Glam flight attendant to the stars claims SpaceX replaced her on Gulfstream with younger woman after cancer diagnosis

A glamorous flight attendant with decades of experience flying with the famous claims she was replaced by younger women on private jets carrying SpaceX executives, then fired after a cancer diagnosis, according to a new lawsuit.

Lydia Fillip, 60, a veteran lead cabin attendant trained at the British Butler Institute of London, says in the suit she was replaced by a younger blonde and brunette who were favored by SpaceX Chief Pilot Conner Grey.

Fillip, who was hired in 2023 at $800 a day to fly from the rocket company’s headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif., to its Texas offices, said her shifts were slashed and less experienced women were brought on to replace her, according to the filings. 

The suit claims Delainy Reyes, described as in her early 20s, and thirtysomething Stacy Brown as receiving “markedly more work than the other flight attendants,” after Grey took over the schedule in February of 2025.

The chief pilot is accused in the suit of having a sexual relationship with Brown “that became increasingly obvious to the rest of the team throughout the course of their scheduled shift,” according to the complaint.

Brown and Reyes were given the sought-after Gulfstream shifts that ferried Space X executives, including founder Elon Musk, despite Fillip having much more private jet experience, the suit claims.

The veteran flight attendant was famously on the witness list for Johnny Depp and Amanda Heard’s divorce case after she witnessed an alleged altercation on their private aircraft, though she was never called to the stand. 

Fillip also pointed to the July 2024 hiring of Kelly Doak, who she claims had no relevant experience, according to the suit. The 22-year-old’s background included time as a door-to-door salesperson and exercise instructor, the suit says.

“Ms. Doak was one of a series of young conventionally attractive attendants Space X hired with little or no aviation experience and placed among the safety critical equipment of the cabin,” the complaint says.

The suit goes on to claim that Doak left a service cart unattended without its brakes in place, “a serious hazard capable of causing injury to passengers and crew.”

Fillip, who was diagnosed with stage-four melanoma in December 2024, worked during immunotherapy treatment until April 2025, when she told Grey she would need to step back for medical reasons, the court papers say.

Despite being cleared to work by her doctors in May 2025, Fillip was only given a handful of trips through September and was ultimately fired by phone, according to the lawsuit.

During the call, Grey allegedly told Fillip that he “didn’t like her attitude” and ended the call by “coldly wishing Ms. Fillip good luck,” the suit claims.

Both Space X and Grey are named as defendants in the suit. Fillip is asking for economic damages, pain and suffering compensation, and a jury trial. 

The California Post contacted SpaceX and Grey for comment.