Jada Bafus, the mother of two young boys battling a terminal form of muscular dystrophy, has come forward with a detailed account of her unexpected confrontation with actress Hilary Swank during what was supposed to be the start of her sons’ Make-A-Wish trip to Disneyland.
The incident took place at Los Angeles International Airport, where Bafus and her husband were navigating the baggage claim while trying to locate their sons, Mason, 7, and Jack, 4, who both suffer from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
As she searched the crowd and spoke with her husband on the phone, she happened to walk beside Swank. “I’m a fan of her movies,” she said.
All of the sudden, the actress snapped at her.
Actress Hilary Swank issued a personal apology to the mother of two Make-A-Wish kids after snapping at her at an airport
Image credits: Robin L Marshall/Getty Images
According to the mother’s account, the actress had assumed she was taking photos of her without permission and stormed off, visibly angry.
Swank later issued an apology after learning the family’s circumstances.
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is defined by progressive muscle degeneration, severe weakness, and a drastically shortened life expectancy, which is why Bafus was so desperately looking for her children.
“At baggage claim, I was walking next to Hilary Swank,” she said, explaining that she simply recognized the actress in passing. “And I did a double take on her because it’s Hilary Swank.”
Image credits: bafusfamily.duchenne
Moments later, while she searched the crowd with her phone in hand, Bafus said the situation took a turn she never anticipated.
“I just looked, like you know, I was trying to call my husband. I wasn’t taking a picture,” she said.
But Swank appeared to assume otherwise. According to Bafus, the actress confronted her.
“You got what you needed? Get what you came for? Enjoy that picture,” Swank allegedly said, storming off.
Image credits: bafusfamily.duchenne
“It just hurt my feelings because I was starting my son’s Make-A-Wish trip, which she wouldn’t have known,” she said. “We just don’t know what others are going through and I was just a stressed mom trying to navigate LAX.”
In her apology, the actress explained that she was trying to protect her own children from being photographed without consent
Image credits: bafusfamily.duchenne
The father, Bryan, said the encounter was unexpected and admitted he was surprised that any celebrity, let alone a two-time Oscar winner, would react that way.
“To snap back at anybody when you’re in that profession…” he said, unable to find the words.
The boys, who wore their Make-A-Wish buttons and were photographed later enjoying rides and character meet-and-greets, remained unaware of the airport tension. For their parents, however, the moment briefly shadowed the start of an otherwise meaningful trip.
Shortly after the mother shared the encounter online, Swank reached out directly through Instagram with a private apology.
Image credits: bafusfamily.duchenne
Bafus said she was stunned by the message and asked that the apology not be reproduced publicly. She confirmed that Swank explained she had been worried about her own children, her toddler twins, Aya and Ohm, being photographed.
The actress has never shared their faces on social media and has spoken openly about her desire to keep them out of public exposure.
Image credits: hilaryswank
“I did not expect Hilary Swank to directly talk to me,” Bafus said. “I was taken aback.”
In previous interviews, Swank described motherhood as a profoundly transformative experience.
“I thought that it would be like this dream, but it’s dreamier than I ever imagined,” she told Today earlier this year. “It blows open my whole world in the most beautiful way.”
Netizens were divided, with one side defending the actress and the other criticizing her for her attitude
The online reaction to the encounter revealed a sharp divide. Some commenters shared personal experiences with Make-A-Wish families and celebrities.
“I served on the BOD for the Connecticut chapter of Make-A-Wish some years ago,” a reader said, recalling seeing Harrison Ford spend an entire day with a wish child, canceling all television interviews in order to give the boy one-on-one time.
“The moral of the story is they’re not all jerks.”
Image credits: hilaryswank
Others questioned the mother’s account altogether, expressing skepticism about her explanation.
“She’s looking for media sympathy attention and hoping companies and people will pity her and give her loads of free stuff. I just don’t buy her story… Watch the freebies come in now. Maybe a car or two,” a reader wrote.
Image credits: Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images
The Bafus family did not respond to negative commentary, focusing instead on the trip for their sons. Photos showed Mason and Jack smiling with Mickey Mouse and posing beside Bing Bong from Inside Out.
“It’s a good lesson for everyone. Take a breath and always remember you don’t know what others are going through,” a netizen added.
“Main character syndrome.” Netizens reflected on the encounter on social media
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