trans terrorist attack.’
He added that she had crashed the helicopter because of ‘depression‘ and ‘gender dysphoria.’
She filed a suit in Wallace’s home state of Colorado, claiming he ‘concocted a destructive and irresponsible defamation campaign.’
Jo Ellis (pictured), transgender Black Hawk pilot wrongly named as one of the three US Army personnel flying the helicopter that collided with a plane in Washington DC, is suing a right-wing commentator for libel
Ellis appears to be taking action, accusing conservative influencer Matt Wallace (pictured) of defamation. He posted to his account – which has 2.3 million followers – that Ellis committed a ‘trans terrorist attack.’
Wallace has yet to publicly respond to the lawsuit.
After Ellis was proven not to be on the flight, he wrote a message on social media that didn’t apologize and referred to Ellis as a man.
‘This is apparently the first account who reported what we now know is false. Seemed credible because Jo Ellis wrote an article calling out Trump’s trans military ban only a few days ago. I disagree with Jo’s views but glad he is still alive.’
‘My life was turned upside-down at that point. Forever on, I’m known as “that trans terrorist,”‘ Ellis told The New York Times.
‘I believe in free speech, but I also believe in consequences to free speech. If you can stir up a mob because you say something that’s not true, that’s your right. But once the mob comes after someone, you’ve got to have some consequences.’
Ellis – who is being represented by the pro-LGBTQ Equality Legal Action Fund – promised to donate any money she receives should she win to the families of the victims of the crash.
She said that she faced death threats and harassment and was forced to publicly post a ‘proof of life’ video on Facebook.
The rumors a transgender woman had been part of the crash also allegedly influenced Donald Trump when he signed an executive order banning trans people from the military.
Ellis – who is being represented by the pro-LGBTQ Equality Legal Action Fund – promised to donate any money she receives should she win to the families of the victims of the crash
President Trump suggested diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies were to blame, with some online ‘sleuths’ subsequently singling out Jo Ellis.
A blog written by Ellis said she had spent her childhood homeschooled for most of her education, and had struggled with gender dysmorphia since the age of five.
She joined the military in 2009 as a 15G helicopter mechanic in the Virginia National Guard, and went on to deploy to Iraq with Operation New Dawn two years later.
After earning the Air Medal for her valor in the Middle East, she also served in Guatemala and Kuwait in subsequent years.
While saying she worked through gender dysmorphia by trying to become ‘more successful and more manly’, she got married, adopted a dog and raised a stepdaughter, as ‘all the things I thought a good man should do.’
Ellis wrote that in 2020, she was ‘accepted into the Army’s Warrant Officer Flight Training program. I completed Warrant Officer Candidate School, SERE School (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape), and the UH60 Black Hawk helicopter course.’
She said that the pandemic and the rigors of flight school led her to confront her gender dysphoria and decide, with the support of her spouse, to transition.
After Ellis was proven not to be on the flight, Wallace (pictured left) wrote a message on social media that didn’t apologize and referred to Ellis as a man
Ellis, 35, was misidentified as the female co-pilot of the doomed, which ended in the deaths of 67 people on January 29
She said when she told her military commanders in 2023, she was met with immediate support.
The day before the tragic collision over Reagan International Airport, Ellis had given an interview with Sirius XM DJ and CNN host Michael Smerconish, whose Smerconish.com website she once managed.
Ellis spoke of her pride in serving 15 years in the military and struggle with gender dysmorphia before coming out.
She said in the interview she currently serves in the National Guard as a Blackhawk helicopter pilot, as well as working a private sector IT job.
The helicopter is said to have flown at a higher than normal altitude when it collided with American Eagle flight 5342 as it came into land at Reagan National Airport in Washington DC shortly before 9pm ET Wednesday night.
Horrifying video footage showed the two aircraft collide in a fireball before plunging into the icy Potomac River just east of Reagan’s runways.
The three soldiers aboard the Black Hawk were all killed, as were the 60 passengers and four crew aboard the Bombardier CRJ-700 aircraft.
Footage of the Black Hawk crashing into the side of the plane has also sparked speculation the chopper was to blame.
Robert Isoms, CEO of American Eagle’s parent company American Airlines, questioned why the chopper had crossed the path of the airliner.