Grammy-award-winning singer Karol G was thrust into a terrifying situation on Thursday night when her private jet was forced to make an emergency landing in Los Angeles.
The Colombian sensation was onboard the Gulfstream G400 with 16 passengers and crew members when the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit while flying east. In a tense video, the singer was seen visibly distressed as the plane made a smooth landing at Van Nuys Airport, 15 miles west of where they took off from Burbank Airport.
The plane, which was loaned to Karol G by private jet specialist VICTOR, is a 14-seater Gulfstream G400 manufactured in 2004. In February 2021, the singer had announced on Instagram that she had purchased a private jet, a Dassault Falcon 2000, from fellow Colombian artist J Balvin as a birthday gift to herself. It is unclear whether the plane involved in the emergency landing is the same one gifted to her by J Balvin.
This incident comes just hours after smoke was reported in the cabin of an American Airlines flight leaving New York’s LaGuardia Airport for Chicago, although no injuries were reported. The singer was en route to Guatemala for a show on her Latin American tour, and it is currently unclear whether the concert will go on as scheduled.
This emergency landing came on the same day Karol G was named as Billboard’s 2024 Woman of the Year, putting her in the company of music icons such as Taylor Swift, SZA, and Lady Gaga.
The 33-year-old singer has made history in the music industry, becoming the first woman to win a Grammy in the Best Música Urbana category and also the first woman to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with a Spanish-language album.
Karol G’s rise to success has not been without its challenges. In an interview with the AP earlier this month, she spoke about the struggles she faced as a woman in the male-dominated world of urban music.
She also shared her excitement and sense of responsibility about being honored as Woman of the Year by Billboard, saying, “With her immense talent, Karol G has created a movement for women across the globe due to her empowering lyrics and shameless confidence.”
The Billboard Women in Music Awards will take place on March 6 at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles, where Karol G will be officially presented with her Woman of the Year trophy. Other award recipients include Ice Spice, NewJeans, Victoria Monét, Maren Morris, Kylie Minogue, and Young Miko, among others. The event will be hosted by actor and producer Tracee Ellis Ross.
Karol G has solidified her status as a global superstar with five Latin Grammys and four Billboard Music Awards under her belt. Her most recent album, Mañana Será Bonito, made history as the first Spanish-language release to debut at No. 1 on the English language Billboard 200 chart.
