Baldwin tweeted that he was "reamed out" by a flight attendant for playing the Scrabble-like game while the airplane sat at the gate, not moving (full tweets below).
Michael Wolf, a former president of MTV, was on the flight and tweeted "Alec Baldwin removed from the plane. We had to go back to the gate. Terrible that everyone had to wait."
Officials said police did not respond to the incident.
American Airlines released the following statement Wednesday:
"Since an extremely vocal customer has publicly identified himself as being removed from an American Airlines flight on Tuesday, Dec. 6, we have elected to provide the actual facts of the matter as well as the FAA regulations which American, and all airlines, must enforce. Cell phones and electronic devices are allowed to be used while the aircraft is at the gate and the door is open for boarding. When the door is closed for departure and the seat belt light is turned on, all cell phones and electronic devices must be turned off for taxi-out and take-off. This passenger declined to turn off his cell phone when asked to do so at the appropriate time. The passenger ultimately stood up (with the seat belt light still on for departure) and took his phone into the plane's lavatory. He slammed the lavatory door so hard, the cockpit crew heard it and became alarmed, even with the cockpit door closed and locked. They immediately contacted the cabin crew to check on the situation. The passenger was extremely rude to the crew, calling them inappropriate names and using offensive language. Given the facts above, the passenger was removed from the flight and denied boarding."
Baldwin's spokesman, Matthew Hiltzik, said the actor loves the game so much that he was willing to leave the plane to play. The "30 Rock" star got on another American Airlines flight.
Other passengers, who were delayed an hour by Baldwin's antics, didn't find the situation amusing.
"He was on his phone, and he didn't want to get off his phone," one passenger said. "Then he snuck into the bathroom."
Sitting in first class with a ringside view was former boxing champ Oscar de la Hoya.
"He just got a little angry," de la Hoya said.
And so did many of other passengers.
"He was very rude, caused us to be delayed, not very considerate," a passenger said.
Baldwin's Twitter site has since been deactivated.
