Woman allegedly forced to pee in a cup on United Airlines flight

A Missouri mother says she endured one of the most embarrassing moments of her life while on a United Airlines flight in April.

Nicole Harper says she desperately needed to use the bathroom while flying from Houston, Texas, to Kansas City, Missouri -- but when she attempted to head to the restroom, an employee asked her to return to her seat.

Harper told WDAF she tried to explain to flight attendants multiple times that she suffers from an overactive bladder, but they still refused to let her up.

"I said 'I'm going to need to use the restroom or I'm going to need a cup,'" Harper told WDAF. " (They) didn't understand that I don't have any control over the situation."

In response, Harper said a flight attendant handed her two cups.

Unable to hold it any longer, she was forced to relieve herself in her seat.

The humiliated mom says she was then escorted to the bathroom to empty the two cups, which she was forced to hold on to until she got off of the plane.

Throughout the entire ordeal, Harper says United employees were rude and unapologetic, and that they basically treated her as if she was "a criminal for doing this."

"It's so degrading because there are passengers, strangers, that I have to basically do this in front of," she said.

United Airlines released the following statement in response to the incident:

"Customer safety is always our first priority. Initial reports from our flight attendants indicate that Ms. Harper attempted to visit the lavatory on final descent and was instructed to remain seated with the seat belt fastened per FAA regulations. The situation as described by Ms. Harper and our employees is upsetting for all involved. We have reached out to Ms. Harper and our flying partner Mesa Airlines to better understand what occurred."

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