Slater, JetBlue Part Ways

Steven Slater, the JetBlue flight attendant who exited the aircraft down an emergency chute after allegedly being harassed by a passenger, is no longer with the airline, a spokesperson confirmed Saturday.

The spokesperson said the separation occurred last week, but declined to elaborate on how Slater and Jet Blue parted ways.

Slater became something of an overnight working-class hero last month when he got fed up with a passenger, screamed obscenities over the loudspeaker, grabbed a beer, and triggered an inflatable emergency chute from a plane at a JFK Airport terminal in New York. Authorities arrested him at his home later that afternoon.

Slater was said to be coping with the health issues of his mother, who is battling cancer. A week after his arrest, Slater had more than 200,000 fans on his Facebook page.

JetBlue launched an internal investigation after the incident, and Slater was charged with reckless endangerment and criminal mischief -- both felonies -- and criminal trespass. If convicted, he could face up to seven years in prison.

Slater has a court appearance scheduled for Tuesday.