LeBron James' wife, Savannah James, is facing some backlash after she shared that when she goes on trips with her friends, she flies first class while her friend flies business class.
Savannah and April McDaniel made an appearance on Boardroom's “Mental Wealth” podcast on Sept. 28, where they spoke about the differences in their travel.
“No shade, but if I didn’t wanna buy my best friend a first class ticket I’ll buy the same ticket she’s buying. Either way we flying the same regardless never separately,” one fan wrote on X in response to the viral clip.
Another fan wrote is it worth sitting in first class if your friend doesn't too, “What good is 1st class if my homies can't sit?”
“Weird power dynamic. Subtle reminder they aren’t on the same level,” a fan responded.
A fan suggested she wouldn't be as cool with the arrangement and would want to talk with their friend, writing, “If my best friend is married to a literal billionaire and makes me sit in coach while she eats warm nuts up front, we are having a talk at baggage claim
Another fan agreed with the sentiment the friends have: “Why would anybody expect someone else who has no responsibility over you to pay for your sh*t is beyond me lmao.”
LeBron's wife Savannah James says she doesn’t feel the need to pay for her longtime friend and business partner, April McDaniel, to fly first class when they travel together, so Savannah flies first class while April flies on a budget. ✈️👀 pic.twitter.com/iQlzkWy3bq
— My Mixtapez (@mymixtapez) September 29, 2026
While fans had a lot to say about the arrangement, McDaniel and James are very much okay with how their friendship works when it comes to planning trips.
Article Continues Below“We talk about this a lot because there’s two different lifestyles that exist,” McDaniel shared on the podcast. “Like we’re not delusional to that. And I think Savannah has accommodated where I’m at.”
Savannah also said that her friends do not have an expectation of her to pay for their way on a trip.
“My friends are very respectful of my situation. You know, if I’m like, ‘We’re going somewhere,’ they already understand what it is,” James said on the podcast. “There’s no expectation of, like, taking care of something or, you know, just having me be responsible for them. It has never, ever been that.”
McDaniel and Savannah are longtime business partners and friends who launched their own podcast called Everybody's Crazy, back in 2024. She also shared that they plan out their trips together so it might be misconstrued from what people see online about them showing out at high-profile events.
“We’re planning out. Like, we don’t just show up at Fashion Week week-of. We don’t move like that even though people think we do,” she said.
McDaniel added that they faced criticism when she moved up to first class to sit with Savannah to just watch a movie, “If we’re going on the same trip, I don’t feel the need to be in first [class] because that’s not in my budget. And people were very critical of her being in first and me being in business and me going up to first and getting in her bed and watching a movie. It was, like, offended.”
Soon enough Savannah will be checking flight plans as LeBron's Philadelphia 76ers debut is on the horizon. LeBron's first regular season game will be against the New York Knicks on Oct. 20 at Madison Square Garden. During Media Day on Monday, LeBron made it clear his motives for being in Philly: “I didn't leave my family to lose in the second round.”